Page 105 of Lash

Nico smiles at me. "No brands or tattoos for you, my love. But if you wish to take the oath when Lorenzo and Scarlett do, you may, of course."

Inez frowns up at him. “Lorenzo’s going to take the brand?"

Nico shrugs. "I believe so. I thought I heard him say something about it. I could be mistaken—it has been a very…busy and chaotic and exhausting few days." He frowns. "How long has it been since the airplane was rerouted? I cannot even remember." A shake of his head. "Anyway. Yes, I believe Lorenzo wishes to take the brand. We have all grown to admire and respect him. We could not have succeeded in this without him."

Inez nods. "I would like that."

Chance makes a wordless rumbling sound— a sigh or growl, or something of both. "You need to rest. Be a bit of a journey to get you to a doctor."

"No," she murmurs. "Get me home. No doctors here. Rafael is still out there. This is not over until one of us is dead, and heknows I will need attention. I will live until we reach Las Vegas. Just get us there."

"Boss Lady," Chance starts. "You're in bad shape. You need—"

"No!” She snaps. "The club! That's it. Straight there. No doctors, no medics. Just…home." Her tone softens. "I know my body. I know my limits. You must trust me."

Chance grumbles quietly again. "Only cause you're the boss."

"Damn right, I'm the boss. You know better than to argue with me, you big lunk."

Chance just laughs. "Yeah, yeah, you're the boss. Now shut up and rest."

The rideback to the airfield is quiet—we're all beyond exhausted. Once there, Inez uses Solomon's phone to call Lorenzo.

It rings four times before he answers. "Sol. How did it go?"

“It's me, Ren," Inez says in a low, shaky voice. "You're on speaker."

“Take me off speaker," he says.

She does, and now we can only hear her side. "Yes…Ren, comeon…fine. Yes, I miss you as well. I know—Iknow. No, no doctors until we're back at the Club. I already had this argument with Chance. I'm not having it with you." A long silence as she listens to him. "Good, that's good. No, it would not do anyone any good for either of them to speak with me. Perhaps once this is all truly over….because heescaped, Ren. He's still out there. And you know as well as I do that he will not stop until I am dead or he is." She listens again and then sighs heavily. "I cannot give you those words right now, Lorenzo. But I do care for you.If all goes well, we will be in Las Vegas late tomorrow. We will see. Yes, if you could get us an off-book flight to the States, that would be best. I'll call you again as soon as possible. Very good. You as well. Goodbye."

She hands the phone back up to Solomon, who is sitting in the front passenger seat next to Rev. "He is calling in one more favor to get us home. We will have a long wait ahead of us, but we all need rest, anyway.”

Lorenzo calls us back an hour or so later and informs us that the next flight back to the States from here isn't for another forty-eight hours, so we should find rooms nearby.

This is welcome news to me—I could be tempted to do something violent for a hot shower and a real bed. Inez pulls some strings with someone in the US Embassy in Rio, and we are provided with rooms in a hotel in downtown Rio. These rooms are a far cry from the mid-level one we had in Manaus, or wherever that was. The room provided for Nico and me is a massive suite with a sitting area furnished with expensive leather couches, a full bar, a huge bathroom with a rainfall showerhead, and a king-size bed with a comforter so thick it almost swallows me when I flop down onto it on my back.

I snicker a laugh as Nico sits on the bed beside me.

"What is funny, Lovely One?" he asks, his voice flat with exhaustion, his face pale and drained.

"I am just realizing that I am somewhat spoiled. My thought, as I see this room, is that we have finally gotten arealhotel room."

Nico snorts. "You are the daughter of Stjepan Juric. He always liked the finer things in life, so of course he would spoil his only child."

I turn to rest my head on his lap. "After Mama died, he only spoiled me more, as if to make up for her loss and his ownabsence due to his work demands. But yes, I have acquired his taste for the finer things in life."

He sighs. "I do not know that I can provide that for you, Tati. I have never been a wealthy man, and to be very honest, I do not care to be. I wish to have enough that I need not worry, but that is about all."

I reach up and caress his jaw. "I do not care, Nico. I know how to make money. I will provide that for us." He opens his mouth to protest. "You will love me. You will take care of me. But I will also love you and take care of you. It will go both ways."

He pulls me onto his lap and draws us up to the head of the bed, knocks away the blankets, and tugs them over us, cradling me on his chest.

His heartbeatthump-thump—thump-thump—thump-thumps me to sleep.

an infinite moment

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