Page 21 of Escape You

I sifted through all the words swirling in my head. None of them were the right ones. This was the wrong conversation to be having with Mia. We should be talking about the baby, about our plans. I’d been mad at her at first for not telling me she was pregnant when she had a chance in the car. But she understood this world way better than I did. Keeping her secret had been the best thing to do.

I wanted to hold her and tell her everything would be okay. “Would you marry me?”

She barked out a laugh. “You actually made it sound like a question. Neither one of us has a choice in this . Don’t kill yourself over it.”

“What?”

“I’ve had time to think things through. I will marry you, and in return, my family controls the newly organized Jersey faction.”

I raked a hand through my hair, relieved and so fucking confused. What was she planning now? For a moment, I forgot she was one of them, a criminal. I stood to look her in the eye. “You realize we’re expected to be a real couple.” I pointed at her and then me to make my point. I couldn’t say the words because that put all kinds of ideas in my head. I wouldn’t mind a repeat of the night we shared not so long ago. But not like this.

“He wants you to take over when he dies. He’s so vain he wants to make sure his legacy continues after you. He wants a baby, am I right?” She said it fast, as if she were afraid she’d lose her resolve if she actually gave it some real thought. Maybe that was the best approach. Do it without thinking because neither one of us had a say in this.

“You’re right.” I closed the space between us and gripped her elbow. “And you’re willing? Just like that?”

The mounting pile of possibilities rattled around in my head. If Chase Rossi hadn’t OD’d, I wouldn’t be here. If Mavell hadn’t done me a solid and recommended me to the FBI, I wouldn’t be here. If the FBI didn’t give a shit, I wouldn’t be here. And then Mia and her baby, our baby, would be starting a life with someone who wasn’t me. She was tough. That I knew. It was the thing that drove me to her like an oasis in the middle of a desert. But Jac Rossi was a new breed of asshole. No one should have to deal with that. Especially not someone who meant something to me.

“I get that you’re new to the scene. You’ll catch up.” She pulled away from me.

“Let me be more specific. What about us? You can’t pretend we didn’t happen. You marry me just like that?” The image of her kissing my chest broke through the barrier I built when she climbed in the car with me earlier tonight. She’d felt so good in my arms. How was it that I was stuck with that memory and she wasn’t?

Jealousy clawed at my insides thinking how there were at least a hundred other agents who could’ve taken my assignment, a hundred guys she would have said yes to. How was she okay with all this?

“Just like that, you do as you’re told?” I repeated the question.

Her gaze zeroed in on me. The blast of her energy hit me square in the chest. “What do you want from me? I’m doing exactly what you asked. There is no us, Chase.” She pointed at Jac’s lavish office and then at me. A bookcase, a club chair, an oak desk, all just one more thing Jac owned, same as me, same as her. “This alliance doesn’t change a thing for us. Staying alive is my main priority right now. Not you.”

7

Operation Get Jac Rossi

Mia

My head was still reeling from everything that’d happened tonight. I had to hang on to the one thing I did know. The only way to bring down Jac Rossi was to play his deranged game. Chase regarded me with resentment in his eyes. This situation would be so much easier if he weren’t here. His scent alone was a big distraction. Having a wedding night with him dangling over my head made it impossible to focus. His hands on me were all I could think of.

But I wasn’t planning on letting it get that far. A soulless crook like Rossi surely had several bodies in his closet. All I had to do was find one. The hard part would be reaching out to the proper authorities to snitch on him. That would be a low blow, but desperate times made snitches of us all. He should have known I would strike back if he came after me and my crew.

But no, he had no way of knowing. In that regard, he was very similar to Uncle Mickey. Neither one of them thought women were smart enough to come at them. Vic had said that Uncle Mickey would have eventually figured out I had what it took to run the family business. I didn’t believe that. After all, his whole plan had been to marry me off to Dom. Lucky for me, Dom never showed interest in me or the business.

“You’re expected to stay here until the wedding.”

Why did it feel like everything he said had a subtext to it? Like us in bed or back at the bar. I had to stop thinking about that night.

“I expected as much. I didn’t peg granddaddy for the trusting type.”

“We’re to stay here a few months after as well.”

Yeah, he was definitely thinking about us and what we had to do for a few months if we were going to get pregnant.

No, we were not going to get that far. Stop thinking about it.

“Fine. I’ll need to talk to Vic, my second in command. And I’ll need my clothes.” I strode to the door. No doubt Rossi was waiting out in the living area, ready to show me to my room. The idea that I might find a way to say no to him probably never crossed his mind. The proposal had been a mere formality.

Chase reached for my hand. “Mia, maybe there’s another way around this. If you trust me, we can help each other.” His tone was low and gentle.

I met his gaze. “I don’t trust you. So there’s that.” I walked out of the room. Rossi stood right outside the door with a drink in hand.

Soon, I’d get a chance to wipe that smirk off his face. He widened his stance, pleased with himself now that his convoluted plan had been set in motion. “Alex will show you to your room.”

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