Page 34 of Bad Business

“I feel like a failure. I didn’t protect my niece… that’s no warrior.”

I grip her arms and lean her back to look her in the eyes.

“No one could have stopped those men, Willow. And frankly, I’m glad you weren’t home when they showed up.”

She jerks out of my hold. “If I’d been there, I could have fought for her.”

“If you’d been there, you’d be dead. Make no mistake, Willow. They would have killed you or, worse, taken you both and tortured you to get what they wanted. If that had happened…” I take a breath. “I would have set the world on fire to get you back. The destruction they left would have been nothing compared to the havoc I would wreak to find you. Nothing, no one, would keep me from you.” I step into her space and shove my fingers into her hair.

“I love you, Willow,” I whisper before slamming my mouth over hers.

Willow whimpers in my hold, and the slight movement gives me access to slip my tongue inside. Walking our bodies backward, I press her against the closed door. Her hands find their way to my head, her nails scoring my scalp as I take what I want.

Moving my hands to her ass, I lift her, causing her legs to wrap around my waist. She grinds her core against my hardened cock. We get lost in our heavy make-out session, and I’m nearly ready to set her down and take off her pants when there is a knock at the door. Willow freezes in my arms, and I groan.

“Fuck,” I whisper against her neck.

“Dallas, sorry to interrupt whatever is happening on the other side of this door, but dinner is ready.” Rykers amused voice floats through the wood separating him from us.

“Thanks.” I step back and set Willow on her feet.

She buries her head in my shirt and giggles. “How embarrassing.”

“Don’t worry, he won’t say anything.” I brush her hair out of her face and step back. Lacing her hand in mine, I smile. “Let’s go eat. I suspect we need to try to sleep, anyway. We can do this when we’re back home.”

“Okay… Dallas?” She jerks me to a halt. “Did you mean it?”

“Mean what?”

“You love me?”

I cup her cheek in my palm. “With every fiber of my being, Willow.”

15

WILLOW

After a fitful night's sleep, I sit at the kitchen table staring at the men readying themselves for war—at least, that’s what it looks like. Sofia had commandeered my phone, pretending to be me. Apparently, at some point in the wee hours, she received the message we’d been waiting on.

A location.

Now, the men all speak in hushed tones as they make plans. From what I’ve been told, I will ride in a car with just Sofia. The men are expecting my ‘friend’ to drive me and no one else. Their text specifically instructed that there should be no police told or present. Which is why, apparently, Sofia thought locking Brian up in their basement was a good idea.

“You sure you needed to lock him up like a prisoner?” I stare at the woman dressed like some kind of sexy assassin. “He’s a cop, after all.”

“He’s fine.” She dusts off her arm like there’s some kind of imaginary dirt there. “He needs time to recover, anyway.”

“Recover?” I squeak. “What did you do to him?”

“Nothing he didn’t enjoy… mostly.” She pushes to her feet, and I can’t help but cut my gaze to Dallas.

He has a smug look that tells me he isn’t sad she locked him up, nor does he care what she did. And honestly, I don’t either. I just don’t want her to get any blowback for it.

“I don’t want to know, do I?”

“The only thing you need to know is he won’t bother you again unless it is in a professional capacity. Now, are you ready?”

“I think so.” I shake my head, still not understanding what’s about to happen. “You’re driving us, and they,”—I spin and point to Dallas, Lorenzo, and Alonso—“are going to follow and hide nearby.”

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