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“Because I’ve never defied him before. In his eyes, I’m passive, compliant. It’s the perfect cover.” My hands clench into fists at my sides. “I can use that to our advantage. Once I convince him I’m still loyal, he’ll trust me enough to reveal where they’re holding the children.”

Ice’s face hardens and a shadow crosses his features like a gathering storm. “ I don’t like any part of your plan.” He steps forward, closing the distance between us. “Juan’s no fool. He’llthink you’re getting help from us, especially since I was the one who intervened tonight.”

“Your cut was covered,” I counter, desperation creeping into my voice. “The driver couldn’t have seen the MC patch.”

“And if you’re wrong? If Juan sees through your act?” Ice’s voice is sharp, cutting through my resolve. “He won’t hesitate to kill you.”

I swallow as the weight of the risk presses down on me. This plan seemed like a good idea when I was alone in the room, but now that he’s back, my idea sounds ridiculous.

“You’re right. It’s a bad idea,” I admit. “But we need to find those kids.”

Ice shakes his head, frustration etched in every line of his face. “It’s too risky. Here’s what we need to do—lay low, give Fang time to dig into the cartel’s property holdings. We can find the right warehouse by matching their properties to places that produce textiles. Juan said they were in a textile factory, right? Did he mention what they were producing specifically? Was it wool, denim, silk?”

“I don’t know…” I trail off, silently chastising myself for not prying more information from Juan when I had the chance. “He never specified what kind. Just ‘textile factories.’”

“Then we start broad and narrow it down,” Ice says, his tone resolute. “We will find those kids, just give us time.”

“How much time will we have once Juan realizes I’m with you?” I ask.

“Don’t worry about him. I’ll take care of anything he throws at us. He may be evil to the core, but we’ve dealt with monsters in the past. We know how to fight them.”

“If they’re so easy to battle, why is Juan still leading the cartel?” I ask. “Why didn’t you stop him yet?”

“Well, he is more intelligent than typical criminals, which makes it harder. Also, he’s creative in ways we don’t alwaysrecognize. It’s too bad he chose evil over good, because he could have been a great businessman.”

“Not all businessmen are good.”

“True.” Ice smirks.

“How long will it take Fang to check the warehouse records?”

“Not sure. A few days. A week. Maybe more.”

“I can’t just sit here and do nothing.”

“We have to be smart about this, Bella. Juan knows you’re with us now, so you can’t go back there. You’re staying with me until you’re safe. Don’t bother trying to argue. It’s done.” His voice is firm, so there’s no point in resisting.

A frustrated breath escapes me as I collapse onto the edge of the lone bed in the room. “Will I get my own room?”

“No.” He’s blunt, almost apologetic. “The boys have filled up the place. You’re bunking with me.”

My gaze flicks from Ice to the bed. The queen-sized space suddenly feels too small. Does he intend to share it with me? There isn’t a couch and there’s not much room on the floor.

Before I can ask him about it, he says, “There’s an extra toothbrush in the bathroom. It’s new, in a package under the sink. Also, toothpaste. Soap’s in the shower, and shampoo. No conditioner, though. Chicks don’t stay here, but I’ll have Blue bring you some.”

“Who’s Blue?” I ask, suddenly nervous. Maybe he’s got a girl I don’t know about stashed somewhere else already.

“Vapor’s wife. She’s going to bring some clothes in the morning. Until then, you can wear one of my shirts. I’m tired. Let’s go to bed.”

“Can I shower first?” I’m desperate to scrub away the cocaine residue from the warehouse. Also, I need a minute to get my head together before I crawl into bed with him.

“Sure.” He nods, understanding etched across his face. “You’ll feel better.”

For a moment, we lock eyes, and everything else fades away—the danger, the cartel, the club. There’s just Ice and me, and the unspoken heat crackling between us. I want to ask if he’s thinking what I’m thinking, if he’s worried about sharing a bed. But I’m too weary to make a huge deal out of it. I’m too battle-worn to ignite what lies dormant between us. Maybe all he wants to do is sleep and I’m blowing everything up in my head.

“Here.” He breaks the silence, handing me an oversized T-shirt. “You can sleep in this. Blue will be here first thing tomorrow.”

“Thank you,” I murmur.