Page 95 of His Forbidden Alliance

“Yes, and that is why⁠—”

A piece clicked in place. “Why I couldn’t go after them.”

“Exactly.”

“Fuck, I had no idea.”

“I worked damn hard to make sure you didn’t.” She glanced around. “So where is Rafe?”

“I don’t know. He hasn’t been to see me, and I don’t have my phone or any way to call him.”

“He’ll be here,” she said. “Don’t worry about that.”

“I hope so.”

“Look, I’ve got to go and keep schmoozing with headquarters so there aren’t any repercussions. At least we don’t have to worry about Ivanov escaping or never getting to trial.”

“Thank God for that.”

She laid a hand on my arm. “Take care and keep in touch. Do you need me to bring you a phone?”

I shrugged, then winced. “I don’t know.”

“Use the landline to call me if you decide you do, okay? You remember my number?”

“Yes, I still have your number memorized. It didn’t get knocked loose from my head.”

She laughed. “Good.”

Once she left, I closed my eyes. I couldn’t fight sleep anymore.

38

RAFE

“What the hell are you doing here?” I turned to see Dante walking into the sunroom of Remington’s father’s house in Metairie.

“Remington said I should stay here. He didn’t want me spending the night alone.”

“Neither do I, but why the hell aren’t you at the hospital with Zach?”

I looked away, staring out the window at the birds flitting in the garden.

“Rafe, you love that man, and he’s been there all alone for hours.”

“Maria said she was going to see him.”

Dante scowled at me. “I know you might not have been ready to see him right after you talked to Maria, but you damn well better go now and tell him how you feel.”

I shook my head. “He’s not going to want to see me.”

“What do you mean? He only left you because he needed to be in the hospital. And we had to make things right with the feds so that we could tie all this up in a neat little bow and pretend it never happened.”

I still couldn’t quite believe we’d managed that. Nothing had seemed real for the last day. Not the way I felt so perfect snuggled in bed with Zach, or the way I was sure he’d betrayed me, and then finding out he was with Ivanov. It was all an emotional roller coaster I couldn’t wrap my head around.

“It’s my fault that he’s hurt.”

Dante shook his head. “No it’s not. It’s Ivanov’s fault.”