Page 207 of Indulge
“No.”
She pushes Father Byrne to the ground and he cries out in pain, scrambling away to the corner. I shoot him a look that tells him not to fucking move.
“Think about the baby, Lyla. This isn’t fair.”
A knife twists in my gut. I’ve been adamant she’s been lying this whole time. What if she isn’t?
And then she laughs completely unhinged. The kind of sound that makes the walls shake.
“There is no fucking baby, Bella. That isn’t the problem here. You are.”
That does it.
I pull the gun from its holster and point it at her. All I see is Lyla’s gun pointing at Bella. The only thing that’s stopping me from shooting.
“So, you’re just a bitch scorned. Jealous they don’t want you anymore?” Bella seethes.
I frown, my jaw tightening. “Bella,” I hiss, voice low, a clear warning.
Lyla giggles, a sound that chills the air. “Reggie, I think your dog needs its leash back on.”
I knock off the safety, sights fixed on her. Every nerve in my body is strung tight. Just give me an opening, one breath, one reason.
I just need her to shift her aim off Bella before I move.
“I was a bitch scorned, Bella. Yes. But I’m part of something far bigger than my own feelings. So, there is only one way this is going to go down.”
I freeze.
Her choice of words plays on my mind like a bad echo. Part of something bigger. The way she says it—it’s not personal anymore. It’s a message.
102
DRAGO
My phone rings, and when Lev calls, I answer.
“Lev. Any news?” I ask, in Russian.
“Yes. First, how is my daughter?”
My eyes flick to the screen. Lily’s tracker blinks back at me. Home. Safe.
“Lily is fine, like she always is.”
He grumbles.
“I need security tightened on her. Or to try and get her to come home.”
I rub the back of my neck. “Why?”
His pause is the kind that makes my chest tighten. This isn’t small.
That makes my heart hammer in a way it shouldn’t.
Being here was always a risk to the operation, but I kept my distance. I stayed careful. She kept her life normal, like I promised myself I would make happen for her. After what she went through, she deserves it.
“That name you sent me, the lackey from the club in Phoenix. It’s bad, Drago. Really fuckin’ bad.”
