Page 9

T he call with Jude went better than expected, but I’m still on the edge of my seat. Fuck . I hope Tennant is alright. It’s killing me to be patient and wait for news. There’s something about him… He got under my skin so easily.

A knock on my office door stops my obsession. I breathe a sigh of relief when I call, “Enter.”

Unfortunately, my heart sinks when it’s Marcus and Ignacio who walk in. I…wasn’t prepared. And why the fuck do they look so beaten up?

“Boss,” Ignacio says as he takes a seat, staring over my shoulder.

Marcus shakes his head and gives Ignacio a pitying look, but doesn’t say anything. It’s a hit to my heart, but there’s nothing I can do about it. That careful voice… Fuck.

Clearing my throat, I address them. “I had an idea. The cops are focused on us and for whatever fucking reason, they’ve decided they have a death wish. We need to be smart about how we tackle them. They fell for the blind, thank fuck. However, we have way too many other locations that aren’t blinds. We need a way to keep them secure. I asked Lio about bringing in some extra help—outside help.”

“You mean the gangs or the cartels?” Ignacio asks flatly. When I nod in confirmation, he doesn’t seem thrilled with the idea, but he isn’t protesting.

Marcus hums as he considers the proposal before slowly nodding. “I can see it working. It’ll cost a pretty penny. Probably both in the short-term and long-term, as I’m sure they’ll want to negotiate contracts.”

“I know,” I growl. “But it’s the best situation I can think of at the moment. The cops are letting them run wild. It’ll distract them from us, while giving us the extra security we need. If we want to have a Family left for Allesandro to come home to, we have to figure out how to staunch our losses from those LEOs.”

“Who would you like us to contact?” Ignacio still won’t look at me and I curl my hands into fists, pressing my nails hard into my skin to distract myself from the emotional tornado ripping through me.

“That’s the issue. I need some ideas. It’s not my territory, and we can’t just contact everyone. That would be foolish. I want people we can trust. Or at least as close to trustworthy as we can get.”

Ignacio and Marcus exchange a glance, seemingly passing information without a word. I hate it. I want to say something, but I can’t. Not now that I’m acting as Second, and am no longer Ignacio’s lover. I used to have that with him. We used to know each other that well. Fuck .

Clearing his throat, Ignacio directs my thoughts back to the issue. “I would say the Cartel would be a good option. We’ve had issues with them in the past, but they still work with us. Il Padrone was able to smooth the issue over. If they can still work with us after losing men, then I’d say this would likely be a good opportunity. However, they will definitely want to readjust their contract. Perhaps you could ask for that to be short-term?

“I’d also think the gang on the west side would be an option. They are more…civilized. I have a contact there, and we’ve collaborated before on behalf of our Bosses.”

“I concur,” Marcus says. “Those are the only two I’d consider approaching. Lio will need to be the one who reaches out to the Cartel. They won’t handle working with anyone but the Boss. There is some…concern with doing this. Whoever we approach, there’s a risk they’ll consider us open to takeover.”

“But you think those two will abide by an agreement?” I lean back in my chair, searching Marcus’s face. Seeing his grimace, I’m more than a little concerned.

“I believe the gang will likely not take advantage. They don’t have the manpower to extend further than their current territory. The Cartel…it’s always a risk. So you’d need to be prepared to give them a hell of a concession. If you do that, they’ll abide by the agreement,” Ignacio says, taking over from Marcus. Both of them clearly understand a background I’m unfamiliar with. What the fuck am I doing as a Second if I can’t even handle this?

“Very well. I’ll talk to Lio about the Cartel. Ignacio, can you reach out to the gang and feel them out? Don’t make any decisions yet, just find out if it’s something they’d consider working with us on.”

He nods sharply and I excuse them to go do their jobs. Marcus leaves first, but Ignacio stops and stares at me. I tense, worried about what he’s doing. I hope to fuck it’s nothing personal, but I saw him wearing the engagement ring at breakfast, and I have to fight not to draw my attention to it now.

Coughing, he rolls his shoulders before finally meeting my gaze. It’s like staring at a burning man. His eyes have never hidden his feelings when he’s with me, yet with one blink, they disappear, and the emotions are locked down. “It’s a great idea, Boss. We’ll get it taken care of and report in later.”

He walks out the door and I can only stare. That acknowledgement… Fuck. It’s all I wanted from him. But why did he wait so long? Why did he wait until we were broken?

I slump in my seat, resting for a brief moment before I have to go speak with Lio. Struggling to catch my breath, so many memories rush over me. All those fucking times we were together. The time with Jax when we thought we’d die. And how that should have made us stronger, but didn’t. The nightmares we’ve both endured since then. Fuck .

Part of me wants a hug from him, to seek comfort from it. But I can’t claim that anymore. There’s nothing left except ashes, and it’s my fault. The other part of me is selfish. I want Tennant. I want his hands on me, his voice whispering to me, claiming me, promising to make me a better Second.

Standing up, I head to Lio’s office. I force myself to stop thinking about Ignacio and Tennant. We’ve got shit to do and I can’t afford to lose my focus.