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“But that won’t happen,” Logan says firmly, finally looking up from his phone. “Maddoc has a network of contacts in Halston’s underground. Once they realize he’s still alive and that he’s good for the payment he offered, none of that will be a problem. He just has to make sure they hear from him directly, and fast, and then he needs to take care of our own.”
He means the Reapers who were injured, and the bodies—and families—of the dead.
I swallow hard, but know it’s always going to be a price for some in our world.
“And The Six?” I ask again.
Logan shakes his head. “Best if we clean up our mess a bit more before it’s brought to their attention, if possible. Which is what I need to go do.”
“You gonna be able to cover our tracks and keep the cops from sniffing around when they investigate a whole fucking house full of charred bodies, brother?” Dante asks.
Logan actually smiles. “Yes.”
No doubt. No hesitation.
God, I love this man.
Dante laughs, then grimaces, clutching his stomach. “Never… doubted it,” he wheezes. “Go on now. Make the magic happen. Shane will be here in a sec. You don’t have to babysit. It’s fine to leave me alone.”
I smack him,verylightly, on the shoulder. “Hey! What am I?”
His eyes heat up, far more than should be possible for a man in his condition. “Definitely not my babysitter, princess.”
We share a long look as Logan heads up to the computer setup he keeps in his room, only interrupted when Shane finally arrives.
I hover as he checks Dante’s vitals. “Is he okay?”
“Better than okay,” Dante says before Shane can answer, holding my gaze with such intensity that I feel it in my soul. “I thought we discussed that in the car.”
“I’m not sure I’d say ‘better’ than okay,” Shane says, oblivious to the heat throbbing between the two of us, “but I can definitely patch you up.”
He handles that with quick efficiency, reassuring me that Dante really is in good shape overall. He doesn’t need too many stitches, and even though he’s bruised all to hell and will be feeling the beating he took for a while, like Maddoc promised me in the car, none of it is life threatening.
Shane insists on checking me over quickly as well. Someone obviously tipped him off about the bullet I took with the vest, but while there’s some bruising, he reassures me that none of my ribs are cracked.
I’m just glad the bullet hit me in the back. The possessive look of barely contained aggression on Dante’s face as Shane examines me leaves me no doubt that, hurt or not, Dante would have done himself even more damage going all caveman on the guy if I’d had to bare my breasts to him.
Once Shane finally checks in with Maddoc and leaves, I help Dante up to his room and stay with him, the two of us talking quietly about nothing in particular, just enjoying being together. A few times, he almost drifts off, and I do what I can do to make him comfortable while he spends the majority of the day trying to assure me he already is.
I try not to let myself feel anxious about all the shit Maddoc and Logan are handling, or feel guilty for not offering to help with it. The truth is, I still don’t know enough about their world or the inner workings of the organization to be much use today, even though I’m determined to learn those things.
But more than that, I need this time with Dante. It’s something I’ll never take for granted.
Not with any of them.
Once it gets late, Logan finally comes in.
“Got everyone off our trail?” Dante asks, wincing as he tries to prop himself up against his headboard.
I’ve been sitting next to him on the bed, and gently push him back down. He hasn’t said anything, but he’s definitely in pain.
He lets me, then keeps hold of my hand and strokes it while Logan walks over to join us, nodding in answer to Dante’s question. “Law enforcement should have enough information to keep them satisfied now. None of which points to us.”
“Fucking magic,” Dante says, his voice still strained. “And I bet you’ve got all the tech in the city set to ping you if that changes.”
“Something like that,” Logan says, frowning. “When’s the last time you took a painkiller? Didn’t Shane bring you something?”
“Got all I need right here,” Dante says, squeezing my hand.
