Page 77 of Cross + Catherine: The Companion

“He told me what happened,” Cross replied, leaning back into the cushions and staring at the ceiling. “Amongst other things.”

“What other things?”

“He’s going to run guns.”

Catherine passed him a look. “He’s ten.”

Cross shrugged. “I can see it.”

“How was work?”

“Terrible. The run is going wonderfully. The guys are great. Money is coming in.”

“And that’s terrible, huh?”

“I hate being the man behind the scenes, Catty,” Cross murmured. “I want to be the one running the guns. Nothing new, babe.”

Catherine frowned. “The king in the shadows.”

“Something like that.”

“It won’t be that way forever, Cross.”

“What?”

Catherine shook her head, and smiled in that knowing way of hers.

“What?” he asked again.

“Someone is going to have to teach Naz. You. I know you, Cross—you’re never going to sit on the sidelines when it comes to Naz. You never have. You can’t.”

Cross grinned. “Probably not, no.”

“See.”

“You’re not mad at the idea I might start up again? It was you who wanted me to stop, after all.”

“Ten years ago,” Catherine said. “Enough time has passed.”

“Have I told you how much I love you lately?”

Catherine rolled her pretty eyes. “Yes, but tell me again.”

Cross leaned over on the couch, caught his wife’s chin in his hand, and pulled her in for a searing kiss. “I found the most perfect woman for me—you. My wife who always knows what’s in my head, and where I need to go. Usually before I even know it.”

“You do that for me, too,” Catherine pointed out.

“Maybe, but … I don’t know, I needed this.”

“What, this chat?”

“With you, yeah. About everything.”

Catherine laughed. “We certainly don’t need you finding trouble because you’re bored. Sound familiar?”

So, yeah.

That was true, too.

Naz got it honestly.

All that crazy intelligence shit came from God, though.