Page 107

She did everything right. She fought. She had it all taken away: breasts, womb, thyroid, bowels. She went through every surgery, every treatment, and still lost. I can still see the pain in her eyes, how her hands trembled reaching for me, trying to hide the worst of it. That fear in her eyes haunts my dreams.

What if that’s my future?

Cade watches me, waiting. After everything he’s shared with me, I still can’t say it. Can’t let him see my own truth.

I force the words back down, burying the fear where it belongs.

I don’t owe Cade this. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

Instead, I offer a different truth. “I don’t get periods. I’m on the pill. That’s what I needed from the store—pills, not tampons. And this.”

My hands shake as I unzip my boot and pull out the phone where I hid it. My stupid attempt at regaining control that caused all this chaos. I hold it out, unable to meet his eyes.

Cade hesitates before taking it. “Thank you.” It sounds hollow—or maybe that’s just my guilt in knowing it’s not the truth he needs.

He steps out and destroys the phone in one brutal motion. Then he’s back, starting the car like nothing happened.

We drive in silence for an hour, tension building until Cade’s phone breaks through. He connects it to the pick-up’s Bluetooth with a grimace.

“What is it, Dumb?” he snaps.

“Quinn.” The deep baritone sounds grouchy and . . . vaguely familiar. “Want to tell me what the fuck I’m doing here? Phoenix is ready to skin Sophie alive for not bringing the twins.”

My ears sit up at the mention of Sophie . . .Is that who I think it is?

Cade snorts. “Why didn’t you bring them?”

“Because you’re a deranged son of a bitch, that’s why.”

Cade chuckles darkly. “I don’t see what one has to do with the other, but I’ll fucking take the blame. Stay put, she’ll be there soon.”

“She?”

“Your next business ally.”

Deadly silence, then, “I swear to God, Quinn, if you dragged me out here for another distressed damsel, I’ll make you beg for death.”

“You’ll wait, Vitelli.” Cade ends the call.

I’m aware my eyelids are blinking comically fast, but I can’t help it. “Was that . . . Don Vitelli? For real?”

Cade nods. “He’s already in Harmony. As you heard, he’s chomping at the bits to meet you.”

My mouth falls open. “What? Oh my God, Cade, how did you pull it off? I thought . . . you said that he would never listen—”

“Nico Vitelli owes me a few hundred favors. And he’s married to my sister. He’ll do as I say if he wants to keep his balls.”

My voice is barely a whisper as tears blur my vision again. “When . . . when did you arrange this?”

“While you were busy buying tampons.”

The words hit me square in the chest, and the floodgates open again. I can’t believe that while I was busy lying to him, he was making my dreams come true.

I hate you, Cade Quinn, for doing this to me.

His fingers suddenly tangle in my hair and his grip tightens. “Save the tears for later, baby,” he growls, his voice dark with promise. “When I spank and fuck you raw for what you did.”

His rough timbre hits me straight between my legs. My lids flutter closed as my thighs clench with raw need. But it’s the insidious warmth spreading beneath my ribs and flowing out into every part of me that terrifies me most.