Page 47 of Dangerous Intent

“No, I don’t.” I sighed. “But I don’t want her to be so out of control that I lose her.”

“Like Mom?” His voice was softer now, more reflective.

“Mom wasn’t as absurd as Lissia when it came to authority, and look how it ended for her.” I squeezed my eyes shut and slowly opened them. “If a man like Dad couldn’t keep Mom safe, how can I ever expect to keep Lissia breathing?”

“What happened to Mom isn’t going to happen to Lissia.”

“You don’t know that.”

I thought back to the first time I’d seen Lissia at the auction—wild, defiant, and entirely untouchable. Now that she was my wife, she looked like the same woman, but the cracks in her armor were undeniable. That frightened me more than I wanted to admit.

“Chello.” He patted my shoulder. “We are going to do everything we can to make sure she is guarded and safe.”

“I want to believe that, but she has a way of screwing things up.”

“The way I see it is the only person she’s in danger of being killed by is you.”

“You’re an asshole, you know that?”

“Am I wrong?” He held up his hands. “You think about strangling her on a daily basis.”

“Two or three times a day.” I smiled. “I think the idea of it turns her on.”

“You’re a lucky guy.” He smirked. “Why don’t you go find her. Apologize and get her out of here. She’s had enough.”

“Thank you,” I said. “I couldn’t do any of this without you.”

“I know.” His lips were still curved in a smug smile. “What do you want me to do now?”

“Make the arrangements with Lorenzo and decide which soldiers I should take with me.” I gazed out at the bar area, spotting Lissia in a conversation with Ricardo. “Where are we with Collins?”

“I have two guys following him. I’ll get as much intel on him as I can.”

“Let things settle down, then we’ll finish him.”

“It might be best to do that when you’re in Miami.” He wanted me to have an alibi, but I wouldn’t leave him vulnerable.

“If that’s something we consider, then we’re going to have to figure out the logistics.”

I continued to watch Lissia, noting her slumped posture. She wasn’t her usual sassy, rambunctious self. That bothered me.

“I can get the job done and be on a flight to Miami before anyone realizes that scum is missing,” he said.

I didn’t want to place the responsibility of taking out Collins on Milo. My father left me at the helm, so the risk was mine. “I’m not going to leave all that on your shoulders.”

“I’ll work the details out. I can do it with my eyes closed.” Milo nodded toward the bar. “Take Lissia home.”

“I might have to toss her over my shoulder and drag her out of here kicking and screaming.” I rubbed my temple. “She’s in that kind of mood.”

“Maybe you should try a softer approach?”

“Like what?” I asked.

“Grovel?”

“Would you?”

“Fuck, no.” He gazed at the bar. “I would take her home, tie her to the bed, and leave her there until she came to her senses. If that didn’t work, I’d fuck the sense into her. Well, not her, of course, but if I ever had someone like her.”