Page 199 of Inferno

A breath catches in my throat, and I go cold.

“No. You’ve done enough. It’s my turn to step up now.”

I’ve never met my daughter, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t lay down my life for them both.

It’s the least I could do.

“Now, I need to make some calls. We need backup on this plan.”

“Can you get me access to my emails? Preferably something untraceable. I can make contact with Drago.”

“Consider it done. I’ll be back.”

I drop another kiss to her lips, this time deeper.

Running my hands into her hair and holding her in place as her hands wrap around my waist.

Looks like Finn was right. Kill the husband just became top of my to-do list.

Chapter 77

CHARLOTTE

Icheck the laptop again.

It’s the hundredth time in an hour, and I still don’t have a reply.

Each second that ticks by claws at my nerves, whispering something’s wrong. My fingernails are chewed down to nothing, and when the television dares to make noise, I kill it with a sharp jab of the remote.

“Here. Eat something.” Declan appears from the kitchen, holding out a sandwich.

“I’m not hungry,” I mutter, my stomach growling like a traitor.

His brow lifts, and he pushes it closer. “Don’t lie to me.”

That voice, it’s not angry. It’s just truth. Hard, clean, undeniable.

“Eat. You need your strength.”

My fingers twitch. I cave, taking a bite. Fresh greens and turkey hit my tongue, and I moan.

“He’s always on his damn phone, Dec.” My nails tap an angry rhythm on the table.

“Maybe he’s busy,” he says, leaning back. “Didn’t you say he’s got ten jobs?”

“He does. Lawyer. He’s helping Tatiana recover. Homeschooling Isabella. Training me. Security for Vlad. You name it, he does it.” I pause, jaw tightening. “He always replies. This silence? It’s not him.”

His eyes narrow. “You look up to him.”

“You could say that.” I reach out and squeeze his shoulder. “But there’s only one man I’ve ever wanted. And I’m looking at him.”

That earns me a wicked curve of his mouth.

“Is that right?” he murmurs, stealing a bite of my sandwich before holding it back up. “Eat.”

I obey.

“Good girl.”

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