Page 70 of Say You're Mine

Our eyes lock, and for a moment, the rest of the world falls away. There's only him, only the love and longing and desperate hope passing between us in that single, charged glance.

But the moment shatters as a hand closes around my arm. I turn, expecting Natalie or Dante.

It's Elaine.

"Don't make a scene, dear," she hisses, her smile sharp and brittle. "We wouldn't want to ruin Judith's big day, now would we?"

Fear turns my blood to ice. She knows. Of course she knows. She's been one step ahead this whole time.

I look back to the shadows, desperate for a glimpse of June. But he's gone, melted away like a ghost.

Elaine's grip tightens, her nails digging into my skin. "Come along, Cara. I think it's time we had a little chat. Just us girls."

As she steers me through the crowd, her smile never faltering, I feel a new emotion rising beneath the fear.

Anger. White-hot, righteous fury.

I've spent too long being afraid, being powerless. No more.

Chapter twenty-one

June

The walls of Dante's safe house close in on me, a gilded cage not unlike the one Cara's trapped in. I pace the length of the room, five steps, turn, five steps back, my bare feet silent on the plush carpet. The luxury surrounding me is a mockery of the freedom I'm supposed to have.

"Fuck!" I snarl, slamming my fist into the wall. Pain explodes across my knuckles, a welcome distraction from the constant ache in my chest. Blood trickles down my fingers, the coppery scent filling my nostrils.

"You okay in there, brother?" Dante's voice filters through the door, concern barely masking his wariness.

I laugh, a harsh, broken sound. "Oh yeah, I'm fucking peachy. My wife's being held captive by my psychotic mother, I can't leave this goddamn room without risking everything, and for all I know, Faulkner's poison is still ticking away in my brain. But sure, I'm okay."

The door opens, and Dante steps in, his eyes quickly scanning the room for potential weapons. Smart man. "June," he says, his voice low and steady, "we're doing everything we can. You know that."

I turn to face him, letting him see the storm raging behind my eyes. "Is it enough? Is it fucking enough, Dante? Because from where I'm standing, Cara's still in danger, our child is still at risk, and I'm still useless!"

Dante doesn't flinch, doesn't back down. It's one of the things I've always respected about him. "You're not useless," he says firmly. "You're our ace in the hole. Elaine thinks you're still broken. That's our advantage."

I want to argue, want to rage against the logic of his words, but he's right. And I fucking hate it.

"Any word?" I ask instead, the fight draining out of me. "From Marta, or Judith?"

Dante's expression softens slightly. "Nothing new. Cara's holding up, but..." He hesitates, and my blood runs cold.

"But what?" I demand, crossing the room in two quick strides. "Dante, what aren't you telling me?"

He sighs, running a hand through his hair. "There might be some complications with the pregnancy. High blood pressure, maybe preeclampsia. Judith's trying to get more information, but-"

I don't hear the rest. The world narrows to a pinpoint, my heartbeat thundering in my ears. Cara. Our baby. In danger, and I'm not there. I'm not fucking there.

"I need to see her," I growl, already moving towards the door. "I don't care about the risks. I need to-"

Dante's hand on my chest stops me, his grip like iron. "You can't, June. You know you can't. One sighting, one whisper that you're free, and Elaine will lock everything down. We'll lose what little access we have."

I want to hit him. Want to break his arm and charge past him, consequences be damned. But the rational part of my brain, the part not consumed by fear and rage, knows he's right.

"Then what?" I spit, my voice raw with desperation. "What the fuck am I supposed to do, Dante? Sit here and twiddle my thumbs while Cara and our child are in danger?"

"No," he says, his tone brooking no argument. "You're going to help us plan. You know Elaine better than anyone. You know how she thinks, how she operates. We need that insight if we're going to pull this off."

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