Page 45 of Unveiled

As she climbs out of the car to get back to her seat, I rush to the driver’s side, not even bothering to buckle my seatbelt as I throw the car in drive.

Trees fly by the windows as I rush down the back roads, doing well over the speed limit. By the time we’re pulling into the driveway, I’m so desperate to get her to our bedroom that I can barely contain myself. She climbs out of the car first, obviously as impatient as I am, but as I turn the car off, my phone rings.

I could ignore it. Should ignore it, really. What could be more important than spending an entire night showing Ainsley that no other man can satisfy her the way I can?

But, as the name lights up my phone, the one answer to that question sounds in my head. The only thing more important is making sure that Ainsley is safe.

“Canton,” I greet him as I answer the phone. Ainsley looks at me over the hood of the car, a question lighting up her eyes, but I don’t have the answer for her yet.

“He’s at Guerra’s again,” John tells me, jumping right into the reason for his call. It’s one of the things I’ve always appreciated about him. He knows when to cut straight to the point.

“How many men are there?”

“There’s a few of us here, waiting to see what happens.”

Fuck. I want to throw my phone on the pavement at his words. I should be there with them, ready to ambush my father. They shouldn’t be doing this alone, but I’m not willing to leave Ainsley, and I would never take her on a mission like this.

“Don’t engage,” I order through gritted teeth. “Just watch and report back.”

“Are you sure? We’ve got plenty of men to take him down.”

“No. Let him go. If you take him down now, we won’t know what he’s up to.”

“What’s going on?” Ainsley asks me as she walks around the front of the car to come to my side.

“Let me know if you change your mind,” John answers before the dial tone fills the line.

“Nothing important,” I answer Ainsley. She’s still too fragile after everything that happened, I don’t want to reopen wounds that are finally healing.

“No more lies, remember?”

Sometimes, I wish she couldn’t read me so well. It would make these little white lies a little easier.

“Fine, it’s something, but you don’t need to worry about it,” I tell her.

She steps toward me, getting into my face as much as she can to show me the fire in her eyes. “I’m yours, and you’re mine,” she reminds me. “That means we’re in this together. So, either you can tell me, or you can break my trust and I can call John while you’re sleeping and get the answer anyway.”

Did I create this side of her, or was it always there, just waiting for the chance to shine through? As much as it irritates me right now, I have to admit, I’m proud of her for standing her ground.

“He won’t tell you,” I answer with more confidence than I feel.

“Are you so sure that you’re willing to risk everything we’ve gained tonight?”

On the contrary, I’m sure he would tell her without hesitation. He’s almost as desperate to earn her forgiveness as he has been to earn mine. If spilling some secrets will give him that, he probably wouldn’t even hesitate.

“Fine,” I give in. She flashes me a victorious smile, which I respond to with a scowl. “My father was spotted at the Guerra’s compound again. He was there the other day, but we don’t know why. We destroyed their entire cartel, so the compound is completely abandoned. When he was spotted the other day, it was the first anyone had seen him since he disappeared after taking you.”

The victorious smile on her face fades as my words sink in. Just like that, she’s being thrust back into her trauma. Except, this time, I will keep her safe. No matter what it takes.

“Why are we just standing here? Let’s go,” she answers. Surprise flashes through me right before anger kicks in.

“No. Absolutely not.” She opens her mouth to argue, but my hand covers it and prevents her from speaking. “I will not drag you back into this. You’re safe this time, and I won’t compromise that for my revenge.”

She pulls my hand away from her mouth long enough to throw her two cents in. “I’m safe? He’s still out there, the one person who organized my kidnapping and sold me to the devil himself, and you think I’m safe? I won’t be safe until we deal with him. And it’s not only your revenge, Cain. It’s mine, too.”

“Then you’ll get it some other way,” I tell her. As much as I want my revenge, and I want to see her healed, it’s just not worth it. We’d be going in blind, having no idea why he’s there or if anyone is with him.

“Do you trust me?”

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