Page 76 of Shadow Dance

“Mhm. And Griff and Mac.”

“How?” she asks, her finger barely touching the screen as she drags it over the map. “No, why are you doing this?”

“Because I like to know where they are,” I say simply, lighting the joint.

“Butwhy?”

I can feel her eyes on me, so I look at her, smoke drifting from my lips. “Because I don’t trust them. I don’t trust anyone.”

Maeve’s eyes narrow, one side of her mouth lifts in a tiny grin. “Not even me?”

“I don’t know,” I say, even though I do. Taking another, deeper pull, I hand the joint over. “Should I trust you?”

Nodding, she takes a few hits and sinks back against the headboard. “I never talk, I never snitch.”

“Is that why you didn’t tell your brother the truth about your eye?”

“No,” she says with a rueful laugh. “I didn’t tell him the truth because he and my other brother would be on the next plane out here.”

“Can you blame them?”

She shakes her head, ducking beneath my arm so she’s snuggledagainst me. “But I’m so close to getting out of here. I don’t want any more drama.”

“That’s fair.” And for the best. Between my investigative team and the Oliveras family, the next week is going to be messy as hell. I’d hate for Maeve’s brothers to get tangled up in that.

“I want to fight my own battles and protect my family just as much as they want to protect me,” she adds. “Lucky has a kid on the way now. They have whole lives, you know?”

We smoke in silence for a while, watching the haze linger above the bed before it gets sucked out the window on the breeze.

“I hope he lets me go,” she says.

“He will.” Callum will be behind bars, so it’s safe to say he’ll leave her alone for a while.

“I told you he insinuated that he’d fuck with my family if I went back or involved them.” Maeve looks up at me. “Very few people can get to my family. They know how to take care of themselves, and each other. But Callum can be crazy. I always knew that. I just didn’t know how bad it could get. I don’t know if he’s always been like this and I didn’t see it until we lived together, or if this lifestyle brings out the worst in him, but I’ve seen a side of him that genuinely scares me, Jaime.”

I stub out the joint and set it down, turning to her. She doesn’t know how right she is. If she’d seen the things I’ve seen since signing on with this crew, she’d be gone already. “He’s crazy, but I can be crazy, too. I won’t let anything happen to you. Or your family.”

She melts into me, tucking her head beneath my chin. I slide my arms around her and pull her in close, squeezing her tight. The promise I made to Maeve is more than just words; it’s a personal vow. When it comes to keeping her safe, I’ll do whatever I have to. Even if that means killing Cal myself, or having Leo and Cedro take care of him before the Feds step in.

“Where will you go when I leave?” she asks, sipping her juice.

“Back down to Santa Barbara.” Until the investigative leads are able to solidify their case against the Oliveras family. After that, I’ll have to disappear for a while.

“Are you going back to the people you worked for before?”

“I never stopped working for them,” I say. “That’s why I can promise you that Cal won’t go after you.”

Maeve goes still. After a long moment, she looks up at me. “Why does it feel like there’s a lot of stuff you aren’t telling me?”

“The less you know, the better.”

“You know, I’ve heard that my entire life.” She slides one leg over my lap, hands on my shoulders as she straddles me, and kisses the corner of my mouth. “I usually hate it, but for once I don’t want to know.”

“You trust me, right?” I ask, closing my eyes when she bites, and then licks, the shell of my ear. I’ve asked her this before, but I need her to be sure.

She bites the other ear, her teeth sharp, her tongue hot. A molten surge of desire at its most primal rips through me and my hands clamp down on her hips, holding her still. “I trust you,” she whispers, her breath tickling me.

If she’s trying to turn me on, she’s succeeded. I grasp her chin, bringing her mouth to mine, and our breath mingles as she opens to me. I’m instantly hard, but I keep my touch light, tracing my fingers down her neck, brushing my thumb over her pulse. She sighs softly, her hands sliding into my hair as she pulls herself closer. The kiss deepens, filled with the desire that’s been simmering between us for so long. I squeeze her hips, and her body arches into mine, the wordless invitation she always extends and I never accept. Today’s different, though.

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