Page 96 of Queen of Spades

“Not completely, and sure. I’d love some.” I give him a polite smile, but honestly, I’d rather have a soda laden with caffeine.

Grady chuckles. “So, what’s the long-term plan? Where are we landing after all this is said and done?”

“That is a good question,” Ward says.

“Well, I own my home in Vegas.” Cas hands me a glass of apple juice. “And a multitude of businesses, but truthfully, most of those run themselves. I’m not stuck on staying in the desert. I’ve often considered moving here to retire.”

Kane snorts. “You’re a long way away from retirement.”

“Not necessarily.” Cas takes a drink of the glass he poured himself. “Like I’ve said. My companies are efficient. I have a solid staff in place to run them without much intervention.” He smiles at me. “I’m just saying, I’m flexible.”

“This place is kind of in the middle of nowhere.” I grimace. “Not that it isn’t lovely, but there’s nowhere around for me to even find a job.”

“You know you don’t have to work,” Grady says. “I’ve got more than enough to keep us comfortable for life. Let alone what the other three can chip in.”

“Chip in?” Cas scoffs, flipping him off.

“I think we need to focus on eliminating the Andretti threat and go from there,” Ward says in a calculating tone I haven’t heard him use before.

“Agreed.” Grady nods. “Lucien hired me originally, but during the meeting, it was clear Ezrah was the one pushing for you to be eliminated. I truly think Lucien only sent me after you for show.”

“Lucien had his own omega.” Kane frowns, flipping the sandwich and quickly pulling it from the pan. “Let me rephrase that. He had some poor woman living with him. She ran the first chance she got, so I’m going to guess that wasn’t a consensual situation.”

“The one you mentioned is now staying with Ranger?” I ask.

“Yup,” Kane agrees, grabbing another sandwich before tossing it and butter into the skillet. “It seems like Lucien wasn’t interested in following through with the arranged marriage. From the way it sounded, only the younger two pushed the issue.”

I frown but nod. “It may have just been Marco. He was the only one who came for me. Maybe Ezrah is only interested in revenge for his brother?”

“Ezrah and Lucien were in on the plan.” Kane waves Ward over to the stove. Once Ward takes over the spatula, Kane comes to stand in front of me. “They coordinated the attack on your parents. Both Ezrah and Lucien need to be removed in order for us to truly be free.” He palms my cheek, and his thumb brushes over my lower lip. “That doesn’t mean you have to worry about any of it. You and Cas can stay home while the three of us back up Ranger. A lot has happened within the last few months. The guys we work for at Assurance Security recently found their omega. She was nearly a victim of trafficking, and the chain of command led back to none other than the Andrettis. They’ll back us up.”

My heart pangs, and I try to block my panic from spilling over into the bond. He seems so confident, but unfortunately, I don’t share that confidence. All it would take is one bullet to completely ruin our future.

“Stop stressing,” Kane murmurs, kissing my forehead. “We’ve got this. All you need to do is eat a little something and head back upstairs to nest to your heart’s content.”

“Okay.” I wrap my arms around his back and snuggle to his T-shirt.

It’s not just bullets and fighting, though, is it? It’s the reality that any one of them could be arrested if things go to shit.

I force a smile, and Grady reaches a hand over to tenderly rub my back. I’ve always lived in the gray area. I was raised in it, but everything feels more dangerous now that I understand exactly how quickly people you care about can be taken from you.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Cassian

My father continually calls while we’re eating, to the point I can’t ignore him any longer. As soon as I’m finished, I excuse myself and step away to the living room to procure a bit of privacy.

“Hello, Dad.”

“Where the hell are you? You told me you were on your way to Virginia, but that’s not the case. Is it, Cassian?”

“We stopped in Kentucky,” I say, clearing my throat. “Annika went into heat.”

“Mmm, I see.” His condescending tone sends my hackles up.

“You have a new daughter-in-law. I’m bonded.” I spin in a semicircle, looking for something to preoccupy myself. The curtains are open, and I aim for the window to peer out.

“Tell me the rumors I’m hearing are false,” my dad growls. “Tell me you didn’t bond Ranger fucking Cavanaugh’s little sister.”

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