Page 140 of Innocent Intentions

Okay, fine. You may have been right.

You should’ve listened to me.

I’m much happier now.

We spend all our free time together. Even Benny has been affected by Matty’s presence. He’s happier. More energetic.

He just needed a daddy.

Stop.

Don’t get me wrong. He still enjoys his daily naps. But he’s more playful now. He bounces around more.

I’m enjoying this life too. This little bubble we’ve built.

But part of me is scared. How much longer will it last? Will he get rid of me once the Bratva issues are resolved?

Because now that I have him…

I don’t know if I will survive without him.

Chapter 60

Matthias

“How do we still not know anything useful? It’s been weeks! I can’t keep her cooped up in this house forever. I won’t have her feeling like a prisoner.” I can’t hide the irritation in my voice.

“Now that she’s not your prisoner anymore, you mean,” Bash snarks.

“How fucking long is it going to take you to get over it?” I snap back.

“Oh, I don’t know. How long should it take someone to get over being tricked into being an accessory to a kidnapping?” he throws back, full of sarcasm.

“Enough,” Dom cuts in. His tone shuts us both up. “I’m sorry, Matthias. I know this isn’t what you want to hear. None of the men Roman’s captured have heard of Margot. And Roman would know if they were lying–”

“They wouldn’t dare,” Roman interrupts cockily.

Sometimes the way he talks about his morehands-onwork makes me uneasy. I don’t think he enjoys the violence, but Ican’t say for sure. It might just be brotherly hope clouding my judgment.

“Don’t interrupt me,” Dom growls. “Bash found a few things. Let him explain.”

“I followed the payments from Northern Hemisphere Cargo and the Koschei invoices,” Bash begins. “They trace back to a Russianaccount overseas. I’m working on tracking where those investments come from and what else the account is used for.” He pauses, then adds, “I’m sorry, Matthias, but this isn’t the only thing on my plate. There are other priorities.”

“Fuck that! This is the only priority. What the fuck else could you possibly be working on that matters more? Margot’s life could depend on this!” Just the words make my stomach twist. The thought of her in their hands makes me sick.

“No, Matthias. There are other Syndicate concerns Bash has to address,” Dom says coolly, which pisses me off more. “I know she means a lot to you, but this isn’t our only concern. And Bash’s also designing for yourcompany.”

“She doesn’t ‘mean a lot to me,’” I growl. “She meanseverythingto me. If anything happens to her, I won’t survive. There’s no living in a world without Margot. And I don’t want to survive in one. So, we’re going to fucking figure this out. Bash, scrap everything for Syndicate Enterprise. Focus on Margot. On the Bratva. Nothing else matters.”

“That’s not a good idea. You have deadlines to meet,” Dom reminds me.

“Don’t tell me how to run my fucking company. I don’t tell you how to run your gang,” I hiss.

“Okay, everyone cool off,” Roman jumps in. “We’re working on it. We’ll figure this out, Matthias. Dom, Margot’s family now. Try acting like it. And Bash, I’d shut the fuck up if I were you.” He sighs. “Now can we get off the damn phone? I have shit to do.”

Roman being the voice of reason is unsettling. We don’t usually fight like this. And he definitely doesn’t usually play peacemaker.

We end the call, but I’m still shaking with fury.

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