Page 57 of Brutal Empire

That made no fucking sense, but it worked in my favor. I reached for my phone and gave him the address of where we were going.

“Can’t come to Chicago without my boyfriend. The Estacados might grow suspicious.”

“That’s where we’re staying?”

“No safer place than the enemy of my enemy’s house.”

Damian wouldn’t start a war that he knew he couldn’t win, so for now, staying at one of the Estacados’ safe houses was my best bet.

“How are we going to explain your lover?”

Just as he said that, the languidness from Cam’s passed-out body stiffened. Someone had woken up and was waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

“She could be to me what Daphne is to you—a placeholder.”

At my words, Cam stopped breathing for a few seconds. My eyes met G’s through the rearview mirror, and with a slight head shake, I let him know to drop the conversation. Of course he couldn’t keep his fucking mouth shut.

“Morning, sunshine,” he singsonged.

Cam’s eyes sprang open. She removed her feet from my lap and quickly sat. Her gaze immediately went to the empty seat next to Gideon, and I think she had hoped Daphne would be there.

Daphne was not going to save her—not anymore.

“Gideon,” Cam greeted him with a slight nod. The familiarity she had with me was not there when she spoke to Gideon, and that fucking elated me.

“Sorry, I guess I was dehydrated,” she lied, obviously not wanting to talk about it with Gideon in the car, or perhaps it was what she remembered.

There was way too much space between us, but I told myself I needed to play this smart.

“We should get to our safe house in forty minutes.”

* * *

Two black truckswere waiting for us as soon as we pulled into the address that was given to us. Cam sat a bit straighter, and I noticed her shift uncomfortably as she saw all the men that were waiting for us.

It was safe to assume that she still trusted me.

“Nothing is going to happen to you,” I told her.

Gideon chose that moment to chime in, “I can take half of them, and you two can take care of the other half.”

“No one is killing anyone,” I stressed.

“Just in case, I want Carmine.”

Cam looked between Gideon, the men outside, and me with wide eyes.

“Ignore him,” I told her with a wink.

Cam’s lip twitched, and I didn’t miss how Gideon watched us. When the car came to a stop, men with guns surrounded us. I opened the door and got out as if no one had a gun to my head.

“Carmine, Carlo,” I greeted the Chicago underboss and his brother. Except this time, there was another one who looked like them. I had seen him back in New York when Daphne and I had gone to a fight. He was much older, and there was now a scar on his face that had not been there before. The Estacados had a vast empire and were one of the only enemies Damian considered worthy. That same reason was why Daphne had made them an ally and why one of them was infiltrated by our organization. Should I even be saying ours? Was I even Sekten now? It kind of stung, but I ignored that shit for now. The three main brothers each ruled a different section of the world. Franco was back in the motherland, and after the death of his daughter, he and Daphne came to an agreement. Ignacio was in New York with his twin boys set to take over after him, but according to Falcon, he had exiled the one I was currently looking at.

“Rafe,” I greeted him and extended my hand. “Bastian Kingsley.”

His lip twitched.

“I know.” He then turned to Gideon. “I remember seeing you.”

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