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With a sigh he turned his phone around. It showed a photo of my sister and Travis. “Massimo wants me to know he’s got eyes on your family.”
My head spun and I listed to the side, but Drake caught me before I hit the ground. “I need to call my sister.”
Drake
Daphne was upstairs on the phone with her sister, so I took the opportunity to call in reinforcements.
As I paced the length of the kitchen, I knew I couldn't execute this plan alone. I needed backup. I dialed Gabe.
It rang only once before he answered. “I know. You miss me already. One of these days we're going to have to tell Tabatha about us.”
“Cut the shit, Gabe. I need a favor," I said, cutting straight to the chase.
Gabe's voice turned serious. “What have you got?”
I explained the situation to Gabe, and he let out a tired sigh. " Christ, Drake, shit has gotten out of hand. I hate to ask this, but my last mission taught me to ask all the questions. Are you sure you can trust this woman?”
"Yes," I said without hesitation. "She's been a pawn in this. I need some backup. We're trying to lure Massimo out at a wedding rehearsal dinner, and I could use a team of four," I said, trying to sound casual.
There was a long pause, and I could practically hear Gabe's disapproval radiating through the phone. "You're using Daphne as bait, aren't you?"
I hesitated for a moment, torn. "Yes, but it's the only way we can guarantee he'll show up."
Gabe sighed. "Drake, I don't like this. I don't like it one bit, but I understand why you're doing it. I'll assemble a team of four. But be careful. We don't want anything happening to Daphne."
"Thanks, Gabe. I owe you one," I said, relieved.
As I hung up the phone, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt. I didn't like using Daphne as bait either, but I couldn't see any other way to bring Massimo out into the open. And the fact that Gabe had agreed to help me put me slightly more at ease. Now the only thing standing in our way was time.
With the Rogues on our side, I felt a bit more confident that we could pull off this plan and finally stop Massimo from hurting anyone else again.
I hung up the phone and went to find Daphne, who had just finished her conversation with her sister. She turned to me with a questioning look on her face as if she knew something was up.
"Everything all right?" she asked cautiously, eyeing me warily.
"Yes," I replied confidently. "We have backup to help us out."
"Do you really think that’s necessary?" she asked hesitantly. "Can we trust them?"
"Yes," I said firmly. "Massimo isn't going away unless we fight back. I trust Gabe with my life. He's as solid as they come. Besides, I can’t control the room, protect you, and grab Massimo all at the same time. It's a numbers game. We need the extra hands.
She ran her hands through her curls. "God, I wish none of this was necessary."
"I'm sorry this is happening. I know all you wanted to do was go home and enjoy watching your sister get married."
Daphne sighed heavily and nodded her agreement. She trusted that I knew what I was doing, even if she wasn't sure what it would entail.
We discussed the plan of attack over the course of the next hour, then made a few last-minute preparations.
Later that day, Gabe called me back. He had assembled a team of highly skilled operatives to provide backup. As we went over the plan, I couldn't help but worry about one particular member of the team… Saffron. After what I’d done, I wasn't sure if she'd be able to put her anger aside to help me.
"Are you sure Saffron's going to be okay with this? I don't want any problems," I said, voicing my concerns over the phone.
Gabe's voice was steadfast. "You let me worry about Saffron. You'll have your team."
Feeling somewhat reassured, we continued discussing the plan. We'd set up an ambush around the venue, ready to swoop in at the first sign of Massimo. And with Gabe and his team backing me up, I felt more confident than ever that we'd be able to bring him down.
As the conversation wrapped up, I knew we had a solid plan in place. Despite my lingering guilt about using Daphne as bait, I was determined to protect her at all costs.
