“Carter knew it, too.” I rise and sit beside her, then bring her in close, making sure she’s warming beneath the blanket. “But his death wasn’t some sort of everyday violence. He was targeted.”
“What? Why?” She moves closer, seeking my warmth.
I lean back and strip off my shirt, then unwrap the blanket and press my body to hers. Body heat is the fastest way to warm her. Once the blanket is back around us, she melts into me.
“Tell me what happened. Please, Cato. I thought I didn’t want to know the details. But maybe I need to hear them.”
“You do.” Though it pains me to tell her, I recount his murder, the cowardly bullet in the back and the new player to blame.
She listens silently to every word. And when she looks up at me, her tears are gone. “What’s his name?” The violence in her tone sets my soul ablaze.
“Santino is close to ferreting it out. And when I know who and where he is, consider him dead.”
Her jaw clenches. “Why did he come after Carter?”
I stroke her cheek. Fuck she’s beautiful when she’s lethally angry.
“I suspect that when we discover his identity, the reason will fall into place. But there are old vendettas, and the Simonetti name carries a lot of dark history with it. If Carter was targeted--”
“Then I could be next.” She stiffens. “Or little Carter.” Her gaze turns to flint. “I will kill anyone who tries to hurt that little boy.”
There’s my lioness, stunning in her love and strong in her vengeance. “I know you would, lioness. But you won’t have to. I’m upping the security. No one will hurt either of you. I won’t allow it.” I kiss her forehead.
She wraps her arms around me and snuggles into the crook of my neck. “Thank you,” she whispers.
I savor those words from her lips.
“I guess I have to stop avoiding you.”
My heart speeds. I’ve been waiting patiently, tamping down my need to claim her, to storm into her room and show her how much she needs me in her bed. But I would never hurt her like that, never take when she wasn’t ready.
“In fact.” She takes a deep breath, then stands and straddles me before sitting again, her chest pressed to mine. “I think maybe I’m ready to get a little closer.”
I palm her ass, because I can’t fucking help myself. “You’re only saying this because you had such a scare.”
“Don’t tell me my motivations.” She looks at my lips. “I’ve been avoiding you because ...” She meets my eyes. “Because I want you, Cato.”
Have any sweeter words ever been uttered by such a dark angel?
Without reservation, I claim her mouth in a searing kiss that wipes away our past and starts our future.