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“Let Greyson know what’s happening.” I immediately headed to the closet. The suit I had on was fine for checking in at the clubs, our original plan for the evening, but you couldn’t get dead body stink out, and I didn’t want to ruin the fabric. Instead, I changed into an older suit. Still clean, still sleek, just one I didn’t care about incinerating since I had a whole closet of them.
I pulled off the jacket and let my mind wander. I wondered why Cash had waited so long. Why now? Why hit O’Bannon instead of us directly? Was it a warning, a sign that things were ramping up again? Had he ended his self-imposed exile to toy with us some more?
“Why now?”
“What do you mean?” Dominic propped himself against the doorway, watching as I stripped.
“Cameron and Aislynn’s wedding was weeks ago. Why wait until after the distraction of the wedding is over? Why not attack in the middle of the chaos?”
I was just spit balling, talking over my shoulder to get rid of the thoughts in my head, but it made sense. Wedding planning was atrocious even when there wasn’t a deadline. Why had Cash walked away from an opportunity to get us then? It didn’t make sense.
I’d learned to hone my instincts a long time ago, and I didn’t like that they were screaming at me.
“Maybe he worried you’d be too overwhelmed with everything that you would snap back and blow him sky-high.”
“If he’s been watching like I think he has, he’d know that’s not my MO.”
I was collected. Strategic. I tried to take out enemies without killing unnecessarily. It was a fine line to straddle, and Cash was beginning to feel like one of those situations where, to kill a monster, I had to let go of my principles. I didn’t like it.
Shrugging into the suit jacket and a pair of heeled booties I could run in if I had to, I declared myself ready to go. “Guess we won’t know until we get there.”
Dominic straightened from his slouch. “I’ll go with you.”
“No. I need you and Greyson to check on the clubs for me. With all the wedding shit, we’ve been neglecting them, and they’re a perfect target for Cash. Take Tennessee and Moore with you and make a show of it.”
“Grey and I will be fine. You take the wonder twins.”
“They’ll go with you.” Dominic opened his mouth to argue, but I held up a silencing hand. “I’m taking Nate, and Joaquin has to go with me anyway.”
With Cameron still out of the city on his honeymoon, I’d given Joaquin more responsibility as a way to keep an eye on him, and so far, my uncle had done everything perfectly. Maybe too perfectly. Bringing him with me would keep him close, because family or not, there was no trust there. Not on my end.
“This doesn’t feel right. We should be with you,” Dominic insisted.
“Then split the clubs with Grey so you can meet up with us faster.” He won’t listen to you. I hated that my mind was screaming at me, hated that we weren’t in sync. I especially hated how deep his questioning hit those wounds we still hadn’t healed. “I need you to trust that I know what I’m doing. You promised you understood my position.”
“I did, and I stand by that promise. I also know Nate will protect you, no matter what.”
“Then what is?” Because I didn’t want to leave it like this. Unfinished and uncomfortable.
Dominic sighed, pulling me into a tight hug. “It’s the situation I don’t trust. O’Bannon and the Irish. Joaquin and his sycophants. Cash. There’re too many variables, and it makes me nervous, but that’s because I love you.”
Every time he said it, it made my heart pound. I never wanted him to stop.
But I couldn’t make myself say it back.
“It’s okay,” he whispered, knowing I was struggling. “I don’t mind waiting until you’re ready.”
“What if I never am?”
He shrugged like it didn’t matter, but we both knew it did. It would hurt Dominic if I kept the words from him. I didn’t want to; I just couldn’t say them. Not yet. “Come on. The sooner you leave, the sooner you get home.”
“Are we okay?”
He kissed me sweetly, pecking my nose once with a smile. “We’re good, baby.”
Okay. I took a deep breath, smoothing out my jacket and redirecting my attention to my duties now that I knew my relationship was good. “Have Nate and Joaquin meet me in the car in five. Send Warner’s team to O’Bannon’s to run the scene before we arrive.”
“I will.” Dominic gripped the back of my head and gave me another kiss, this one much harder. “Be safe.”
