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“The idea has merit, Little one.”
She’s grinning, and when I lean forward to kiss her again, she wraps her arms around my neck. The thought of leaving her has a ball forming in the pit of my stomach. I’m struggling to take a deep breath. I want to keep her connected to me as much as possible. Unfortunately, the business I need to take care of is dirty, and I won’t do anything to bring my girl into the depths of that world.
“I love you. Call or text me if you need anything. Even if it’s nothing and you want to talk to me. You’re my first priority, baby.”
“I know, Daddy. Thank you. Please be careful.”
“Always, Little one. I have a reason to come home now.”
Kieran, Grady, Killian, and Ronan are already at Declan’s when I get there. Scarlet and Cali are perched on their Daddies’ laps.
“Chloe is at home with strict orders to stay in bed and rest today since she has finals over the next few days. If you two don’t have anything going on, I’m sure she’d love some company,” I say to the girls.
Cali’s face lights up. “Yes! Can we show her our piranha pond?”
I raise an eyebrow at my sister-in-law. “Can she see it from her bed?”
Her shoulders fall. “No.”
“Then the answer is no. You can go over there and watch movies or color or make bracelets. Something that keeps her in bed. Got it?”
Declan taps Cali on the bottom. “If either of you two do anything that causes Chloe to break the rules, you’re going to be in trouble too. Understand?”
“Yes,” Cali and Scarlet say in unison.
“I need some help with a gift for Chloe. Are you two willing to help me with some crafting later?”
Their eyes light up as they bob their heads. Cali claps her hands together, and Scarlet is practically wiggling right off Killian’s lap.
“Okay, but don’t say anything to Chloe. It’s a surprise.”
“Pinky promise,” Scarlet offers.
The three of us hook our fingers together, and I know my secret is safe. I’m pretty sure both of these girls would go to their graves with a secret if a pinky promise were involved. The CIA wouldn’t be able to break them.
“Your guards will drive you to Bash’s house,” Killian instructs. “Go get ready.”
The girls disappear from Declan’s office, and the six of us are left to talk business.
I glance at Kieran. “You filled them in on what we found out?”
Kieran nods. “Yes. We’ve also alerted Andrei and Alessandro, along with the rest of the syndicates. They all offered their support and resources.”
“This is more personal for Andrei since this is happening in his homeland. He asked if he could be part of taking down Ronald and anyone else involved,” Declan says.
The room is quiet for a moment. Not long ago, we would have considered Andrei an enemy. Guilty by association and all that. But the way he’s been cooperating with us since he took over as the boss of the Bratva, we feel like we can mostly trust him. And if he wants to help in bringing down a bunch of human traffickers and who knows what else, I’m all for it.
“I think it’s a good idea. Might help to mend any remaining tension between the Bratva and Irish if we work together on this,” I offer.
Kieran, Ronan, and Grady all nod. When we look at Killian, his eyes are dark, and his jaw is tense.
“If the Russians make one wrong move, I’ll kill Andrei myself. He may not have been the one who directly hurt my girl, but it doesn’t mean I forgive any of them,” Killian says firmly.
Declan stares at him for several seconds before he nods. “Agreed. This is their chance to prove they’re with us and not against us.”
I rise from my chair. “Let’s go visit our friend, Ronald, then.”
“Looks like someone got out of dodge quick,” Declan says.
