Page 14 of Little Dove

“We’ll handle things until you get back. I have to go.”

“All right.”

Then, just because I can’t help myself, I add, “Give my love to our new madre. And tell her I’m going to be her favorite. I’m the best one.”

“Fuck off,” he growls at me. “You don’t have enough brains in that big head of yours to be a favorite. A pain in the ass is more like it.”

Then he’s gone, and I chuckle.

I’m about to put my phone away when it rings, the screen flashing Alonzo’s name.

“Alonzo. They’re sending you to get us?”

“Yes,” Alonzo replies briskly. “I should be landing in six hours, and it’s a two-hour drive to your location. I have four men with me, so we’ll have two vehicles. We’ll deal with Marco’s men.”

“All right, I’ll make sure we’re ready,” I reply. “I only saw Marco’s guys, but that doesn’t mean Giovanni or Leonardo haven’t sent their own men this way too, so keep your eyes open. And just to let you know, they roped in the local cops to find us, so be careful. I don’t put it past these fuckers to use them to have you all arrested.”

“Yeah, I got it. Though, them going to the cops is fucking odd.”

I sigh. I don’t want to repeat everything that’s been alleged about Amara, especially when it’s not true, but I can’t keep information from him that might be important. “There’s a rumor going around town that Amara slept with a married man and then slept with his fifteen-year-old son. It’s bullshit, but because the kid is a minor, they want Amara to either get arrested or kicked out of town. Marco’s guys probably figured that out and are trying to use it to their advantage. If they tell people they’re here to get her out of their hair, the fucking cops will hand her over on a silver platter.”

Alonzo is quiet for a moment before he says, “All right, we’ll come in quick and get you both out of there as fast as we can. Don’t need them messing things up. But also, who the fuck makes that kind of shit up?”

“People with a vendetta and too much time on their hands.”

“Clearly. You good?”

“I’m fine. Managed to avoid crashing and getting shot. The bunker is secured, and Marco’s men and the cops don’t know it’s here. If they somehow find it, there is another metal door they would have to breach, and no way do they have the firepower for that. It’s old military.”

“How the fuck did you find it?” I hear him moving around, no doubt packing up his shit to get going.

“Amara did. She was checking one of the cases, and her finger caught on this little notched hole that’s barely noticeable. When she pulled it, the door opened. Whoever used it last must have been in a hurry because they left a ton of stuff behind, but we have power and running water for now.”

“Damn lucky. All right, well, sit tight; we’ll be there as fast as we can. And don’t die on me, because I don’t want to carry your giant ass out of there.”

Then he’s gone. I roll my eyes and chuckle.

When I walk back into the bunker, I see Amara on the other side of the room, looking at the old typewriters. She hasn’t noticed me, so I watch her for a moment. She moves carefully, almost like she’s afraid of breaking something. When she bends over to peer behind them, I get a view of her rounded ass, and I have to bite back a groan.

I so badly want to feel her fill my hands, but I doubt she’ll respond well to that, so I stay where I am, shoving my hands into my pockets to keep myself from doing anything stupid.

Instead, I console myself with the knowledge that this desire isn’t only one-sided. She might fight me on it, but she didn’t punch me in the face for kissing her, so I’ll take that as a good sign.

She gets under my skin like no other woman has before, and she knows exactly what buttons to push to rile me up. I’m goingto work hard to get her to accept me, but at the same time, I almost hope she fights me a little.

I like a challenge.

Maybe not to the same level as Sienna with Alessio, but I like a good fight when the circumstances call for it. And something tells me that Amara and I are going to fight plenty.

“Do you always stand in doorways like a creeper?” Amara asks dryly, jerking me from my thoughts.

“I do when I’m looking at a beautiful woman,” I return smoothly.

She doesn’t react to that, moving instead to the next typewriter.

“What are you doing?” I ask.

“I’m trying to find the second exit,” she replies absently. “There has to be another one. No way would they risk not being able to get out if shit went south. Since the lever to get in here was hidden, that means the one in here will be just as well concealed, if not more.”

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