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“Everything that I’ve ever done in my life has led me to this moment with you and our child. If I were to go back and change just one thing, I would have never met you. I wouldn’t have gotten to experience the light that you bring into my life or the way you don’t take my shit.”
She nestles against me as my fingers trail along her hip. “You know, I used to think that if I could just go back in time and make one teacher speak up and say something, that my life would have turned out a lot better.”
“And now what do you think?”
“I think that meeting you might have been the best mistake of my life.”
I grin and kiss her, getting lost in the feeling of her mouth on mine as we leave the business of Miami behind. Out here, nothing can touch us. I don’t have to worry about Felix or that Hadley is going to get up and walk away.
Right now, she is safe in my arms and I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my night.
Of course, that all comes crashing down an hour later when my phone vibrates with a text as Hadley is in the washroom. I groan and pull the phone out of my pocket, wishing that I could ignore it. As I unlock the phone, I head to the railing to look out at the waves.
Rio: The Brazen is burning. Felix is suspect #1. Come quick.
“Fuck!” I send Rio a quick reply before telling the steward to ask the captain to turn around.
Right now, I would like nothing more than to throw my phone into the water and pretend I never got the message.
However, that would be a sign of weakness. Those in Miami who are wavering with their allegiance to me will see ignoring the fire as a clear message that I am losing power in my own city.
Like fuck I’m going to let that happen.
The steward is in the middle of scurrying away when Hadley appears on the deck again with a bright smile. I try to force a smile back at her, but my pulse is pounding and anger is boiling to the surface.
Felix Domingos is a dead man walking.
“Is everything alright?” Hadley loops her arms around my waist and leans her head into my chest.
I kiss the top of her head and run a hand up and down her bare back. “No. We have to head back to the marina. The Brazen has been set on fire and Rio is certain that Felix is behind it.”
Hadley stiffens and looks up at me. I see a million different emotions flicker across her face before she unwraps her arms and turns away from me. And I hate the cold I feel from her distance. We were having a good night. Of course Felix would find a way to ruin this for us.
“Alright, well, I guess we’re going to have to do dessert another time,” she says as she turns back to me with a smile. “Are you okay?”
“You’re asking me if I’m okay?” I laugh and shake my head, pulling her back to me. “Hadley, I’m fine. I’m just worried about ruining your night. I was trying to make this something special for us and then shit like this has to happen.”
“You’ll handle it,” she says, standing on her toes to kiss me softly.
Rio is standing across the road from The Brazen when we arrive. I step out of the car and join him while Hadley sits in the passenger seat and scrolls through her phone. Rio casts her a worried glance before looking at me.
Alessio gets out of another car and walks over to us, looking at the burning building before turning to me. “You got here fast.”
“I didn’t know you were back in town,” I say as I look at him. “I thought that you liked me enough to tell me when you were coming to pay me a visit.”
Alessio shrugs and smiles. “I heard that Felix was planning something big through the grapevine. Thought you might need a little more help when it came to him. My consigliere is watching over my people until I get back. I have a few of the men I still trust with me.”
I nod. “Thank you for coming. I could use the extra support right now. I don’t know what is going to happen with Felix, but the more people we have in the city watching for him, the better.”
“How is she taking this? I know that everything is more than she bargained for right now.” Alessio looks at me before turning his attention to Hadley.
I don’t miss the glimmer in Rio’s eyes as they narrow. It’s the same look he gets when someone upsets Kennedy. He is the kind of man who will stand up to anyone and anything for the people he’s loyal too.
Yet another person on the list that outranks me in his eyes.
Although, I’m not upset about it. Knowing that Rio is going to put Hadley above nearly everything else makes me feel better.
“She is coping. Right now I’m going to be taking her home and locking her in. Rio, I want you to follow us and stay there with her. Bring Kennedy too. Hadley could use a friend right now.”
