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“That guy was such a pussy,” she sniggered.
Oh, if only she knew. He’d died like one too. I couldn’t tell her, and she didn’t need to know. It was the others that wanted to test her and see how she handled this lifestyle before throwing her into it headfirst.
She’d been pretty damn understanding of everything she was aware of thus far, but that could all change the moment Gavin came home to her covered in someone else’s blood.
I pushed myself into a sitting position and checked for Romeo and Juliet, spotting them beneath the poolside bar in shade. I didn’t blame them.
I’d come out here to try and relax before I had to leave. Judas hadn’t texted me yet, which left me with no idea when that would be.
Since being here I’d learned he worked his ass off.
From sunup to sundown, he stayed busy but still always found time to work out and for me. We ate breakfast together most mornings unless I slept in.
He randomly appeared to fuck me throughout the day. There wasn’t a night that had gone by without him in bed, even if it was after I’d settled in.
“I’m taking my birth control,” I responded to her earlier question. The subject of getting it refilled hadn’t come up between me and Judas yet, but it was on my to-do list.
“So, no babies for you then,” she quipped. “Where is he, anyway?”
“Good question.”
I reached for my cell to check the time and got distracted by the look on her face. “What’s wrong?”
“Are you sure about tonight?”
I should’ve known that’s what had her looking so depressed all of a sudden.
“Audrey, I’ve never been more certain about anything.”
“It’s dangerous, Rhia.”
“Every day of my life will be considered dangerous. I’m marrying Judas Barron and my father is Santiago Saldaña.”
“And who are you?”
I felt like this was a trick question, so I answered as honestly as I could. “I may have been born a Saldaña, raised as a Clermont, and I’ll die as a Barron, but I’m always going to be Rhiannon.”
This seemed to be the right thing to say. She visibly relaxed and smiled at me. “You’re a badass. I’m so proud of you.”
“I’m definitely not.” I laughed and picked up my cell just as it vibrated. “I just make tequila when life hands me lemons.”
Seeing the text was from Judas, I opened it with bated breath, my stomach knotting when it confirmed tonight was the night.
I toyed with the charm on Romeo’s collar watching for any signs of the sports car we’d been tailing in a roundabout way.
There were eight of us in three separate vehicles, nine if you included the Doberman, all with the same destination once Evie bit her bait.
Rochelle had made an appearance at a club to be seen and then gotten into a similar Bugatti to Judas’ with a man playing bodyguard.
I hadn’t seen anyone following her aside from us every so often, making me wonder if this was even going to work. What did I know about tailing someone, though? These were the professionals. Had it been me I’d probably have gotten spotted almost immediately and had my cover blown to shit.
According to Judas’ informant that was fucking Evie regularly, she’d nearly had a meltdown when our engagement was leaked through the underground and had been plotting ever since.
I didn’t know she despise my entire existence so much.
I knew she hated my mother.
I suppose my resemblance to her could be triggering, but I didn’t hate the hundreds of blondes that looked like her.
It was such a weak fucking excuse I knew there had to be more to it, but honestly, I didn’t care. I shouldn’t have to die because she couldn’t let go of a years-old grudge that had nothing to do with me.
That same mindset could correlate to my everyday relationships.
It would be easy to hold onto the feeling of hate, but I found hatred was exhausting. It tainted every area of your life and hung like a dark shadow over the thoughts inside your head. I just chose to never forget or forgive if they didn’t deserve it.
And Evie really didn’t fuck deserve it.
Her brain had to be lacking all rationality to think she of all people could take out two of the most prominent crime families around.
I couldn’t wait to see the look on her face when she realized I was the one that held her fate in my hands.
“Mercedes is back,” Owen’s voice carried through Judas’ speakerphone. He’d been tracking everyone’s movements since we’d left home hours ago. “Hill and Glacier, going right for the intersection like Judas’ predicted.”
“That didn’t take long,” Gavin muttered.
“Hang tight,” Theo warned, taking a sharp left turn.
My body tilted, but Judas kept me mostly upright by banding his arm across my midsection.
“Right, babe,” Owen directed Brianna.
