Page 115 of Reclaiming Adelaide

“No. She’s got colic or something.”

What the hell was colic?

“What did you want to talk about?”

“I want to call it quits. Go legit.”

My stomach flipped. How would Luca take this information, or any of our other sellers, for that matter?

“Have you talked to Tonk?”

He shook his head. “Not yet. I’ve had my hands full.”

“Is she the reason?” I tipped my head towards the floor-to-ceiling windows, where Adelaide sat with the baby in her arms. My chest seized. Tightening around me as I watched her nuzzle the baby.

That’d be us at the end of the year, which sent a cold sweat dripping down my back.

“Partly.”

“And the other part?”

I took the glass he handed out and sipped it. The burning liquor swirled around my tongue like a fire tornado before swallowing it.

“There isn’t a reason for us to continue. I have a family now, we have a more than successful business, and the risk is just too great to continue.”

I rested my elbow on the armchair, took a full mouth of scotch, and held it, relishing the burn before gulping. Wincing, I adjusted my leg, easing the pressure off the wound I’d periodically forget was there.

It wouldn’t be all that bad to stick to our business, not take the risks life afforded us before these women came and turned everything upside down.

“And when would we do this?”

He shook his head, taking a seat across from me. “As soon as we can. Why not now? We don’t have another job lined up.”

I glanced back at Adelaide, who stared at the baby in her arms. A gentle smile across her lips ripped my beating heart out of my chest.

Damn.

This girl had me by the balls, and I liked it.

But how would life be without the darkness surrounding us? To step out into the light and bury our past behind us—to walk among everyday citizens and be one of them.

It was plausible.

“I have a job to do before we do.”

“The mercenaries?”

I nodded. “They were at the funeral today.”

“That’s pretty ballsy.”

My shoulders rose as I scoffed. “It’s something.”

“So, what’s the plan with them?”

It was already in the works, but it would take some time—Rome and all.

“Straight out of John Boyd’s playbook.”

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