Page 121 of Devil's Bride

“You got it, boss.”

I took long strides toward her, my instincts unneeded for what her stubbornness had suggested she do.

She was dressed as if ready for battle, wearing all black as she’d done before. Only this time she also wore a shoulder holster and her long hair had been braided, swinging back and forth as she stormed toward me. The look of conviction on her face was more amusing than annoying.

“What do you think you’re doing?” I blurted out a little more aggressively than I’d intended.

“Going with you. I heard about the asshole Navarro discovered.”

“From whom?”

“Does it matter?”

“It does to me. We have a mole in our midst and if Emiliano told you?—”

I wasn’t given a chance to finish explaining what I was getting at before she lifted her arm. The slight twitch from anger in the corner of her mouth had ticked first, which had barely allowed me to catch her wrist before she could crack her hand across my face.

“Don’t you ever,” she hissed, “insinuate anything like that again about Emiliano. You have no idea how many times that man has saved me from assholes intending harm.”

I expected her to add me to the list, but she didn’t.

“I’m sorry. That’s not what I was saying. If you would have allowed me to finish, my lovely wife, you’d understand that yes, I’m concerned about the mole. He must be found. What really matters is that you and I are the same page. Whatever information is needed, we will tell each other.”

“But you were planning on leaving without telling me.”

“I was planning on doing so when I returned. I’m not trying to keep anything from you, Genevieve, but you went through several ordeals in a few days.”

She pulled her hand away, shoring up her shoulders. “So have you and more in the past. I’ll tell you once again. I’m not fragile,Jago, at least not to the degree you think I am. I need to go with you. I must be seen as a full partner. I’m not gun shy and while I might not like the sight of blood, I won’t faint. You do what you need to do to the man your men have captured and I won’t be offended in the least. We need information.”

I lifted my head, noticing we were being watched. Maybe scrutinized. She was my wife and half owner of a now extremely powerful organization, but I was still the drug lord. I should punish her, banish her from going with me.

With anyone else, I would.

Only things had changed.

I’d changed.

The jury was out whether it was for the better.

“Fine, Genevieve. You can go, but you won’t like what you see and it will forever change you.”

She closed the distance, placing her hand on my chest. Her heated breath could easily drive a man wild. “Don’t you think that’s already happened? I’ve heard everything you’ve said, and I am so thankful you want to protect me, but if we’re going to work together then that’s what we need to do. I’m no princess. I’m a warrior.”

Genevieve

Warrior.

Maybe I’d overblown my abilities just a touch. Right now, I wasn’t certain I could be called anything but a disgusted, disturbed, angry, yet fearful woman.

While my husband had obviously thought I was locked in a haze, I’d been trying to lay out the pieces of how the hell information about our hotel in Madrid had been leaked. Had I floated Emiliano’s name in my mind more than once?

Yes.

Had I hated myself for it every time?

Oh, hell, yes.

I’d gone through the ranks, including Antonio, Kruz, Navarro, and the other men I’d met. I’d also thought over a few more of my soldiers, but no one jumped to the top of the leader board. I kept repeating to myself that it didn’t matter because I wasn’t used to acts of betrayal and espionage or blackmail or whatever was going on.

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