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“I’m looking into some things. I’ll have answers by morning. Brooklyn plans to handle it once we know for sure.”

“No, that won’t be necessary. My presence needs to be felt if I’m going to be calling New York my home.”

“I hear you. I’ll get you names as soon as I have them.”

“Anything on that favor me nephew Brax needs? The lad is getting impatient. He’s going to make a move if I don’t open that window for him.”

“I’ll have an answer for you soon. It looks like they’re willing to sacrifice him. One too many mistakes on top of the fact that your guy is sitting right in his face, telling us their every move. As long as they don’t figure out your guy is the reason we have them by the balls, they’ll toss him to us without a problem.”

“Aye, good to hear.”

Braxton reminds me a lot of myself when I was his age. When he came to me about Ernest Kline, I wanted to kill the motherfucker myself, but I understand Brax needs to do this one for himself, or should I say for Heather.

He can fool everyone else, but I know Brax is in love with that pretty bird. My sister loves her like her own daughter. I’m going to get Brax his justice one way or another.

“You need anything else?” LaSalle asks.

“I want to sit down with this new horseman. Ya make that happen, lad.”

“I’m already on it. There seems to be some reluctance on their end. I will need to know them before the sit-down when Logan is released.”

“Aye, call me when ya have the meet set.”

Hanging up without another word, I turn to Dean and find her texting furiously on her phone. I saunter over to her and place my hand on the small of her back. She steps away slightly and tucks the phone away.

“I have a headache. Do you mind if we head back?”

“It’s a long drive. I had planned to head back in the morning.”

“I need to go back now,” she says firmly.

Now I know what my men feel like when I bark orders at them. In this moment, I see more of Demarco than my sweet, witty Dean. I might not be projecting at all.

“I’m sorry. I just have a deal back home that needs my attention. I’ve been under a ton of pressure with getting out of my contract with my publisher so I can sue them, and another deal went south. I need to take care of this one before I have to end my trip to head back home.”

“No need to explain, love. I’ll take ya back.”

“Thanks.” She lifts onto her toes to peck my cheek. “I had a good time.”

For now, I’ll hold my questions in. She doesn’t need to know what I know. If she was on the other end of LaSalle’s call, I will know soon enough.

CHAPTER12

Weddings & Kisses

Dean

Two months later …

“Can I have this dance?”Felix says to Kaye as he holds his hand out.

Kaye looks to me with a sheepish smile on her lips. She’s been keeping me company as I sit here people-watching. This wedding has been something else.

I’ve never been to a royal wedding before. If my mind were fully present, I’d be having a good time. Toby and Kamara have gone all out.

“Girl, if you don’t get up from here and go spend some time with your man. I’m a big girl, I’ll be fine,” I say.

“I’ll be right back,” she says.