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When she spoke again, her voice was brimming with emotion. Like rising water about the burst from a dam, she was barely holding on. “Please be careful…”
He swallowed the lump in his throat and struggled to keep his composure even though she couldn’t see his face. But he kept his voice stoic, a mask of strength that was forced. “I’ll be fine, tesoro. Don’t worry about me.”
“I need both of you to come back, okay? I can’t live without either of you.”
The fields passed me on the left, but I wasn’t paying attention to the open road or the setting sun. The sky was starting to blend with the colors of pink, purple, and blue, but I didn’t care about the beauty of the land right in front of me. All I could do was focus on the pain in my woman’s voice, the heartache she couldn’t contain anymore.
“We will,” Crow said, keeping a strong front for his daughter. He refused to show any kind of vulnerability, giving her the reassurance she needed to hear. “Griffin and I are both experts. You have absolutely nothing to worry about.”
“Okay, I hope so.”
Crow lingered on the phone even though there was nothing else to say.
“I love you so much. You’re my best friend…”
I gripped the steering wheel a little tighter, feeling my heart ache for the words she was saying. I wished I could do this on my own and keep her father out of it to give her peace of mind.
“I love you too, tesoro. And you’re my best friend as well.”
I didn’t expect to witness such a heartfelt conversation. It made me uncomfortable because their connection was so deep. Now it didn’t surprise me that Crow did everything he could to keep me away from her. And it didn’t surprise me that Vanessa worked so hard to get his approval, and when that approval didn’t come, she couldn’t stay with me.
“Please come back,” she said. “Both of you.”
“We will.” Crow took a deep breath as his eyes remained focused out the window. “I should get go. I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Okay…talk soon.”
He hung up and dropped the phone on his thigh. He purposely turned his head away and focused his gaze out the window so most of his reaction wasn’t visible. He never showed an expression besides annoyance or anger, at least that I’d seen. But when Vanessa was around, it was a different story. She stripped away his hardness and made him softer than a cloud. He purposely hid his face from me, and if he could, he would have walked away to have this moment to himself.
But since we were stuck together, there was nowhere for him to go.
We arrived in Milan and left the truck at the curb outside the Underground. Hours had passed, and it was deep into the night. At midnight on a Monday, there was no one out. People had retired to bed long ago.
We sat side by side.
Crow turned to me, most of his face hidden in shadow. “Let’s do this.”
“Alright. I’ll go in first. If I don’t come back, leave without me.”
“You really think that’s a possibility?”
I faced forward again. “It’s unlikely, but I like to prepare for the worst.”
“Armed or unarmed?”
“Unarmed.” I opened my door. “I’m gonna offer the cash Conway profited from their operation. Bring your laptop to make the transfer.”
“Alright.”
I stood in the street with the door open. “I told your wife I wouldn’t let anything happen to you.” I wouldn’t protect him just for Vanessa’s sake. I saw the way Pearl looked at her husband, the way she always defended him. There was nothing but love between them—and undying loyalty. “I’m a man of my word, Crow.” I shut the door before he had the chance to say anything.
I walked to the back entrance and entered the Underground. I was stopped by the guards for a quick pat-down before I stepped inside. The auction wasn’t starting for a few hours, so I was early—and there was hardly anyone there.
I headed to the bar, watched the blonde behind the counter smile at me, and I ordered a drink.
A few minutes later, Tony appeared. Dressed in black and gray, he was a man ten years older than me, with his nose pierced and tattoos up and down both of his arms. He leaned against the counter and fist-bumped me. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. Got a big hit list?”
“Very.”
He chuckled then ordered a drink. “Life is more fun when business is good.” He downed his drink in one gulp. “And there’s blood on your hands.” He patted my back then turned to the rest of the room where the empty tables sat. “Why are you here so early? Heard that we have fresh meat tonight?”
“Not exactly.” I drank my glass in one gulp, matching his thirst. “I have business to discuss with you and Rush.”
