Page 158 of Revere: A Legacy Novel

“Except yesterday you just agreed to run guns indefinitely for my father’s family. That kind of means you don’t get to just up and say no more, Cross.”

He didn’t look like he particularly cared. “It is what it is.”

“Speaking of a boss …”

Cross looked down at her. “What about it?”

“Why won’t you call my father by that title?”

“Well … for a couple of reasons.”

“Is one of them because you don’t respect him?”

Cross barked out a laugh. “Far from it. I respect any man in this lifestyle that has managed to put himself in the position your father is in. Never mind, stay alive for as long he has while sitting there.”

“Then why?”

“Because I have a boss—my father. Calisto is the only man I have ever given that title to, and willingly. Because my father has been respectful enough to me that he has never seen me as his lesser. He puts me on equal footing. He expects me to sit where he does one day. I feel like using that title on another man is disrespectful to my father. I don’t mind following the orders of other men who are higher in rank. I do what needs done as a made man, but I have only one boss. For now, that’s Calisto. When he’s done, then it’s me. Okay?”

Catherine nodded. “Okay.”

Catherine reached up to tug on his shirt collar, and pulled him down for a longer kiss than he had given her. He smiled against her mouth, wicked and sinful. “How long do you think you’ll be gone?”

“A couple of days at the most. I’ve got an apartment down there I want to grab some shit out of, and a few other things to tie up. No loose ends, right?”

“Right.”

He kissed her mouth again, but his tongue teased at the seam of her lips. “Open up for me.”

Catherine grinned and pulled away. “Nope, I know what time your flight is. You’ll be late.”

Cross scowled. “Tease.”

“Gives you something to get back for, doesn’t it?”

He considered that.

“True,” he murmured. “So hey, one other thing.”

“What’s that?”

“Dante and I talked—”

“Nicely?”

Cross rolled his eyes, and tugged on a strand of her hair playfully. “Hush up, Catty.”

“Fine, but you make it easy sometimes. Like a still target.”

“Hush.” He gave her a look before continuing with, “We talked, and just to be safe, you’re going to notice your enforcer being a bit closer than normal for the next little while.”

Catherine’s brow furrowed. “Why?”

Sure, she always had an enforcer trailing her if she was alone. Not when she was with Cross, or a man of her family, but definitely when she was alone. He never came close enough to make a scene, or be a distraction for her.

“We’ve tried to make contact with Rhys about the shit that went down.”

“The guy who wanted the guns in the first place, right?”