Page 64

“We could deal a serious blow to the cartel if we take down Lopez.” Even as the words left his mouth, his gut twisted.
A heavy silence blanketed the room.
Storm clouds gathered behind Zach’s eyes. “How do you propose we do that?”
“He wants Gia back.”
“Fuck.” Zach shot to his feet. Circled the small space with restrained fury, then came back to face Caleb head on. “Is that all she is to you? A mission objective? You planning to use her as bait and hope she survives?”
“That’s not fair.” Caleb shot back, then winced at the defensiveness in his tone. “She’ll never be safe until Lopez is in prison or dead. You know that.”
Using Gia to draw out Lopez felt too damn close to crossing a line that would leave a permanent black mark on his soul. She’d already sacrificed so much simply to survive. If he lost sight of that, he was no better than the man she was running from.
He rubbed the tension in his neck. His argument was sound, even if it left a taste like ash in his mouth. “I can help her start over, butshe’ll always be running unless we stop him here, where we have the upper hand.”
“Have you discussed this with Gia?”
“Yes.” He should tell Zach everything—what Nathan had found, what Gia had confessed. But something held him back. “She’s…hesitant.”
More than hesitant. Terrified.
A slow tilt of Zach’s head, and Caleb found himself pinned by a stare sharp enough to draw blood. “Why come to me?”
“She trusts you. Considers you a friend. Maybe she’ll listen if you back me up.”
Zach scoffed. “A friend.” His jaw set. “What does she consider you?”
Caleb looked down, remembering Gia’s soft lips, her whispered plea. The quiet betrayal in her eyes when she’d realized his plan. It had felt like a dagger to his heart.
And his conscience.
“Someone who won’t be around long enough to matter.”
The job in New York waited. And after that, the next job.
He carried his mug and bowl to the sink. “Thanks for breakfast.”
At the door, Zach called after him, “I won’t agree unless Gia does.”
Caleb turned. “If she still wants to leave, I’ll relocate her myself. Somewhere safe.”
He’d be frustrated as hell, but he’d do it. As long as she didn’t practice medicine, Nathan could bury her identity deep enough that not even the cartel would find her.
But at what cost? She’d never again be able to do what she clearly loved—use her medical skills to help people.
And he’d never see her again.
“And Grandfather?” Zach asked.
Caleb’s spine stiffened. “Did you know he showed up for dinner at Gia’s last night?” His mouth twisted. “Funny, I didn’t get the memo he was coming when she invited me.”
And what he’d shown Caleb. The rehab papers.
Caleb was still processing that.
“No. But he wants to know you.” Zach held his stare. “Give him a chance.”
A chance to be a family.