Page 31 of Montana Falls
“You’re not gonna be a husband if I kill the princess before we get her into her dress.” Lincoln smirked from his seat. “If she keeps listening to my orders, then I’ll let her have her day.”
Sapphire stared between the two of us, an evil glint in her eyes that I did not trust in the slightest.
“I can’t wait until all this is done and we have to take a trip to fully cement you as my Red Diamonds minions.” She drawled, hand sliding onto Misha’s thigh.
“A trip? Where?” Logan asked.
“Just a little town in the middle of nowhere.” She grinned hard enough to make me shiver. “It’s nice and snowy and weown a cabin near this pretty, icy lake. It will be your final task before you are allowed to serve me until we all die.”
Kody snorted as I stretched and cracked out my limbs, debating whether I could bring myself to have a bubble bath or if the feel of all that water on my body would only up the ante on my nerves.
“You gonna drown Linc in the lake?” Kody asked, filling my head with vivid daydreams of our girl shoving Lincoln into a big icy void and how hot she would look in faux fur.
“Something like that.” She hurried to change the subject to something I also found more important right now. “Anyway, what is the shopping list for breakfast and when is it coming? I’mstarving.”
Chapter Nine
The low hum of Beau’s car engine was the only sound cutting through the heavy silence. I sat in the passenger seat, staring out the window as the barren outskirts of Diamond Grove rushed by, the city lights far behind us. Beau sat next to me, one hand resting loosely on the steering wheel, the other drumming a quiet, almost rhythmic beat against his knee. His expression was like stone—unreadable, distant, his eyes trained on the empty highway stretching ahead of us.
He was ridiculously hard to talk to. Be near. Normally it wasn’t a problem, but without Sapphire or other people present as a barrier, I felt like a child again. A little girl siting with her father, desperate not to say or do anything that was wrong and could get me in trouble. And sure, I was a grown ass woman now. I didn’t need to fear anyone, least of all a man.
But I couldn’t stop myself from casting glances his way every few seconds, wondering just how far his politeness wouldextend beyond a ride to the airstrip we were heading towards together.
A convoy of cars followed close behind—sleek black sedans filled with Red Diamonds soldiers and two armored SUVs with my cartel members packed inside. The further we drove from the city, the more isolated the world became. No other cars. No streetlights. Just trees and woodlands swallowing the road ahead.
I adjusted the collar of my leather jacket, brushing off the sweat that clung to the back of my neck. The tension in the car was palpable. Beau and I weren’t exactly friends, but we had an understanding that this was a job. A favor for Sapphire.
I was in town; he needed more soldiers. It was an easy choice.
But as the miles wore on and the emptiness of the road stretched ahead of us, a knot of frustration began to form in my chest. We were running later than we’d hoped, thanks to an earlier bout of traffic, and I didn’t like it. Not one bit. The O’Malley’s and their Vice King bastards had a way of slipping away, and if we missed our shot as they got off their plane, it was more than likely they would stick around to cause more havoc. I didn’t like being late, nor did I enjoy failing anything.
So the last thing I needed was a silent and broody gangster who hated me because I had a pussy between my thighs.
“Okay, I’m going to come out and say it.” My jaw ticked. “This is awkward, and I want to have a conversation. I don’t care if it’s about the weather, your favorite type of gun, or even if you want to just sing a song.”
“Do I make you uncomfortable?” He asked it in such a monotone way I didn’t know if he cared about my answer.
“Yes.”
He snorted. “Why?”
“Every man I meet falls at my feet. Either out of respect, fear, or lust. I worked hard for that reaction and now I need it.” I didn’t feel the need to lie. “But you have none of that for me. You actively hate me and-”
“I don’t hate you, Raya.”
My head cocked. “You don’t?”
He shook his head. “I loved Lucia, and you remind me of her sometimes. You look similar. Plus, you’re an excellent leader, and you helped Sapphire when she needed it. I have nothing but respect for you.” He paused a beat. “Even if you are a woman and a Gomez one at that.”
“Okay. Misogyny aside, I don’t mind you either.”
“I amnota misogynist.” My brows rose, and he carried on. “I don’t think women are less than men. Or that they should be in the kitchen or breeding or any other bullshit. I just can’t fucking stand looking at them or interacting with me because-” He cut himself off, but I didn’t need to hear more when I already knew his logic.
Instead, I gave him an out from the conversation and asked, “How is Angel? He seems okay when I call him.”
I was going to visit my nephew soon, but an update now would be nice to hear and far safer a conversation to have.
“Angel’s doing good. He’s fit in really well and he seems to be making friends. He hangs out with Yumi, Henley and Diamond a lot. Plus, he’s been helping Lincoln with his Spanish and they seem to have things in common, too.” Beau kept his eyes on the road, not glancing my way.
