Page 120 of Consume Me

“Okay. Well, only Blake will attend the meetings.”

“What?” I blurt.

“No,” Kaden says.

“That was not the plan,” Hunter says.

“I understand, but this isn’t your role—it’s his. You appointed him for a reason. The underground will know only his face and speak only to him. You need to think about your future roles. Now, if we come to an agreement, we’ll have the Syndicate on our side. Their power is astounding. Cooperating with them will ensure no one attacks us. But that will come at a price; whoever betrays them ends up dead. Plus, it’s known that they like to control the organizations that collaborate with them. Do not give them anything they can hold over our heads.”

“Do we need them, then? I don’t fucking like that,” Dane says.

“Times change. And before my time as a matriarch ends, I want you to have strong alliances set in place, not trying to put out fires everywhere. It will be challenging enough to stay on top. The most powerful criminal organization is the Syndicate. They are reputable businessmen by day and kings of the criminal world by night. While we will not, under any circumstance, let it be known that we’re working with the Syndicate, we will do business with their legitimate fronts.”

I understand her reasoning, but that doesn’t mean I like it. Knowing Blake will have no one to back him up has my stomach in knots. What if something goes wrong? This fear of losing him debilitates me. Inhaling deeply, I remind myself who my man is: a fighter and a survivor. That thought immediately eases a bit of my anxiety.

After dinner, we return to the house, congregating in the living room.

“This is not how it was supposed to go,” Hunter grumbles.

“I know, but she’s right. It’s Blake’s role,” Kaden says. He then turns to Blake. “What will you do?”

“I will fly to Boston and meet with the Syndicate’s trio.”

“When will you leave?” Celine asks.

“Tomorrow.”

“Don’t get yourself killed, or I’ll kill you,” Abi says.

“I won’t. I have to come back,” he says, looking at me, and my stomach flutters.

“Ah, for fuck’s sake,” Hunter grumbles. Blake flips him the bird and scoops me up.

“We’ll be back tomorrow,” he says, leaving with me in his arms and ignoring the others’ disapproval.

In the car, he says, “Please be careful while I’m gone, okay? I need to know you’ll be safe.”

“I promise. And you promise you will come back to me?”

“I will.”

“How long do you think you’ll be away?”

“One day. I can’t be separated from you for longer.”

“We can do this,” I say, trying to infuse strength. Nothing will happen to him.

“Can we not talk about this for tonight? I just…”

A smile teases my lips. “I would love that. It’s a date then?”

“I am going to take you on a thousand dates after this is all over.”

“You better.”

“Silver, those guys in your books won’t compare.”

I love how determined he sounds.

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