Page 14 of Sovereign Oaths

Javi put his hand on my leg. “Yes. He has two other teams working on the information we passed off, and with Dias’s men distracted by the Italians, it’s the perfect time to put pieces into place.”

I sat up straighter and let the covers fall to my lap. Taking time off in bed was tempting, but I wanted to work. Having nothing to do meant space for my mind to wander, to second-guess, and to obsess over every single detail of the past few weeks.

I couldn’t change any of it, and leaving things uncertain with Alessio stressed me out.

I’d done what I had to. Staying in Mexico was not only physically dangerous but it wasn’t safe for my mind. Longing for the impossible ignored reality. He had too much control, and I had to rein it back.

My head was clear now.

I couldn’t have anything real with him, ever. If the disaster of the trip taught me anything, it was that.

I’d fallen into the comfortable world he created, but it was fake. A lie.

His thinking he could fly me around the Gulf without my consent was the wake-up call I desperately needed. He wasn’t in charge. I was.

I wasn’t here for a relationship. I was here for a mission, and I couldn’t throw away our progress. With other teams still moving, we had hope of success. Leaving Alessio gave me time to fix my end of things.

“Should I call him?” I hadn’t meant to blurt that without any context, but none of the guys seemed surprised.

“Do you think you should?” Marco asked.

I shrugged and stared down at the blanket covering my lap. “I can’t let our relationship end yet.”

“If I were him, I’d be terrified to reach out to you.” Cruz smirked.

“Really?” I eyed him.

“Hell yeah. If we talked, then you could end it. Right now, it’s a Schrödinger’s cat situation. You’re neither broken up, nor together. Calling or texting you opens the box.”

“He’s right.” Marco grimaced. “For once.”

Cruz punched him in the leg, and Marco was too close to me to avoid it. “Hey!”

“Maybe send a text letting him know you’re home and safe,” Javi recommended. “If he has anything else to say, that’s his opening. You signal that you’re still willing to be in contact.”

That seemed like a safe option. I nodded, and he pulled my phone off its charger on the nightstand and handed it to me.

I opened our text thread and typed a simple message.

Millie: I made it back home.

I held it over for Javi to read. “That’s fine.”

I sent it before tossing my phone to the side. “Did you guys find out anything else about why Brazzi’s men were there?”

“No.” Derek grimaced and ran a hand over the back of his hair, mussing the dark strands. “Dias’s men killed them all once they got their heads out of their asses and realized they were under attack.”

That sucked. I hated being left to obsess over another situation.

“They have a much more colorful past than he let on. They’ve had a quiet war waging for years. It’s not just with business either. They’ve dated a handful of the same women, not always at different times. I think it’s another power play for them,” Marco explained.

“More trophies for them to rub in each other’s faces,” Derek muttered.

“Has anything ever happened to those women?” I asked, even if I wasn’t sure I wanted the answer.

“They’re all alive, if that’s what you mean.” Marco took my hand in his.

“Alive and well?” I met his eyes.

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