Chapter 57
Cash was fuming.
Ralen couldn’t volunteer to go to Mexico.
“Good. Glad that’s settled,” Dante said. “We leave in a few hours. I have to get back. But I’d like to speak to Addie alone before I go.”
What?
“No,” Cash snapped, holding Addie closer. As though he thought she was going to be torn away from him.
“I apologize,” Dante said smoothly.
That should have been his first warning because Dante didn’t apologize. Ever.
“That might have seemed like a request. It was not.”
Cash ground his teeth together.
“Addie has trouble talking when she’s anxious and stressed, Dante,” Bonnie told him. “Maybe I can stay with you.”
“That’s acceptable,” Dante said. “The rest of you leave.”
He still wasn’t leaving her with Dante.
Addie tugged on his sleeve. “It’s okay,” she whispered.
It wasn’t.
But fuck, he didn’t have much choice.
Bonnie winked at him. At least she’d be with Addie and he knew she wouldn’t let anything happen to her. Not that he truly thought Dante would harm her. As he’d said, he didn’t hurt innocent women.
And he did need to speak with Ralen.
Ralen headed toward Bonnie’s office with Cash stalking after him. Titus disappeared.
“What the fuck was that about?” he snapped at Ralen as they soon as they were alone. “Why did you volunteer to go back to Mexico? You hate it in Mexico.”
“And what did you expect me to do? Let you volunteer? Are you going to go back to Mexico? You hate it even more than I do. Your family is here. Did you really want to return there?”
“No, I don’t fucking want to return,” Cash said. “But I don’t want you to go either. We do everything together, remember?”
“Well, maybe it’s time we did things apart,” Ralen said. “Anyway, it solves another problem since I can take Monroe with me.”
Cash gaped at him. Shit. That would solve that problem.
“Nobody will get to her in Dante’s compound and it will give Ink time to figure out if anyone is actually coming after her.
Look, it’s better for me to go. I have my aunt there to help look after Monroe.
And Dante needs to do this to make a point.
If he doesn’t, he could lose face. After a while, he’ll ease up. He’s really not that bad.”
Cash wasn’t so sure about that.
“I’m going to call Ink, talk to Monroe, and then we’ll leave with Dante. Not gonna get time to go home so keep all my shit safe. I’ll be fucking mad if I get back and you’ve sold it all.”
“As if. I’d just dump it. You haven’t got anything worth selling.”
“Asshole,” Ralen muttered.
“Dick,” Cash said. “Fuck, I’m going to miss you.”
“Me too, brother. Me too.”
Addie stared at Dante with trepidation.
Bonnie walked over to her and slid her hand around Addie’s arm, leading her to the sofa.
“Don’t worry, he’s all bark and no bite,” Bonnie whispered to her.
Right. Uh-huh. Sure.
Was Bonnie delusional? This man definitely had bite.
She was grateful to sit, though, her legs unable to keep her up much longer.
Dante took a seat across from them, studying Addie. “You know who I am, Addie?”
She nodded.
His gaze flicked to Bonnie and away again.
“And you know that Cash works for me. That sometimes he might need to do things that aren’t inside the law. I know that Cash hasn’t known you long, but obviously cares for you a lot.”
She nodded. Where was he going with this?
“I do too,” Bonnie said loyally.
“I know. You’ve made that clear,” he said dryly.
“The thing is that I don’t know you, Addie.
I haven’t had time to look into you. Now, if you were just a fling I wouldn’t bother.
Cash wouldn’t tell you about me or what I am or who he is.
But you are more than a fling. And you now know things that I don’t wish other people to know.
How do I know you can be trusted? That you won’t talk? ”
Addie opened her mouth. Shoot. Nothing came out. And she really wished she had Snaggles. Her gaze shot to the door where Cash had gone. But she kept herself here. She had one chance to convince Dante.
“Not only that,” Dante continued. “How do I know that you can cope with this life? As much as Cash will try to shield you from the worst of it, he can’t completely protect you from it. What’s to say you won’t run when things get . . . messy.”
Right. Okay.
She reached into her backpack and drew out her phone along with Snaggles. Holding Snaggles for comfort, she typed into her phone.
Funny, she never would have brought Snaggles out in front of other people before all of this, before meeting Cash. But now . . . she didn’t care. Dante was sitting in LittleLand. He knew that Bonnie was a Little. He likely knew that Addie was too.
So she just didn’t care.
She typed into the phone, hoping that she was doing the right thing.
“Last night, I sprayed hair spray into a man’s eyes and when he was down, I stomped on his balls.
Because he tried to strangle my sister and then stab me.
Then I insisted on going with Cash while he questioned him.
I didn’t watch, but I came in after he was .
. . he was worked over. So we could question him.
And I know that afterward he was killed.
And I’m still here. I’m not running. I love Cash.
I’d never do anything to put him in jeopardy.
Like talk. I don’t want to run. I also really like Bonnie and I hope we’re going to be friends so I’d never do anything to hurt her either. ”
Bonnie hugged her tight. “We’re going to be the best friends.”
Dante stared at her for a long time and she stared back, determined not to back down.
To her surprise, he smiled and it lightened his whole face. “That’s acceptable. Bonnie, I need one of your pink drinks before I head home.”
Dante got up and moved to the kitchen.
Was that it?
Bonnie leaned into her. “Well done. You passed.”
Well. Thank God for that.
Monroe was going to Mexico.
Addie was still reeling at that news as Cash drove them to Callahan Security so that Ralen could get her and then meet Dante at a private airport.
“You’re sure you’re all right, little Stowaway?” Cash asked. He had one hand on her thigh, the other on the steering wheel.
She nodded. “Dante just asked me a few questions. I’m fine. I just . . . you’re really leaving?” She turned to Ralen. “With Monroe?”
“I’ll take good care of her,” Ralen told her. “Everything will be fine.”
She swallowed heavily, nodding.
“You’re in trouble, though,” Cash told her.
“What?” she asked. “What did I do?”
Ralen snorted “Just wait till he gets you home.”
“You got between me and Dante,” Cash told her. “You put yourself in danger.”
“I thought you said I wasn’t in any danger!”
“Of course you weren’t,” Cash said. “I wasn’t going to let anything happen to you.
However, that doesn’t mean you get to put yourself between me and the most dangerous man in the States!
Well, one of them. So yeah, you’re in big trouble when we get back to our place, baby girl.
Big. Trouble. Not to mention you insisted on being there when we questioned Limpy. Big. Trouble.”
Sheesh. Two big troubles. That wasn’t good.
He parked at Callahan Security and lifted her out of the truck.
She frowned at him. He almost sounded like he was happy about her getting into trouble.
“I agree with Cash. You should be in big trouble,” Ralen added.
That was just rude. She couldn’t wait to get inside to Monroe so her sister could agree with her. She wondered how Monroe had taken the news that she was moving to Mexico.
Addie couldn’t believe that the three of them were going to be in separate cities for the first time in years. Hell, separate countries. She didn’t like it, but she could also see how this was the best solution.
“I’m moving to Mexico,” Monroe stated as though she was trying to make herself believe it.
“Yes,” Addie told her, taking her hand as they all sat in the meeting room. Ink and Brody were with them as well.
“Cash is going to stay here with Addie, and you’re going to come with me,” Ralen told her.
“Is it all right with you?” Addie asked. “We can come up with another solution if it’s not. I mean, not for Ralen. It sounds like he has to go.”
“I’m all right with this,” Monroe said. “I feel like I need to get away from you all to keep you safe, and it sounds like this place will be well-guarded. These people, they’re not going to try and get to me there? I’m not going to put anyone at risk?”
“Trust me, if they try to get to you there, it’s going to be a death sentence for them,” Ralen said. “Dante doesn’t fuck around with security.”
Monroe nodded. “Hey, I’ve always wanted to travel, right? At least now I can say I’ve been out of the country. Although Dotty’s going to have a fit.”
She really was going to have a fit.
“When do we leave?” Monroe asked, glancing around at them all.
“Now,” Ralen said with a grimace. “We can’t be late for the plane and Dante wants to leave in the next hour or so.”
“Hmm, he’s wise to be cautious,” that voice said over the speakers. “There are a number of people who would like to see Dante Diaz dead.”
Brody frowned and looked up at a corner of the room. “But you’re not one of them, right?”
“You can’t use this information against somebody we’re talking about,” Ink added.
“Can’t I?” Dr. Claw drawled. “I’m not so sure about that. I don’t think you tell me what to do.”
“You don’t really care that he’s here, do you?” Brody asked.
“I don’t actually have a problem with Diaz. What he does is no skin off my nose, so long as he’s not doing anything to one of my people. Not sure I feel the same about his half brother. Is he going to be around more? Because if he is, I don’t want him taking on any jobs in my territory.”
Cash and Ralen looked at each other.
“I’ll let him know,” Cash said. “At the moment, he’s mostly fixated on his new, uh, obsession.”
“He’s not doing business here,” Ralen added. “He’s taking out people that have hurt his new obsession.”
It was all very bizarre.
“Hmm. I can understand that. I would take care of anybody that upset my babies. Brody, you’ll be ready to come home in half an hour.”
“Yep,” Brody replied even though it hadn’t been a question.
“I’ll keep looking into The Team. My, uh, my man is interested in them too.
He doesn’t think that they’re based here.
But he doesn’t know where they are. It’s a mystery and he likes to solve mysteries.
Although he’s also looking into a group who kidnap children and turn them into sleeper assassins, so he’s got a bit on his plate. ”
What? Did that type of organization exist?
“What? You never told me that,” Ink said.
“I only discovered it was bugging him last night. I think he thought he could let it go, but can’t. He’s worried he’s developing a conscience. And I better shut up.” Brody stood and held out his arms to Monroe who hugged him tight. “Be safe, Monroe. Message me if you need anything.”
“You too, Brody.”
Brody slid out of the room.
“Do you guys need to borrow a vehicle?” Ink asked.
Ralen nodded. “I’d appreciate it. I’ll probably have to drive it straight to the private airport, though. Have you got someone that can pick it up from there later?”
“I’m going to take you to the airport,” Cash said.
Ralen shook his head no. “It will be safer if you stay with Addie. Besides, I don’t like airport goodbyes.”
“Does it mean we have to say goodbye now?” Addie asked.
“Probably best if we leave separately,” Ralen said to her, holding out his arms. She slid into his embrace.
“Take care of my brother, okay? He’s my best friend, and we haven’t been separated for a long, long time. I’m worried about how he might not cope without me. Don’t know who is going to clean up his messes now.”
Cash snorted. “Whatever. I’m always the one cleaning up your messes.”
Addie moved back and gave Ralen a fierce look. “I’ll take care of him, if you take care of my sister.”
“Deal.”
Next she moved on to Monroe, hugging her tight. “I don’t want you to go. I’m scared.”
“You have Cash to look after you,” Monroe said.
“I’m not scared for me but for you.”
“Don’t be scared for me,” Monroe told her. “I’m going to think of this as an adventure and I’ll have Ralen with me. I’ll be fine. I’ll be home before you know it and by then maybe The Team won’t be an issue anymore.”
“I really hope so,” Addie said. “Just keep in contact. If you don’t like it there, we’ll find another way, okay? And don’t be too scared of Dante. Apparently, his bark is worse than his bite.”
“Okay, that warning isn’t slightly terrifying or anything,” Monroe said after a final hug.
As they left, Cash drew her against him. Tears dripped down her face, and she buried herself into his chest.
“It’s all right, baby. Ralen will take good care of her. I promise.” Cash lifted her up into his arms and held her close, rocking her back and forth. “Everything will be okay.”