Lucio leaned back against the table, grabbing the edges with his hands. The heavy, bold, black snakes inked on his arms seemed like they were alive, moving along with the muscle. “I’ll get some of my informants on it, try to get as much info as possible.”
I nodded. “I don’t have to tell you that discretion is key.”
“Nope. I got it. Now, get out of here. I’ll take care of this mess.”
“Thank you, Lucio.” I stepped closer and wrapped an arm around his shoulder as we hugged. I appreciated the crap out of this man and knew one day he would be bigger than all of us.
On my way out of the warehouse, my thoughts were like a goddamn train wreck. Bits and pieces of information all scattered around, making no fucking sense. If my instincts were anything to go by, Layla was in a shitload of trouble. And by what the dead motherfucker told me, it might already have been too late.
I needed to figure this all out. All these puzzle pieces needed to be connected in order for me to see the bigger picture. But there were still pieces missing…and I knew just where to start looking for more.
Chapter 10
Dante
Lucio and I had been parked outside Kate’s house for the last two hours.
“You’re sure this is where we need to start looking?” Lucio glanced my way.
“If Layla had half the chance to go somewhere, it would be here.”
I stared out the window. The house still looked exactly the same. Blue panels with white-framed windows. After Layla left, I drove past this house at least a hundred times just to push the stake deeper into my chest.
The brown bench was still in the exact same spot on the porch. We spent countless nights sitting on that bench, talking, kissing, joking, laughing—and, of course, watching sunrises together.
“Happy anniversary.” I smiled and held out a blue velvet box.
Layla’s eyes lit up. “Dante, what is this?”
I shrugged. “It’s our anniversary, babe.”
“Our anniversary?”
“Yeah. It’s been six months, two weeks, four days, and,” I glanced at my wristwatch, “two hours and thirteen minutes since we went on our first date.”
She smiled the kind of smile that reached her eyes. It was that exact kind of smile that had me pussy-whipped for her the second we met.
“That’s some anniversary.”
“Sure is.” I placed the box in her hand. “Open it.”
She pursed her plump, heart-shaped lips, glanced at me, and slowly opened the box.
“Dante.” Her eyes beamed, and she sucked in a breath. “What…”
I took the box from her. “It’s what they call the Imperial Topaz. It’s the most prized color of the gem.” I removed the necklace from the casing, and she turned while holding her hair, allowing me to place it around her neck. “The ancient Egyptians and Romans associated the golden gem with the sun god, giving it the power to protect.” Gently, I slipped my palms over her shoulders as she let her hair down. “It reminded me of you.”
She turned to me, clutching the gem between her fingers. “How so?”
I placed my palm on her cheek, my thumb lightly moving over her skin. “Your eyes. Your love for the sunrise. And that the most important thing for me is to protect you, to keep you safe.” I placed a soft kiss on her lips. “Always.”
She leaned closer, demanding another kiss. I was in no position to deny her. I would never deny this woman anything. From the very first time I laid eyes on her, I knew she would be the one to change everything for me. She would be the woman who would hold my life in the palms of her hands.
Our kiss lingered, her sweet vanilla and musk scent swirling around me, making me want her in ways which were definitely not appropriate while sitting outside on the porch.
A few strokes of her tongue against mine, and then she pulled back. “Thank you, Dante. It’s an incredible gift. I love it.”
With my fingertips, I brushed a strand of golden hair behind her ear. “I love you, Layla. There is not a gem or a treasure in the world worth more than loving you.”