Page 62 of Exposed

That ends the moment we get back to her apartment. She’s telling me everything.

Dex thinks he has the upper hand. There’s no way he’s goingto bend unless I walk out of here, and he realizes he’ll never get Goldie back into this place again.

“Good luck finding someone else to get that amount of cash cleaned and back into your accounts.” My chair scrapes across the floor when I stand and offer Goldie my hand. “Let’s go, baby.”

That’s when Rand moves, and he does it without an order from his boss.

But he doesn’t make a move for me.

He moves straight to Goldie.

I reach over her and cut him off. He’s focused on his target and doesn’t see me coming.

I punch him right in the throat.

Everything happens at the same time.

Goldie stumbles back and screams.

Rand’s gun fumbles to the floor with a clank, right before he hits the deck holding his neck. I push Goldie to the side and kick the gun across the marble before Rand can reach for it.

Even if I could get to it, there’s nothing I can do with one pistol when there’s a room of long guns pointed at me.

And there are. They close in on us, but halt at the last minute when Dex yells, “Stop!”

I’m breathing deeply, and Goldie is plastered to my back like a second skin. I dare anyone to pry her from me.

If I don’t save this operation right fucking now, the DEA and Miami SWAT will bust through doors and windows with what they’ve heard. I know I would if I were managing this operation.

I focus on Dex and ignore the choking sounds coming from the floor next to us. “I might’ve walked in here unarmed as a sign of good faith to you, but do not mistake that as a sign of weakness. I might be a businessman, but that does not mean I’m a one-man army. My entire organization knows we’re here. If something happens to either one of us, you will have a battle on your hands that will make the cartel wars of the nineties look like a themepark parade. When I warn someone not to touch Goldie, that warning is not empty. You do not want to fuck with me, Dex, just like I don’t want to fuck with you.”

Dex never shifts in his chair but he does tip his head to study us. With the flick of his hand, he orders, “Stand down.”

Goldie clenches me tighter. It’s all I can do to pry her away from my suit jacket, pull her to my side, and wrap her in my arms. She tucks herself into me like I’m her home and she never wants to leave.

“When is the wedding?” Dex asks, bringing this shit-show dinner to a new level of weird, like he didn’t just have five weapons aimed at us. Rand struggles to his feet—red in the face and clutching his neck. If I didn’t have Goldie to worry about, I would’ve done worse.

I drag my hand up Goldie’s back and bury it into her dark, thick hair. She’s trembling. I need to find a way to salvage this ASAP or give it up and get her the fuck out of here. “Next month.”

“You’ll do it here.”

Fuck.

My plan was to get Dex to sign on the dotted line and then deal with the rest over the phone. But he proves he’s either Jekyll and Hyde or has shit up his sleeve that I want nothing to do with.

And Goldie is definitely done. I’ll let her give me any information she has on Carter and The Pink, but she’ll never walk into this place again.

I won’t allow it.

I shake my head. “It’s planned. We’re getting married in Virginia next month. Goldie wanted to do it at her home.”

Dex motions around us. “This is her home.”

Goldie huffs into my chest, and I look around at the armed guards surrounding us. “Yeah, I can tell. You’ve made it real welcoming for her.”

“It will be my wedding gift to my little sister.” Dex stands andwalks around the table. He slides a hand into his trouser pockets and reaches out to try to touch Goldie’s arm with the other.

I shift her back. “That warning goes for you too. Goldie is mine. No one touches her.”

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