Page 124 of One Secret

And when she finds someone new? whispers that taunting voice in the back of my head. When Darcy finds a man to love? To play Daddy to your daughter?

The creaking in the chair is suddenly so loud, it's like a crack of lightning through the room. I have to force myself to let go before I pull the arms clean off the thing and wake Darcy up.

I take a measured exhale.

Darcy is one of the smartest people I know. If she thinks a guy worthy of being in her life… then I'll have to trust and accept that.

I hear Darcy sigh and snuggle deeper under the covers.

I have no control over her, I remind myself. No right to decide her life for her.

But similarly, Darcy can do nothing about the fact that she is now the only family I have. A family I won't ever play a real part in. But one I'm equally never letting go of.

* * *

'I can't believe we're doing this,' Darcy grumbles, smoothing out a few nonexistent wrinkles in her dress.

The midnight blue gown flutters around her legs and I'm treated to a slinky slice of leg on full display. The skirt is slit all the way to the hip on either side, making every sway of her hips an elegant peep-show. As it turns out, the Chinese-inspired design was also a convenient choice. Though the bare arms do little to mask some of her minor injuries, the high collar covers the worst of Darcy's bruises. The gown also suits her dark hair and brings out the yellow in her eyes.

Of course, I remind myself, that isn't pertinent to the mission at hand.

I kick such lovestruck simperings to the back of my head.

'Two hours,' I remind her, checking the clips for my guns and slotting them into the double holster strapped across my shoulders. A one-to-one Glock-to-armpit ratio. 'We just have to show up to this thing, give Felix his information, and get out as soon as we can, without raising any eyebrows. I've a boat waiting west of the harbor.'

Hopefully, the festivities will bring security down from the red alert they've been set at all day, allowing us to slip away undetected.

'Have they sent the information through yet?' Darcy asks, slipping her feet into ballet flats the same shade as her dress.

I try not to cringe. Not yet.

'Jaime will get it done,' I promise her.

Darcy nods, her lips pursing in stern consideration. She knows full well that we're walking into a high-stakes poker game with our cards still in transit. And when losing a hand can equal losing your head…

My heart spasms in my chest.

After last time, there's absolutely no way I'm leaving Darcy behind in our room but taking her out into a collective of mercenaries and enforcement thugs doesn't sit right either.

'What about the contracts you're supposed to sign?' Darcy asks. Having fluffed her hair and approved her own appearance in the mirror, she leans her butt against the little desk and folds her arms to wait for me.

I've now filled my ankle holsters and hidden a knife into the sheath inside my waistband. I'll be leaving the bag behind so everything of import has to be clipped down somewhere on my body.

'Felix will be too busy with the party until late,' I tell her. 'If we leave early enough, we'll be long gone before he's ready to sign anything.'

Darcy frowns, confused.

'What about Gabriel?' she asks. 'That won't leave much time to confirm his identity.'

'That's not important.'

Darcy's arms drop to her side, surprise knocking her head on the tilt.

'What are you talking about? It's the whole reason we're here.'

'Not anymore.' Right now, the only reason we're here is that Felix isn't letting us leave. I have a far more vested interest in getting us off this damn island than I do in the reason we came for in the first place.

'What's going on, Cyrus?' Darcy demands. 'Why the change of plans?'

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