Addie grabbed the mug and took a cautious sip.
Oh. That tasted delicious. Whatever the special sauce was, she wanted more.
“Take it easy on that,” Cash told her. “I’m fairly certain the special sauce is alcohol.”
Well, she wasn’t much of a drinker, but she might become one if this was what alcohol tasted like. Especially when it came with whipped cream and sprinkles on top. Bonnie sure knew how to make a good warm drink.
“Ortega is staying here?” Ralen asked. “Can he do that? Is it even safe for him?”
“Oh, I’m not very happy that he’s intending to stay in the states. It’s dangerous for him. But he seems to be fixated on someone who lives in North Dakota. So he’ll spend most of his time there and check in with Bonnie constantly.”
Fixated on someone?
She didn’t really understand what the big deal was about Ortega being here.
“Why do you need one of us back there?” Cash asked. “Why can’t we both stay here? This has become our home now.”
Dante turned his sharp gaze on Cash. “Yes, but your home is wherever I say it is, because you two signed an allegiance to me. I’m starting to regret being kind by sending you to work here.”
Kind? This man thought he’d been kind. She didn’t think he even knew what kind was. Did this mean they had to go back to Mexico? Could she live near him all the time?
From what Cash had said, this job was pretty safe. Bonnie was never in trouble, and she had Titus to protect her anyway.
“You knew it was for life, Cash. I didn’t have to take you on. However, Ralen is family. Unfortunately, I’d never hear the end of it if I let something happen to him. But if something happened to you . . .” he trailed off.
“Dante, you’re being mean,” Bonnie said. “I like Cash. He’s been good to me. He’s looked after me, and he’s always been loyal. So he left for a while to go and help Addie. What is he meant to do when the woman that he loves is in trouble? Just let her be hurt?”
Dante stared at Bonnie for a long moment, and Bonnie just smiled back at him. Wow, she was way braver than Addie. Addie had barely been able to speak in front of this man.
Cash held her against his side as he stared at Dante. He was tense and she worried that he was about to do something he would regret. Something that would end up with him dead.
She was not going to lose him just when she’d found him. Just when they’d finally gotten themselves on the same page, it seemed like this man had the power to tear them apart.
“I’ll go back to Mexico,” Ralen said.
“What?” Cash asked.
Ralen stared over at him, then back to Dante. “I volunteer to go to Mexico with you. When do we leave?”
57
Cash was fuming.
Ralen couldn’t volunteer to go to Mexico.
“Good. Glad that’s settled,” Dante said. “We leave in a few hours. I have to get back. But I’d like to speak to Addie alone before I go.”
What?
“No,” Cash snapped, holding Addie closer. As though he thought she was going to be torn away from him.
“I apologize,” Dante said smoothly.
That should have been his first warning because Dante didn’t apologize. Ever.
“That might have seemed like a request. It was not.”
Cash ground his teeth together.
