Page 24 of The Prizes We Win
Smirking, I ask, “Cat got your tongue, D?”
Shaking his head and smiling wide, he waves his whisk in our direction. “Just wondering how we got here is all.”
“See something you like, Big Daddy?” Enzo pokes.
And then Dante looks at Enzo in a way I’ve only ever seen him look at Josephine. As the two of them stare off, I look over at Josephine, and then we both look around Enzo over at Sebastian, who’s already looking at us. Each of us with matching expressions of confusion and intrigue.
Well, isn’t this an interesting development? Not surprising, but interesting.
“Okaaaay,” Seb says trying to break the sexual tension-filled staredown the two of them are having. Dante shakes his head and goes about pouring the scrambled eggs into the pan, and Enzo giggles like a schoolgirl. “So D told us the two of you got a good idea of how many people are at the compound?”
Enzo snorts. “Yeah, the dumbfucks just walked around with practically every single light on. Could see every one of their movements. Not to mention there’s only one security fence that Dante could throw me over if he wanted to, and the music they were blaring was so loud they wouldn’t hear an attack coming until I literally shoved my gun down their throats.”
“Jesus, Honey,” Josephine says, as she chokes on her coffee.
Enzo growls and leans in to whisper in her ear. Except it’s not a whisper at all because we all hear him say, “Unless you want arepeat of last night on this kitchen counter in front of everyone, I’d watch the use of that word.”
“What word?” she asks sheepishly.
“You know exactly what word, Sweetheart.”
“Sorry… Honey.”
Another growl. And I’ll be fucked if the sound doesn’t shoot straight to my dick, and judging by the way I see Seb shift in his seat next to Enzo, it’s doing the same to him.
“You know,” Dante says, refocusing our attention, “they’re going to want to retaliate tenfold when they realize we’re the ones who helped Anya escape.”
“Seb run background checks on the guys on the beach?” Enzo asks.
“I did. None of them were anybody important. Just some low-level criminals who started working for the Novikovs as security. Obviously shitty security, but security nevertheless.”
“Doesn’t matter who they were,” I add. “Once Andrei and Maxim find out it was us, which they will, it won’t be good.”
“Which is why we have to get to them before they can get to us,” Enzo says confidently.
“And your dad?” I ask, placing my hand on Josephine’s thigh.
She sighs and fidgets with the handle of her mug for a moment. “I don’t know. I—There are still some things I need to figure out with him first before we deal with him. Okay?”
Leaning over, I kiss her cheek softly. “Okay. He can stay down there as long as you need him to.”
Seb reaches behind Enzo and places his hand on her shoulder. “Dante, have you seen Anya since you’ve been up?”
“No,” he replies moving his spatula around the pan. “I heard a lot of things last night but nothing from Sebastian’s room. I peeked through the door before I came downstairs to make sure she was okay, and it looked like she was sound asleep in bed.”
“She probably cleaned up and passed out,” Josephine adds. “I can only imagine how emotionally and physically exhausted she is. I’d be surprised if she’s up before noon.”
“Do you think you should go check on her?” I ask her.
“No,” she says while snatching a piece of bacon from the plate while Dante’s not looking.
“I saw that, Amore Mia,” he grumbles not even bothering to look up from the eggs.
Josephine giggles and continues, “Let’s let her sleep. She is going to need as much rest as she can get.” She washes her bacon down with a sip of coffee. “Speaking of which, I have an idea.”
“An idea about what?” I ask her.
“We all know she can’t stay here. The Bratva has eyes everywhere, and when they retaliate because we have now taken AleksandrandAnya from them, both of whom were clearly supposed to be the heirs to their alleged empire, she will be dead. If they find her, she will die. There’s no saving her here. She’ll never be safe.” Dante, Sebastian, Enzo, and I all look at one another—Josephine’s right. Anya isn’t safe here. I’m not exactly sure what her role was supposed to be with them, but I know it was important. But I know any life outside of this one, outside of being married to Maxim Novikov and whatever hell he will inflict upon her, is better. “But I do know a place where she might be.”
