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“He was thirteen when he died. He grew up in a home where being a Mafioso was a way of life but he hated it. He opposed his father and rebelled against his strict rules. He was whipped every day from when he was eight years old for being unyielding. He refused to become a junior street crime leader for the mob. So much so, he ratted their crimes out to the police more than once. It resulted in Gotti getting locked up for the murder of a senator who refused to be bribed and threatened to expose them for money laundering. His son witnessed the killing and saw it as an opportunity to force Marco to walk away from the mob. It backfired. Marco was furious. It destroyed his hopes for one day sitting on The Commission. He tried to force his son to retract his statement during the court case. When he refused, he took him out to sea and dumped him overboard in the shark infested area of Maui County, Hawaii. Since he was the starandonly witness of the state, the case against Gotti was dropped. As a token of his appreciation, Gotti personally sponsored Boneiro as a ‘made man’ and appointed him caporegime of the Bay Area.” Jared calmly poured the hot chocolate into the mugs and watched with a closed expression as Paxton added a swirl of thick cream and a sprinkle of chocolate dust on top.
“His son was never seen again.”
“I can’t believe a father could be that cruel.” Her voice cracked with shock. A shudder rocked her at the thought of being thrown into shark-infested waters.
Her daughter, Lucy, was a rebel and there were days during her teenage years that Paxton had felt like strangling her but she could never hurt her. In fact, she had never received a hiding in her life.
“How do you know the story so well? I couldn’t find anything on the web.”
“We’ve been chasing Boneiro for years. He might have been able to destroy all the evidence that existed of his first born but then, there’s the dark web— a source of a lot of information. Cruz knows where to look.”
Jared took a first sip of the hot chocolate. An appreciative groan crawled from his throat. “Delicious.”
“Thank you.” Paxton retrieved a bright red tin from the cupboard and removed the lid. “Almond biscotti?” she offered as she bit into one.
“Home-made?”
“Yeah.” She shrugged. “I don’t cook much because it’s no fun making a meal for one but I love to bake.”
Jared savored a piece of the biscuit as he looked at her thoughtfully. “Where’s your daughter?”
“How did you... never mind. I forgot Cruz dug up everything about us.” She paused to sip her hot chocolate. “Lucy is a freshman at Harvard. She lives on campus.” She smiled sadly. “I haven’t seen her in seven months and I miss her like crazy. She’s involved in several extracurricular activities that keep her on campus. She loves every minute of it.”
“Sounds very self-motivated. What’s she studying?”
“Neurobiology. She’d always been fascinated by the nervous system. I am so proud of her for getting a scholarship to attend Harvard. It was a promise she made to her father— to study hard and be the best she could be. When she was accepted, it was the happiest day of her life— the culmination of a promise she never forgot— even though he’d been dead ten years.”
She offered him a slight smile. “But I can’t help but worry. There’s more violence in the world today, people acting badly and... I don’t doubt for a minute what you say is true. If Boneiro finds out about the Red Reign Agency, he could ultimately trace her whereabouts.”
“I have twin sons at Harvard. I’ll ask them to keep an eye out for her while putting a discreet security detail on her. Don’t worry, little one, I’ll make sure she’s safe.”
“I can’t expect you to but I’d be a fool to say no. Lucy’s safety is of the utmost importance to me.” She sighed heavily. It was useless to keep fighting him. As much as she needed her daughter to be safe, she cared too much for the three women on her team not to have the same for them. “Very well, Commander. I take your point.” She crossed her arms and stared at him. “I’m listening. Exactly what do you propose to keep my team safe?”
Jared surprised her once again. There was no outward display of an ego being inflated by her concession. He seemed to have the patience of a saint which irked Paxton— a thing from which she, herself, suffered a paucity of.
She pursed her lips together at the revelatory spark in his eyes.
I’m on to you, Commander.
Paxton wasn’t a novice when it came to the games Doms played. She was tuned in to his attempts to lure her into the web he was weaving around her. He might push every button of her starved body but he’d learn quickly enough that she wasn’t ready to surrender and let him have his way with her.
Yeah... keep telling yourself that.
Shut up!
A warm flush bloomed across her cheeks at the taunting words in her mind. She stepped back to ratchet down the speed at which she usually acted.
Something told her that Jared was worth the wait. It had been a long time since she’d embraced the excitement of being chased and aroused. Rex had always kept their relationship fresh and exciting. Maybe that was why she couldn’t bring herself to move on and find another man.
Untilheappeared... the gentle riddle of a man who wore the title of black ops commander.
I might play hard to get now, Jared Bates, but mark my words. The day I allow you to catch me is when your days as an available Dom are over. I have no intention of sharing you... ever.
Now that’s more like it, girl!
“Pack a bag and phone your team to do the same. I’ll tell Brock to pick them up. We’ll discuss it at the FBI safehouse in Park Merced once everyone is there.” He held up a hand as she opened her mouth to protest. “We need to get you out of sight before they find out who you are. Make up your mind, Paxton. Either you’re committed to us protecting you or you’re not.”
Feeling like a schoolgirl being admonished by a headmaster, she about-faced and marched off to pack.
