Page 40 of Unruly

“Yep, leaving,” he said, heading for the door.

Catherine had already turned on her mother once more. “Well thank you for this lesson, Ma. Thank you for teaching me something this way. You couldn’t have, at the very least, worked another shipment or two with him, so I wouldn’t be left fucking hanging like this, or what?”

“No, I could not.”

“Why the hell not?”

“Because you get to learn something else, Catty. Contacts. You have them, start using them. Figure out a new supplier. Your supplier. I need to know you’re capable of handling every single aspect of this business. You will not be able to run to your husband to supply you because the Three Families have depended on us for their supply. And if your husband can get a new supplier for you, then that’s not exactly good for you to depend on. Is it? Not unless you plan on turning your business into something that is also run by their rules, and profits commissioned to them. This is yours. You are the one who needs to be able to handle issues that come up.”

“Ma—”

“Handle the fucking issue, Catherine.”

“Ma mads,” Cece told him, her brown eyes narrowed and cute brow dipped in seriousness. “Right, Daddy?”

Cross let the hotel room door close quietly behind him. “Ma is mad, Cece.”

“Why?”

“Well—”

“Ma mads at Grandmamma.”

His daughter was too smart for own good.

“Ma mads.”

“Yep,” Cross said.

He didn’t know what else to tell their daughter.

Cece was not a stupid girl. She was actually quite observant for a child, much like he had been, and apparently, like Catherine as a little girl. Catherine was the one determined to do things differently with Cece than how things had been done for her. She did not hide things from Cece, even at her young age. As long as trips were safe, Cece often tagged along with her mother. She was Catherine’s mini shadow.

She was often listening in—eavesdropping, or shit, even sitting right in between something like she was today.

This was their life.

How could they pretend differently?

They had no intention of hiding it.

“Looks, Daddy, looks!”

Cece splashed around in the kiddie section of the pool. The water only came up to her knees, but she seemed to be having the time of her life. Dragging her tiny hands through the water, she made an arch spray of water across the pool. Droplets splattered across the tiled spot where Dante and Cross rested in wicker chairs.

“Wow,” Cross said. “But we’re not supposed to splash.”

Cece shrugged, and did it again.

“Cece.”

She shrugged again.

Cross sighed, knowing this was a battle he was going to lose. “Splash less.”

“Okays!”

“God, I love that kid,” Dante said to himself with a smile.