Page 20 of Torched

“Are you doubting me, Red?”

She shrugs. “Not necessarily doubting you, I just don’t want her to be able to hurt you any more than she already did.”

Fair enough.

“The only way Cristina Reyes can ever hurt me is by hurting the people I love.” I can feel Gen giving me a side glance, but she doesn’t turn her head my way, pissing me off some more. “I will never let that happen.”

Callie holds my gaze for a few moments, then nods in agreement before she fixes her expression on Gen. “What about you, Genny? She’s gonna try to piss you off.”

“I know.”

“Doing her best to create a wedge between you two.” Callie flips her attention between the two of us.

“I know,” Gen whispers, lifting her eyes to Callie with a determination that has satisfaction showering me, then twists her attention to me. “She can try.” I release a breath from my lungs that’s painful, but also filled with relief. “I can handle it. I can handleher.”

I can feel her annoyed stance still directed at me, but the pride I’m feeling by hearing her words only lifts my cheeks wider with every second. I love how she’s finding the confidence inside herself to know she can handle Cristina. That she can take her.

“I know you can.” Callie smiles, her proud look finding mine. “Okay, so Kane and I will take a small team and head to Seville and see what we can find.”

“Yes.” I nod. “Then you’ll fly to Boston and see what Reign can find out.”

“While the two of you will keep Cristina on this yacht and make sure she’s exactly where we want her to be until we have found a way to get the diamond or Babushka back. Whatever comes first,” Kane says.

“Can’t we just lock Cristina somewhere on the yacht?” I half joke.

“She probably has someone with Babushka she needs to check in with. It would mean putting her at risk if we take Cristina captive.”

“Yeah, I figured. It was worth a try, though.”

“We can always just handcuff her to the deck.” Imogen shrugs, a playfulness in her eyes.

I snicker, but Kane gives both of us a slight scowl. “As much as I agree with the two of you, Callie is right.”

“Relax, Kane,” Gen says. “I’m joking. I would never do anything that can risk Babushka’s safety. One can dream, though.”

“Trust me, Gen.” Kane leans forward, a wicked grin on his expression. “At some point, it won’t be a joke anymore, and we can all live out our frustration on that little witch. I promise you.”

She laughs at that, a comfortable energy surrounding the two of them. “I’m gonna hold you to that, Carrillo.”

“That’s fine.”

“Look what the two of you are doing.” Callie gives Kane and I glare with her arms crossed in front of her chest. “You’re totally corrupting my girl over here.”

“First off, Red.” I give her a cocky grin. “She’smygirl. Secondly, we didn’t corrupt her. We just let her find her true self.”

We all laugh at that, Imogen sending me a grateful look that erases any upset I felt moments earlier.

“Okay,” Callie glances between the three of us. “I guess Kane and I got a plane to catch.”

I brief the team and set up the logistics with Jeremy before I stroll around the yacht back to my suit to find Imogen. Her sweet fragrance welcomes me the second my feet hit the fluffy carpeting of the room, trailing me toward her like a sniffer dog until I find her washing her face in the bathroom.

“Hey, baby.” I waste no time to hold her, covering her back with my chest as I dive my nose into her neck.

“Hey.”

It’s not an annoyedhey, but it’s not a happy one either. It shows that same hesitation and insecurity she gave me in the conference room.

With a groan, I grab her hips and spin her to face me. “What was that?”

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