Page 118 of Cassio (Belles & Mobsters 3)

“Thrilled,” I retorted, hugging her tightly. “I need your help.”

No sense in wasting time. The more headway I got, the better I was.

Her gaze met mine. “Tell me what you need.”

“I need you to stay here,” I told her. “Make a little noise, move around, pretend we are talking.”

She eyed me like I was crazy. “We are talking.”

“I have to leave,” I retorted dryly in a hushed tone. “I read Cassio’s email from Nico. Marco’s men are looking for me. Remember the belles arrangement that Bianca mentioned?” She nodded. “Nico thinks the auction will happen within the next week. In Turkey. So no more hunting. I’ll let him catch me.”

One breath. Two breaths.

“Are you fucking nuts?” she hissed, her eyes darting around like there was someone lurking in the corner.

“No, I’m not. But I know Cassio has a tracker on my wedding band,” I told her, showing her my wedding band.

“How do you know?” She eyed my wedding band. There was nothing unusual about it, not even a diamond. Hunter knew I wanted a plain wedding band and he delivered, though he omitted the information on the tracker. But in his defense, all the plans kind of spiraled.

I slid it off my finger and pointed to the inner band. “It’s right in there.”

“Aren’t you pissed off at him?” she questioned me, her eyes eyeing the band. “I’d fucking kill him.”

I shrugged. “No, I’m not mad at him. He just wants to keep me safe.” Like he always had. “Anyhow, he can track me. He and Luca will probably be back soon. If he notices I am on the move, he’ll come after me even sooner. Until then, I won’t be alone. John and the crew will be with me. John has an approximate location for Marco.”

“I don’t like this plan,” she muttered begrudgingly. “If something happens, it will be my head. And I’m already on the shit list.”

“Nothing will happen,” I assured her, something I had no business promising. “But I can’t be a sitting duck.”

I strode into my spare bedroom, Maggie behind me. I had no time to waste. In a rush, I changed into my combat clothes. Black tight pants, black shirt, knife holster, gun holster, combat boots.

“I don’t know, Áine,” Margaret tried again. “This sounds reckless.”

“They tried to get Bianca,” I told her in a low voice. “Other women too, I am sure. If they want me, let them come and get me. They won’t expectme. I’m stronger than I was before.”

Her eyebrow scrunched and I silently cursed myself. I slipped. “What do you mean?” she inquired. “You make it sound like you have been captured before.”

Fuck. I didn’t need this slip up now. “I’ll explain later,” I promised. “I have no time to waste right now.”

She pushed her hand through her hair. “I know I won’t be able to dissuade you. When you get like this, you just plow through.”

I smiled, pressing a kiss to her cheek. “Thank you.”

“Well, I owe you since you married Cassio King because of me,” she grunted, rolling her eyes.

I chuckled. “I like him,” I admitted with a smile. “A lot.”

Her eyes widened in shock. “Like in love like him?”

In love.Yes, I loved him. It has been a whirlwind, and I never truly thought that deep into it. If this wasn’t love, it felt peculiarly close to it. Something about the way he cared, how my heart and body felt safe and at ease around him. Maybe I loved him for a long time, I just never recognized it. Either way, I was Hunter’s. Always and forever.

“Yeah,” I grinned. “Like in love with him.”

I just had to survive this shitstorm and then we’d focus on each other.

“Whoa, I didn’t see that one coming,” she murmured. “How do you know?”

I shrugged. “He makes me feel safe, protected. I feel more at ease with him than anyone else. And I feel like he understands me. Like really understands me.”

---