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“Alright, keep me updated. And take care of yourself, Archer.”
Archer makes an agreeable noise as he hangs up and silence falls around me in the bedroom. The sight of him covered in blood still clings to my mind when I close my eyes and as much as I try to assure myself he’s fine, it’s just another thing the Russians have tried to take from me.
I dress in a light t-shirt and jeans and head downstairs to meet Cara. She pours a cup of coffee for me the moment I enter the kitchen and bacon sizzles quietly in the pan behind her.
“Do you have to leave again?” she asks and despite the lightness in her tone, the set line of her shoulders tells me all I need to know about whether she wants me to or not.
“No. It was Archer. Feliks provided some intel that played out well for us so Dante is committed to meeting him, to have a chat.” I slide into one of the bar stools near the counter and wrap my hands around the steaming cup Cara slides in front of me.
“A Russian flipping on his own family?” Cara scoffs slightly, turning back to the stove and teasing the bacon with her tongs. “Doesn’t exactly scream trustworthy now, does it?”
“Nope,” I agree. The coffee coats my tongue, hot and bitter but soothing as it warms my throat. “I don’t trust a single one of those bastards after everything they’ve done.”
Cara flips the bacon over then turns back to me, indicating gently with the tongs.
“And yet Dante is looking for a path to peace. Maybe… maybe we should be seeing them as individuals instead of hating them as a family,” she says gently.
My eyes narrow. “What are you saying?”
She pauses, her lips pursing slightly. “I’m just saying… tarnishing them all with the same brush might bring you more pain than necessary, that’s all. If there’s a route to peace that minimizes casualties, should we not take it?”
It’s my turn to scoff and I drown it in the next gulp of coffee. I know what Cara’s getting at. If Feliks was telling the truth and he’s not responsible for the bomb that killed Callahan then,personallyhe’s done nothing to harm me or my family. But cozying up to a Russian makes my skin crawl and I shudder, watching Cara plate up the bacon with a slide of bread and a splodge of brown sauce.
“There’s one more thing,” Cara comments as she slides my plate to me, adding a fork before she hops up onto her own stool. My lips twitch at the flinch she doesn’t even hide when her pussy touches the stool. Her dark eyes lock with mine and I know what she’s going to say before the word leaves her mouth.
“Blair,” I mutter first.
“Yes,” Cara nods. “Regardless of her goal, or whatever scheme she might be trying to pull, the Russians will stop at nothing to gain leverage or hurt you, and if she truly has your son…” She trails off, wetting her lips with a dart of her pink tongue.
“We have to secure him before they find out he exists,” I finish for her. Cara nods slowly and the wheels turn behind her eyes as if her plan is being written out across her face as she mulls it over.
“We can offer your son safety and security, safe from prying eyes and Russian claws better than she ever could,” Cara murmurs. “And, I’m not saying Blair deserves a place in your life, the hurt she’s caused will never be erased but that shouldn’t deny you the chance to raise your own child. As for Blair…” Cara takes such a deep breath that her shoulders rise dramatically. “Well, we can’t deny him access to his mother. She might not like it but protecting him should come first.”
“It’s a wonder they haven’t made that connection already,” I mutter half to myself. Blair swans around like she owns the world, and as alluring as the thought of my son is, I can’t quite imagine her with a kid.
“We just need to get her here. Make it seem like it’s worth her while.”
“How do you propose we do that?” The question forms around a mouthful of bacon and Cara drops a hand to the counter, running her thumb over the scratch there as she thinks.
I like this side of her. Taking an interest, working with me.
“Invite her here. Maybe that will show her that we’re serious,” Cara decides, though distrust lingers in her tone. “All the secret meetings and letters and club run-ins make it impossible for her to pop up with the child and if she really was scared off by your threat, maybe showing her into our home will put her at ease enough to properly fill us in on everything.”
I watch Cara in silence, admiration growing steadily in my heart as she sips her coffee and continues.
“You call her, invite her here the day after tomorrow. I’ll cook, make it as homely as possible and we’ll see what truth we can draw from her.”
“You know,” I comment, popping the last piece of bacon into my mouth, “you’re pretty sexy when you’re scheming like this.”
Cara’s eyes snap to me, a twinkle glittering in those dark pools.
“We’re a team,” she smiles warmly, “I can’t fight a war against the Russians but I can help you with this. Besides…” She pauses and drains her cup, setting it down on the counter. “The sooner we corner Blair, the sooner we can find out the truth and work out how to deal with her. One less distraction can only be a good thing if you’re about to follow Dante into a Russian coup.”
Warmth swirls around in my chest as I set my cutlery down and cross my arms on the countertop. I can’t imagine this Cara being the same woman I first met all those months ago. Myself either, if I’m being honest. I haven’t touched a drop of alcohol since the crash. In fact the urge never even crosses my mind anymore. Anger simmers less in my heart these days too, one smile from my wife and I could take on the world.
“Alright. I’ll give her another call and if she doesn’t answer then I’m sure one of the Arco brothers can help me track down where she’s staying. This is her last chance to play nice though,” I warn, sliding from my stool and padding around to Cara’s seat. “I don’t want to waste any more time running after her when I could be focused on my wife.”
“Oh?” Cara smirks then as I stop behind her and slide my hands slowly around her waist, hugging her against my chest and resting my chin atop her head. Cara abandons her cup and her coffee-warmed hands settle over the top of mine.
