Chapter 17
ME: I HATE THIS FAKE RELATIONSHIP. LIFE: HERE’S A HIT MAN TO PUT THINGS INTO PERSPECTIVE. #DEATHBYROMANCE
DAKOTA
“So, good news.” Axel raised his crystal tumbler of whiskey toward the men currently occupying his penthouse living room.
Blake Morrison—emergency room doctor and Tessa’s fiancé—leaned against the far wall like he was posing for a medical drama.
Next to him stood Jace Lockwood, CEO extraordinaire and Scarlett’s boyfriend, who probably had more money than some small countries.
Ryker paced the length of the windows like a caged panther while Axel and I sat on his ridiculously expensive couch, both looking like we’d been hit by a freight train.
A freight train named Tony Romano.
After Ryker had dropped his little bombshell about my fake fiancé potentially being on a crime family hit list, the guys had apparently activated their version of the Avengers. Because nothing says crisis management like summoning the rich, the brilliant, and the medically trained.
Rain hammered against the floor-to-ceiling windows like Mother Nature herself wanted a front-row seat to our impending doom. The storm had cast Axel’s normally bright penthouse in shades of gray, all sharp shadows and cold light.
Real cozy atmosphere for discussing death threats.
“The good news,” Axel repeated, swirling his whiskey as he prepared to fill in Blake and Jace on why they’d been summoned here, “is that we’re trending. The dinner show worked like a charm.” He paused, letting that sink in. “The bad news? We might also be featured on a Romano family hit list now.”
Jace and Blake exchanged a loaded look. Both turned to stare at Ryker.
“The hell are you talking about?” Blake asked.
Oh, just that my fake engagement might get us both murdered. You know, typical day.
Ryker stopped pacing long enough to explain everything. Again. Victoria Webb. Senator Stephen Webb. The Romano crime family connections. The whole Mafia controlling a presidential hopeful thing that apparently wasn’t covered in any PR handbook.
“Jesus, Axel.” Blake ran a hand through his hair. “I always figured your love life would kill you eventually, but I assumed it’d be from an STD.”
“Super helpful, Blake,” Axel snarled. “Really feeling the support here.”
I snorted despite myself. Probably on account of the stiff drink I’d consumed after Ryker’s bomb. “At least STDs are treatable. Pretty sure there’s no antibiotic for a crime-family bullet to the head.”
Okay. Axel did not like my attempt at humor. Look at him going even broodier. But wait, was that concern flickering across his face? Like the idea of me with a bullet to the head actually bothered him?
I guess, in fairness, we might loathe each other, but being comfortable with a whole death thing was over the line.
“We need a plan,” Ryker said, resuming his pacing.
“Like what?” Jace wondered. “I don’t know jack about organized crime, but my understanding is they’re pretty goddamned dangerous. And vengeful.”
And here I thought, my biggest problem was pretending to be in love with my mortal enemy.
Axel shot me a look, and there was something in his expression. Something that looked almost like fear for me. For a split second, his face softened, and I caught a glimpse of the college guy who used to build bonfires in our backyard when Knox would visit from college that first year.
Then the moment passed, and his walls slammed back up.
“We need to figure out how to keep Axel safe,” Ryker said. “He’s most likely in danger. Dakota might be too.”
Might be? Gee, that’s reassuring.
“What about my private estate in Colorado?” Jace suggested. “You two could disappear for a while. Let things cool down.”
Ryker shook his head. “Crime families specialize in making people disappear when there are no witnesses. Isolation just makes you sitting ducks. No crowds, no cameras, no help. You’d be harder to protect and easier to eliminate quietly.”
“Perfect.” Without thinking, I shifted closer to Axel, and he didn’t move away.
In fact, his arm stretched along the back of the couch behind me, not quite touching, but close enough that I could feel his warmth.
His … protection? “Let’s just hide in a cabin and wait for the murder montage to begin. ”
Either I was going to crack jokes or start crying in the fetal position, and frankly, sarcasm seemed like the better option.
“What if they leave the country?” Blake jumped in. “Find some tiny town on the other side of the world. Lie low.”
“Let me just google places organized crime can’t reach.” Jace pulled out his phone with exaggerated sarcasm.
Blake glowered at him so hard, I swear I could feel the heat of it. “I’m trying to help here.”
“The Romano family has international connections,” Ryker said. “Same problem as Colorado. These aren’t street thugs. They’re a sophisticated operation with political ties.”
Of course they are. Because why would anything in my life be simple?
“How do you know all this?” I asked, though I wasn’t sure I wanted the answer.
“Criminal lawyer, remember? I’ve tangled with organized crime cases over the years. Unfortunately, I know more about them than your average person.”
So, our legal counsel was basically a walking encyclopedia of organized crime. At least that helped us, right?
“Let’s go to the police,” I said. “That’s literally what they’re there for.”
“No actual crime has been committed yet,” Ryker replied. “This is theoretical danger.”
“Yeah, I don’t think, Dear Officer, I pissed off a very bad man, is grounds for opening a criminal investigation,” Blake reasoned.
“Plus, these kinds of people have political connections,” Axel added. “Senator Webb, remember? They’re probably not thrilled about police involvement.”
“He’s right,” Ryker agreed. “It’ll just paint a bigger target on your backs.”
Fantastic. So, our options are hide and die, or don’t hide but still die. I’m sensing a theme here.
Axel’s hand moved from the back of the couch to briefly touch my shoulder. Just for a second, but long enough for me to feel the heat of his palm through my shirt.
“Then we hire private security,” Jace said, straightening. “I’ll cover the cost. Former special ops, best in the country.”
Ryker was already shaking his head. “I don’t think that’ll work. They can still aim a gun from a distance. Plus, that’ll just escalate the threat. Crime families love a challenge, and they love it even more when people are scared of them.”
“Well, this is just delightful,” I muttered, appreciating it when Blake’s mouth hitched up slightly.
Throwing me a bone of sarcasm to lighten the mood, he said, “If you do get shot, try to fall on your left side. Easier to repair the damage in surgery.”
I smirked, feeling a small part of tension leaving my body.
Axel leaned forward. “What if I try to talk to the guy? Man to man?”
“NO.” The word exploded from everyone simultaneously. Including me. The thought of Axel walking into danger made something fierce and protective rise in my chest.
Axel’s gaze locked on to mine, as if he felt my desire to shield him. And liked it. But with a thinning of his lips, I could also see he’d walk into the lion’s den if that’s what it took to keep me safe.
Wait, why did I just think the word me?
“That’s not man to man,” Ryker said. “That’s a death trap.”
The room fell silent, except for the rain battering the windows. The weight of our complete and utter helplessness settled over us like a blanket made of anxiety and impending doom.
This is it. This is how I die. Not in some grand romantic gesture or heroic sacrifice, but because I took a petty revenge photo that went viral. And I’m taking Axel down with me.
The thought hit me like a sucker punch. Axel Pierce might die because of me. The man I’d spent years hating, who drove me absolutely insane, who made my blood boil with just a look …
The idea of losing him made something crack open in my chest.
What the hell is wrong with me?
“So, we don’t have any good options?” I asked. “We just sit here and wait to get whacked?”
“You said this dinner has you two trending right now? As a couple?” Jace stepped forward.
I blinked. Our stupid fake engagement seemed absolutely meaningless now. “Yeah. Why?”
Jace pulled out his phone, fingers flying over the screen. “You’re not just trending. You two are everywhere right now. Every influencer and gossip site is speculating about you.”
Oh good. At least I’ll die famous.
“So, what, you think all those people will reveal our location and help us get shot faster?” Axel questioned with tension in his voice.
“No.” Jace locked eyes with Ryker, and some kind of silent communication passed between them.
“The story might help,” Ryker declared. “You need to lean into it.”
I laughed because I thought it was a joke. Turns out, I was wrong. Ryker shot me a look that snapped my mouth shut.
“That’s ridiculous.” Axel’s voice went dangerously quiet. “I’m not gallivanting all over town with staged romance dinners when some crime boss might be looking for us. It’s dangerous. And for the record, I’d rather lose my business than my life. Or hers.”
The casual way he included me in that statement, like my life was automatically part of his calculations now, made my heart do a cartwheel in celebration. When had that happened?
“Same,” I said quickly. “We can kiss the whole fake engagement goodbye. I hate that my parents might lose their house, but they’d rather lose their house than their daughter.”
Though saying it out loud twisted my stomach into knots. I didn’t want them to lose their house. Especially if they were about to lose their daughter anyway.
Oh my God, was this seriously a fork in the road right now?
Thank God for survival skills. Your brain makes things feel so surreal, you don’t fully feel the fear or absurdity of it all.
“If the crime family thinks you were never really interested in Victoria Webb—” Blake started.
“I doubt that’ll matter,” Axel cut him off.