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Cassian turns his gentle eyes to me and he smiles. "Did I scare you?"

"No." I shake my head and glance down. "I think it actually turned me on a little. That was so hot." Cassian's laughter breaks the tension and he leans over, kissing me softly on the lips.

"Noted."

That lightness stays with us for the rest of the drive to the private airport, but when we get there, my heart plummets right out of my gut.

Valentina stands at the top of the steps leading into the jet with her gun pointed forward. Several of the armed guards that left with her in the ambulance circle the base of the steps and they're all pointing in the same direction.

Straight toward Mario.

He stands several feet away, flanked by multiple black sedans and even more armed guards. While Mario has the numbers, Valentina clearly has the firepower and we park near the jet and observe the stalemate.

"That tail must have been to delay us," Cassian murmurs, unholstering his gun. "Though I bet they didn't expect Valentina to be ready for them."

"What do we do?" I gasp, reaching for his hand and gripping it so tightly, my knuckles click. "Oh, my God, Cassian."

"I've got you," he says firmly, locking eyes with me. "I've got you, okay?"

I nod shakily and follow his lead out of the car. The sound of us pulling up did cause a few of Mario's men to aim their guns at our vehicle, but none of them shoot as we carefully climb out. Cassian leads the way toward the jet, but we're stopped when Mario positions himself between us and the plane.

Cassian tenses up like a bolt and his eyes narrow. "Move."

Mario's upper lip swells as he licks his teeth. "Give me Sabina and Illyana, and you can get on that plan unharmed."

All of Valentina's men lift their weapons an inch higher. Previously, they were aiming to maim. Now they aim to kill.

I clutch Cassian's arm tightly and glimpse Illyana's wide-eyed face peering out of one of the jet windows. Knowing those men and Valentina stand between her and Mario is the only thing keeping my fear in check.

If I die here, at least I know she will be protected.

"What do you hope to gain from this?" Cassian asks casually, despite the rigid cut of his muscles. "Seriously, what's your end goal here? Two ancient, powerful families are so concerned about the welfare of a mother and her child. It would be admirable if it weren't so sickening.”

"Mother?" Mario sneers and glares at me. "She is no mother."

"Yes, I am!" The words burst out of me even as my voice trembles. "You stole her from me, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm her mother, you hear me? And given what I know about you, she's much safer with me!"

Mario takes a step forward and Cassian immediately steps in front of me. "Stand down, Mario. You won't win this."

"Won't I?" Mario sneers. "I have more men on the way as we speak. You have no power here."

"And you don't have the firepower to take on the Suit. You want to open fire here? Sure, there's a chance we'll all go down and you'll walk away, but what will you do then? You don't have the resources to survive retaliation from the Suit."

"The Suit." Mario scoffs the word like a slur. "You have no power here, Cassian. You never did. I only treated your little group like they did because I felt sorry for you."

"Really?" Cassian doesn't waver. "You're old, Mario. Maybe back in your prime, the Suit was something to laugh at, but now? We have factions all over the world. Organized crime is worldwide, and you'd be surprised how many families and groups want a piece of the financial security we assure."

"You're bluffing," Mario snaps.

"Am I?" Cassian replies just as sharply. "Want to put that to the test? Go on, Grandpa. Make your move. See who really walks away."

For a single, tense moment, I fear Mario's going to do just that and pull the trigger on all of us. I've no doubt that Valentina and her men will take a good chunk of Mario's men with her, but me? I won't survive. Neither will Cassian.

The next few seconds stretch on in a tense silence. No one moves. No one breathes.

Then, finally, Mario steps aside. "You will regret this, Cassian. You will."

"No." Cassian sighs, annoyed. "I don't think I will." With that, he strides right past him with me in tow and then quickly maneuvers me in front of him. From there, he ushers me past Valentina's men, and I take the stairs two at a time.