Page 50 of Unruly

“It’s nothing. I do need to get this figured out, though. I have all the access to Ma’s girls, their clients, numbers, and whatnot. Clearly, Ma wants me to contact her and likely get her duties shoveled onto the fifteen other girls I already have.”

Your mother has done this for years, she told herself calmly. She handled all these girls, the business, and the clients long before you ever stepped in. Pull yourself up off the floor and handle your fucking business, Catherine.

“You have the cocaine issue and a new supplier to figure out, too, Catty.”

Fuck my life.

“I know,” she murmured.

“I could—”

“No.”

Cross sighed. “Listen, babe. I know we don’t mingle business beyond the deal you had made with Giuseppe, but I could work on one thing—the cocaine issue, even—while you handle shit in L.A. It’s not a big deal.”

Except it was …

Because it was her business.

She simply delegated a contact and contract to the Three Families, nothing more. Allowing more meant opening up the possibility that the Three Families’ business might bleed its way into hers. It was a longshot possibility, but still one nonetheless.

One her mother had always made clear was absolutely not to happen, no matter what. Catherine wouldn’t let it happen, either.

“No,” she repeated with finality.

Cross didn’t push the issue further. Catherine knew he wouldn’t bring it up again, either. That was just how their marriage and business worked. He was good that way, and she appreciated it.

“I’m sorry,” Catherine said quietly.

Cross’s hands slid down to her waist, and he turned her to face him. Her back pressed into the desk as he leaned into her. Those soul-deep eyes of his bore into hers as she tipped her head back to catch his oncoming kiss.

Her breath faded.

Her heart raced.

Calm resounded.

“Don’t ever be sorry for doing you,” he told her.

Catherine smiled a little. “Yeah, I guess. But that’s not what I meant.”

He lifted a brow high. “Do tell.”

“I need to head out of state.”

“To L.A., right?”

He didn’t even sound surprised.

Disappointed, sure.

That kind of cut her deep, too.

“I can work better when I can actually speak to the girls. They’re going to need meetings, sit downs, some kind of explanation, and more. Reassurance, you know?”

Cross nodded. “Sure, babe.”

“And I need to make it clear who is in charge at the moment.”