Page 298 of Romeo

“You hear me, Romeo?”

I didn’t make a fucking sound.

Gator’s mouth twitched.

King continued as if my silence had answered him anyway. “I’m pissed enough to put you through a goddamn wall, but that can wait. You hide that girl until I tell you it’s safe to bring her home. Montclair isn’t gonna be nearly as patient with your ass, and Martha Steiner will probably kill you herself if she finds you before he does. But neither one of them will ever hurt Fiona.”

My hand tightened around the edge of the bar.

“St. James will.”

That was the only part I needed.

King knew it too. I could hear it in the way the anger in his voice settled behind something colder and more deliberate.

“I called Sal and made sure he knows what the fuck is happening. He’s got people down there who can help, so fucking use them. Don’t do something stupid. Keep Fiona somewhere Sylvia can’t reach her until I tell you otherwise.”

I stayed exactly where I was, staring at Gator while he stared back at me.

Neither of us broke the lie.

King let the silence stretch just long enough to make it clear he knew exactly what game we were playing.

Then his voice hardened again. “And when you finally bring your Cajun ass home, don’t mistake me protecting Fiona for me forgetting that shit you pulled. Your ass is mine.”

The call ended.

Gator lowered the phone slowly and looked at me.

Before either of us could say anything, Worm spoke from the far end of the bar, where he had apparently been listening to every fucking word while making absolutely no effort to pretend otherwise.

“You know Martha Steiner has that jet.”

I turned toward him.

Worm glanced at the clock behind the bar. “If she was already at the Sons’ clubhouse raising hell this morning, I’d say you’ve got maybe four hours before she figures out where Fiona went and lands here breathing fire.”

Four hours.

My mind started moving before he finished speaking.

Enough time.

Barely.

I looked around the Bourbon Bar, mentally sorting through what I needed, who I needed, and how fast I could make all of it happen without Fiona realizing there was anything more going on than me keeping her somewhere safe.

Gator watched my face too closely.

“What?” he asked.

“Four hours gives me room.”

His eyes narrowed slightly, but he knew better than to ask the same question twice when I clearly wasn’t ready to answer it.

Then another problem occurred to me.

“Mama needs to know Fiona’s here.”