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Motive and not just for what was happening now.
“Find out where Mr. Ramsey is.”
“I already have. And you’re not going to believe it.”
“Try me.”
“Texas.”
I took a deep breath, holding it for a few seconds. After letting it out, I shook my head. “Get the jet ready. Francois and I will head out for the Lone Star state tomorrow whether my brother is in the mood for traveling or not.” It was time to turn the tides. After all, I had a new family to think about. “Buckle up, Maddox. Things are about to get messy. Real messy.”
Now I was bringing my daughter back home. There was one thing my father had taught me that had stuck through the years. Power was in numbers and the strength of family.
As I walked out of my office, I allowed my thoughts to drift to Thomas Cartier. Did he ever think about what he’d forsaken? Did he enjoy hiding his past from his own daughters? One thing was certain. If he was working with Ramsey and Devin Carlos, I would bury him once and for all.
Just like I should have done the day he attacked my wife.
* * *
“This is incredible.” The look on my bride-to-be’s face reminded me of the very first time I’d taken Zoe to Disney World. She’d been like a kid at Christmas for the entire four hours we’d spent at the park, her eyes lighting up like firecrackers.
At that moment, as Raven twirled to catch the view of the boutique hotel the family had purchased over ten years before, the dress I’d bought her spun with her. The flowy crimson material followed her, fanning out around her luscious curves, and her hair flowed behind her like a model from a commercial.
And there wasn’t a single man, young or old, within close proximity who hadn’t stopped what they were doing, craving what belonged to me. A hard knot of jealousy grew in the pit of my stomach, enough so I fisted my hand, wrapping the fingers of my other around her arm and dragging her against my chest.
She laughed, the sound like the sweetest music in the world, palming my chest at the force I used. Then she lifted her eyebrows, purposely dragging her long tongue across her bottom lip, the tinted lip gloss she’d selected drawing my attention. It smelled of strawberries, which made me want to devour her even more. Maybe I’d pull out the whipped cream and fresh fruit later, using her body as a canvas for a dessert of a man’s proportion.
Chuckling, I cupped the side of her face, lifting her chin with my thumb. “Don’t you dare go too far away from me, my princess.”
“Not even one foot?”
I lowered my head, drinking in her perfume. “That’s one foot too many.” I lightly captured her mouth, sliding my arm around her waist and forcing her back into a slight arc, allowing her to understand exactly what she did to me, the excitement that was always just below the surface. Then again, if she continuously lured the beast from his lair, I might fuck her in the middle of the restaurant’s bathroom.
The thought brought my cock to full attention.
Raven darted her tongue inside, tasting my mouth as if for the first time. While the moment of intimacy was full of passion as usual, I sensed we were both being slightly reserved given we were being watched. Why did I have the feeling someone from Ramsey’s world had been sent to keep an eye on the entire family?
When I pulled away, I took a deep breath, taking a few additional seconds to admire the lovely flush on her face. She was nervous to meet the family, uncertain of their reaction or her place in my world. She would soon learn that the Thibodeaux family was tight, so much so every one of them would die in order to keep her safe.
I glanced around the hotel lobby, finding almost every man suspicious at this point, although I was certainly being chauvinistic. I wouldn’t put it past Ramsey to use a woman.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, darting a look from side to side.
“Nothing. Just doublechecking to ensure my soldiers are in place.”
“What aren’t you telling me?”
“Would I keep anything from you?”
“Yes, you would. You know who is behind the danger, don’t you?”
Shrugging, I started walking us toward the restaurant, keeping my hand on the small of her back. “Possibly. Which means I’m leaving for Texas first thing in the morning.”
“Am I going with you?”
“Absolutely not. You’re staying at the house fully protected.”
“That’s why you’re bringing Zoe back home for the weekend. You think the end is near.”
