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Since I had time, I called Troy Kincaid too. With everything going on with the Aces, we hadn’t met up for lunch. It was too risky for him to be seen around me, especially after Cash bombed Nate’s car, but we’d sorted out transport for his latest piece, which was due to arrive any day. It wasn’t the way we usually handled his deliveries, but Troy didn’t mind. He knew we all had to make compromises until the Aces were snuffed out.
After a few more emails, the phone on the desk between us vibrated, sending my heart rate skyrocketing. The burner phone was what I’d texted Cash from after I tossed Jerron’s. As expected, Cash was trying to move things around in his favor.
Change of plans. Meet you at the industrial district near North Admiral in an hour.
An hour gave us enough time to contact the other families, load up, and get there early enough to scout. Perfect.
We’d spread the families throughout the city so there would be eyes and ears on the streets in case Cash decided to double-cross us—which he was likely to do—and there was a higher chance one of them would be close enough to help us when the fighting inevitably started. I was positive we had at least two families in the area to help us when it came down to it.
I responded back with an agreement and handed Grey the phone on my way into the dining room. Instead of food, weapons, holsters, and ammunition lined the massive mahogany table. At least Moore remembered to put down an old tablecloth. Amara had nearly had a stroke when he’d scratched the antique wood with his rifle last time.
Grey read the text with a slightly feral grin. He was as excited as I was to get things over with. “I’ll call the others.”
“Already done,” Cameron said, stepping in to take his spot on the other side of the table. We were seasoned pros, ready to do battle. The only difference was the fourth pile of weapons on the table for Dominic. “I sent a few of my guys into the city before dawn to get a read on things. Everyone else is on standby. Just text them the location, and they’ll be there. In fact, I think the Vipers are stationed a few blocks away. They’ll be there before we are.”
A wave of relief swept over me. Even if I wasn’t sure what was happening with Dominic, Greyson and Cameron had my back. They always did.
As if he heard my thoughts, my cousin shot me a shit-eating grin while Grey sent off the required texts. “What’s up with your boy toy? He was awfully grumpy when I ran into him earlier.”
“Which one?” I asked absently, piling weapons near my chair. Greyson smiled to himself while Cameron’s unreserved laughter echoed through the room.
“That one.”
I looked up to find a silent Dominic stalking into the room.
All morning, we’d moved around each other without speaking, out of sync and uncomfortable. He stared at me like I was a ghost only he could see. A walking, talking, fire-breathing reminder of the girl he’d stolen kisses from in the dark. He haunted my home like he was mourning, until the whole place felt like a fucking mausoleum.
Here lies Marianna Marcosa, the golden princess, lost in the heat of battle. Gone but never forgotten.
Christ, what was he going to think when he saw firsthand how bloodthirsty I was? Would he stand by my side while we took Cash down, or would it be too much for him?
Would this be what broke us for good? I didn’t know, and I hated it.
For ten years, I’d wished for Dominic to come home and remember that he had someone who cared about him. That he had me. For ten years, I’d hoped he’d like what he saw. I wanted him to see the same growth I did when I looked in the mirror. The strength, the courage, the determination. I wasn’t the little princess who did what she was told anymore; I commanded armies. I was powerful in my own right. I wanted him to see that I’d become so much more than I’d ever dreamed. To see me.
Not once had I thought he’d hate what he found, and it hurt.
That’s tomorrow’s problem, I reminded myself. I had other things to focus on. All I could do was hope that Dominic didn’t let his feelings fuck up our mission, because Cash had to go. Dominic checked me over briefly, jaw clenched as he took the final spot and began packing weapons onto his body.
Shaking my head, I responded to Cameron. “Difference of opinion.”
I thought he could love me; he thought I was the devil.
My cousin stared between us, and it took a lot for me to ignore the soft, sad look he gave me. Rey had always been my confidant, but Cameron had this intuition with people that made it easy for him to see the heart of a matter in seconds. It was what made him such a good capo and such an irritating family member. There were no secrets when he was around.
Sorry, he mouthed, but I waved it off. He couldn’t control Dominic’s feelings, and neither could I. The only person who could was the person who didn’t want to.
Breaking the moment, Grey dropped my bulletproof vest in front of me, and I immediately put it on over my shirt before working on stuffing the pockets.
“You’re not going to complain about wearing that?” Dominic asked, eyeing the vest.
Grey rolled his eyes, and I nearly followed suit. Of course the first thing he said to me was something stupid. “Only an idiot would walk into what’s almost certainly an ambush without any sort of protection. I may be stubborn, but I’m not stupid.”
“I didn’t mean?—”
“I know what you meant, Dominic.”
He flinched like I’d hit him where it hurt, and it irritated me. He’d hurt me, and he was flinching? I dropped my hands to my hips and stared him down. “Is this going to be a problem?”
