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“Just remember that when we have children.”
An unholy deal had been made out of the need for revenge, a deal that no longer held appeal. I would always think of Jade as mine, but no longer just as a possession. However, forcing her not only to share her body but another life based solely on retaliation would never appease the demon inside or change the past. Once this was over and I was certain her life was no longer in danger, I’d set her free.
And that would be the toughest thing I’d ever done in my life.
“I don’t like this.”
I pulled her into my arms, rubbing my hand down her back. “Neither do I.”
After a few seconds she pushed away, lifting her head, and staring at me intently. “Whatever happens, don’t lie to me. Don’t you dare sugarcoat the truth. I was pushed into your world to help bring you down. This time, I’m going to make certain I’m not used against you. Whatever that takes, I won’t back down. I’m not a child any longer. Neither my father nor any other member of law enforcement can make me the catalyst for shoving you inside a prison. Period.”
“My beautiful, strong woman. I’myourprotector. Remember?”
“Maybe. It’s okay for you to accept that someone cares about you. Right or wrong.” She looked away, a single tear slipping past her lashes.
As I kissed her on the top of her head, she wrapped her fingers around my shirt. I’d never felt this close to anyone.
“I’ll be back.”
“Don’t die on me, Constantine.”
“Never, sweetheart. I have a reason to live.”
I left her inside the room minutes later, although I didn’t close the door. She didn’t need to be caged like an animal. As I read the letter, there was no doubt her father had been an undercover agent for some organization, doing his best to perform his job while keeping her safe.
Children should always come first.
Sighing, I grabbed my phone and headed toward the stairs, stopping long enough to contact Drago.
“The deal is off. Move the merchandise immediately. Make certain there are zero connections. Keep men surrounding the alternate location. If there’s a single sign of any member of law enforcement, call me immediately.”
“Will do, boss.”
I’d call my brother and sister, effectively shutting down all our illegal activities. Then I’d contact members of the Brotherhood. This time I would follow my instinct. There was a game in place and had been for years. If I had to guess, I’d say several syndicates had been infiltrated with members of the DEA. They were preparing a catastrophic raid that would clean the streets of several cities.
I glanced at the picture; I realized she was right about it being taken in a foreign country. Mexico. My father had once told me that if I wanted to lose myself for an extended period of time, head to Mexico where the beers were cold, the climate warm, and you could find some of the most private locations in the world.
For someone to disappear.
As I dialed Brogan’s number to begin warning members of the Brotherhood, I took another look at the letter. The man was apologizing.
Dead or alive, it was becoming clear that I’d need to handle the situation my way. I couldn’t afford to allow the man to keep my family on his radar.
Even if it meant destroying what was left of Jade’s.
CHAPTER17
Constantine
“I’ve hit a brick wall,” Barrett said as soon as he flanked my side. We were outside the chief of police’s house, the sprawling ranch in the suburbs a recent purchase.
Likely a perk from his extracurricular activities.
“With what?”
“I’ve checked with every source I have. There were fingerprints on the letter, but they don’t match anyone in any system. The man has no identity. I had a buddy in the CIA run his picture through facial recognition software and nothing even comes close. Plus, as soon as my friend started looking, his account was flagged.”
“Meaning what?”
