Page 81 of Unruly

“You’re going to need to head out again for work soon, aren’t you?”

“Probably.”

Very soon, likely.

Catherine hadn’t brought up the subject of her needing to head back to L.A., pay an unsuspecting former client a visit, or that she might finally have a source who could get her into the Mexican cartel.

A source that had been right under her nose.

“I was thinking that since you’re already going to be gone, and on the move for a couple of weeks or so, maybe you could take Cece with you.”

Catherine glanced up at her husband again. She could hear it in his tone, but also see it in his face. He didn’t like that idea because he hated being away from Cece for long periods of time.

“Keep her on the move, too, you mean,” Catherine said.

Cross nodded. “Smart, isn’t it?”

“Harder to hit a moving target, that’s for sure.”

“I can focus on just one thing at a time—making the threat disappear. It’ll be easier if I’m not also needing to worry about where you and Cece are, or if someone is doing a good enough job watching your back.”

“You only say that because—”

“No one does it better than me,” Cross interjected with a smirk.

“Arrogant boy.”

“Man.”

Catherine leaned up, turned just a little, and kissed Cross. Instantly, his tongue was already slipping between her parted lips, deepening the kiss and making her breath catch in her throat. Her fingers curled around the arms of the chair while his hands palmed her ass. She pulled away just far enough to rest her cheek to his.

“Still my arrogant boy,” she whispered.

Cross smiled against her cheek. “Your turn.”

“Aw, but you were doing so well talking about your problems.”

His laughter coated her like sweet, rich honey. Then, his fingers tickled down her sides.

“Nope, your turn, babe.”

“Awesome.”

“Start talking,” Cross demanded.

Catherine started ticking things off. “Lack of cocaine. No supplier. Andino and John are pissed off at me because I didn’t let them in on the little secret from the jump. Ma still hasn’t accepted my apology, but I basically know now that this is a teachable moment for me. So, I still have to figure shit out on my own. Someone is stealing clients, and not just any clients, big name clients. Ones that are not easy to get to, you know?”

“A-list?”

“Yep,” she said, popping the word out of her mouth.

It still left a bitter taste behind.

“About John and Andino,” Cross started to say.

“No, you cannot get in between us and play the deflection game for me. I’m already aware that they’re only going to allow me so much time to figure out a new supplier and get a shipment in before they step in and do it.”

“Well, okay,” Cross said.