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“Then—”
“I think he was sold in an adoption scheme. One of Xavier’s side hustles is adopting out kids to parents that are desperate for children.”
“And these children are stolen?”
“Or sold,” she clarified. “I think Theo was sold. Digging through his computer, I found some emails that referred to a delicate transaction and the couple being very eager to receive their shipment. Basically, it was Xavier telling Michael that delaying would cost him the sale.”
“And this couple, are they aware they’re buying a child?”
“No,” she said adamantly. “It’s basically a sped up adoption. But that’s as far as I got. I have no way of knowing who this couple is without further intel. But I had an idea. If I can get on the inside, I can—”
“No!” I snapped, practically jumping out of my chair. “Are you fucking crazy? You want to go on the inside of a child trafficking ring?”
“Duke, this is the only way to find out where Theo is.”
“And you’re sure you can find out?”
“Well, no, but—”
“Exactly,” I hissed. “You’re not risking your life for the possibility of information.”
She shot me an angry look. “And you’re okay leaving this boy to his fate?”
It was a cheap shot, one that hit me directly in the heart. I’d left him to his fate the moment I let Carolyn walk away from me. All of this fell on my shoulders, and even if she said she didn’t blame me, I always would.
“Duke—”
“No, you’re right,” I said quietly. “But I can’t let you go in. If anything happened to you…” I swallowed hard at the idea of losing her because she went after the kid I was supposed to take care of. It would kill me. She didn’t know how hard I was falling for her. From the moment she woke up in my bed, I knew something had shifted inside me. All those uneasy feelings about ever having a family again fell away. With her, I could see it all. Even if she never wanted kids, just being with her would be enough for me.
“Duke, this is what I do. I can have Fox and Scottie there for backup.”
I scoffed at that. “You want me to stay behind? Are you fucking kidding me?”
“There’s no way you could be there. One look at this guy and you would be pulling out your gun to kill him. We need answers, and your emotional baggage won’t help the situation.”
I sighed heavily, running my hand across my forehead. I knew what she was saying was logical, but the weight in my chest that grew with every word she said was making it difficult to think clearly.
“Can’t someone else go in for you?”
“Do you not trust me?”
I could tell I’d offended her, but that wasn’t my intention. “I trust you more than anyone, but Rae…if something goes wrong, it would kill me.”
“You should have more faith in me,” she smirked. “Remember who kicked your ass.”
I remembered all too well. She was right. I didn’t trust anyone more than her to get the job done. She was strong and could work any situation to her advantage. If anyone was going to infiltrate and get information on these guys it was going to be her. That didn’t mean I had to like it.
“Rae, I trust you completely. But you have to understand that this isn’t just fucking to me. I think I’ve known it for a while now.”
“Yeah?” she smirked. “Were you thinking about me when you let Carly give you a blow job in your truck?”
I knew she was giving me shit to avoid saying what she really felt. I couldn’t blame her. After everything that happened with Carly, I hadn’t exactly proven that I was a trustworthy guy.
I stepped forward, taking her hand in mine. “Carly is the worst of me. I used her to get past my feelings for you. I’m not proud of it, but that’s the way it is. I’ve known for a while now that you’re the only woman I want, and if you don’t see that, I can only blame myself for not showing you just how much you mean to me.” I watched her throat bob as the smile slipped from her face.
“Duke—”
“Maybe you don’t feel the same way, but that doesn’t mean I could just walk away from you. I will always want to protect you, even though I know you don’t need me to. So, you can make fun of me for my terrible choices. I know I deserve it, but until you tell me there isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell with you, I’ll never stop trying to prove to you how much I love you.”
