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When I pulled away, I brushed my knuckles down her cheek. “Take care of yourself, little lamb. You’re one incredible woman.” I backed away before I changed my mind.
“Don’t die on me, Maddox.”
“I have no intention of it. That much I promise you.”
“This time, I’m going to hold you to that promise. Come back to me. I will be waiting for as long as it takes.”
If I were a decent man, I never would have allowed things to get this far, but I’d proven more than once that while I was many things, decent wasn’t one of them.
She was mine.
All mine.
CHAPTER 27
Maddox
“You’re lost in a train of thought,” Arman said as he sat down in the seat opposite me, handing me a drink.
We were on his private plane, the one that had come to rescue Zoe and me, landing in Texas within the hour. I had been deep in thought, still trying to get a better understanding of what we would be walking into. We’d had a rather terse meeting with Francois, the man defensive about how hard he’d worked to try to salvage the business in the Lone Star State. From everything I’d looked at, the only holdup was Devin’s buddies keeping the projects from being approved, finding a way to sabotage both construction crews and materials coming in by railroad and tractor trailer.
It would seem the warning he’d been given several years before hadn’t stuck.
However, Francois had made some damn good decisions, acquiring other pieces of land that would make us a fortune if we were able to get the monkey off our backs.
Yet the nagging remained. The question of if he was behind the bogus contract weighed on all our minds.
Tony had learned that the real Lucas Marciano had been murdered. To date, no one had been arrested for the crime. It was just another part of the mystery.
“Yeah, well, it’s hard not to be,” I answered, accepting the drink and immediately taking a sip. I’d also found it impossible to drive Zoe out of my mind. She’d retreated to whatever bedroom she’d been given, staring at me as we’d left. I didn’t need to be close to realize she was nervous I wouldn’t return.
“Agreed. We go in with guns a-blazing, my friend.” He laughed after making the statement. While two dozen soldiers remained guarding the house, we’d also brought a full brigade with us to prevent Devin from doing anything stupid. Francois had been convinced to remain behind to handle business. Just in case things didn’t go well.
We certainly couldn’t have every member of the family in harm’s way. I feared for Arman given his injury but there was no stopping the man when he insisted on doing something. He and I were very much alike.
“I can’t stop thinking we’re missing something,” I told him, glancing over at Thomas. What I hadn’t told Arman was that I’d seen him in a private conversation with Jean Baptiste. That wouldn’t ordinarily be considered odd except for the timing.
“We will figure it out. We’re close. I can feel it. Whatever the case, you’re right in that we won’t accept Devin’s bullshit with our business any longer.”
I nodded and threw back a gulp, wishing the liquid would burn the back of my throat.
He stared out the window and the elephant remained in the room. However, I wasn’t going to be the one who brought it up. It really wasn’t my place to do so. At least just yet.
“You were right that my daughter is no longer a little girl. She’s a woman with a mind of her own. It’s funny. She reminds me of her mother so much more the older she gets. Do you remember how she was, becoming the light when she entered any room?”
“Yeah, I do, but Zoe got her hard head from you.”
He narrowed his eyes as he glanced in my direction, the first real smile I’d seen crossing his face. “Okay, I’ll accept that. She really does love you. Doesn’t she?”
Yet another awkward moment settled in. “It would appear so, Arman.”
“Well, she has questionable tastes but maybe I can buy what she sees in you.” He laughed when I didn’t say anything. “Look, I wish you’d told me.”
“It’s not something that was planned, Arman. When I saw her in New York, everything changed.”
“I heard what my daughter said, the conviction with which she said it. She’s right in that I owe you my life several times over. So does Pops and Francois as well.”
“You are my family.”
