Page 95 of Brick's Retribution

Even in a gesture of kindness, he's protecting me.

"Help me put it on?"

He fastens the chain around my neck, his fingers lingering against my skin. "It suits you."

"My mother would have hated all of this," I say quietly. "The violence, the bullshit that being associated with the cartel brings. She wanted our family to be legitimate, to leave this world behind."

"Maybe that's what you're doing," Brick suggests. "Taking down these traffickers, saving innocent women. Maybe this is how you honor her dream—by destroying the worst parts of this life."

I turn to face him. "When did you become so wise?"

"Must be your influence," he echoes his words from days ago, but there's no humor now. "We're going to get through this, Imani. Save everyone we can."

"I know." I lean into him, knowing this isn’t going to be easy. "Just two more days."

Two more days of preparing for this undercover op.

Two more days of pretending to be monsters.

Two more days until we walk into hell itself.

We split up for a while and end up having some time to ourselves.

I can’t stop thinking about my father, about Diego turning his back against him… and I’m furious.

But I can’t let my emotions rule my judgement right now.

I have to keep moving forward. I have to get through this auction run and deal with my father’s situation after the fact.

After a while, I go to bed, only to wake up in the middle of the night and I can’t find Brick.

I walk around the clubhouse and look for him, searching every area, unable to find him in his usual spots.

I end up finding him on the roof of the clubhouse, staring out at the city lights.

"Room for one more?" I ask.

He pulls me down beside him, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "Can't sleep?"

"Too much in my head." I rest against his warmth. "Keep thinking about those women. What they're going through right now while we're safe here."

"We can't save them tonight," he reminds me gently. "But in a couple of days things will be different."

"In two days we burn it all to the fucking ground," I finish.

"Babe, you’ve got blood on your mind," Brick says eventually, "It’ll take a lot longer than one time to tear down that part of the organization, but this is the first step."

I nod, understanding where he’s coming from.

I tuck up closer against him and he speaks lowly out of nowhere. "These past weeks with you... they've been the best of my life. Even with all the running, getting shot, and not knowing what tomorrow will bring. You've made me believe in something, believe in love."

"Brick—"

"Let me finish," he interrupts gently. "If things go bad at the auction?—"

"They won't."

"But if they do," he persists, "I need you to run. Don't try to save me, don't look back. Just get safe, because we know what those people are capable of, and I can’t imagine you being in the same sort of position that Lashes is."

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