I feel his hands pull away from me, and he runs them roughly through his hair. He closes his eyes, muttering something to himself I can’t make out.
“Logan, we have eyes on the building, and we’re not the only ones.” Mark stands in the doorway. “Hi, Savi.” He smiles, raising one eyebrow, but his cheeky smile fades fast when he takes in Cole’s expression.Of course Mark is here.
“Which building? And who else is here?” I ask, looking from Mark to Cole.
“How many?” Cole’s voice is all business.
“Three.”
“Will someone answer me?” I try again. “Cole?”
Cole sighs as he thinks. “All right, double our men on theirs and have the snipers ready on my command.”
“Snipers?” I nearly shout. “What the hell is going on?” I can tell I’m not going to get anywhere with these two, so I quickly shift off the bar before Cole knows what I’m doing. I grab my purse and head for the front door.
“Where are you going?” Cole calls out to me, signaling for Mark to block the doorway.
I turn on my heel and find him right in front of me. “I’m sick and tired of people not answering me, Cole. Ask yourmanto move! I’m going to talk to Derek. At leastheacknowledges me when I speak.” I eye up where Mark’s foot is, ready to stamp on it.
Yeah, I can tell he doesn’t like that comment, but right now, I don’t care. I feel like I am treading water with no end in sight. Everyone knows things but me, and it’s infuriating. I spent seven months with no control over my life, not knowing from one minute to the next what would happen to me, and I will not live like that again. I turn and stare Cole down, because at this moment, I am friggin’ angry, and I want answers.
Cole looks at me for a moment, his expression tight. “All right, Savi, hold on. As much as I’m against this—you meeting your father this evening—Frank felt it was about time we got some answers, and maybe this is the way to do it.” His jaw twitches.Oh boy, he is mad.“So, you andDerekwill attend your father’s dinner, but with a wire and plenty of backup.” It’s not lost on me the way he says Derek’s name like it’s acid on his tongue.
“Wire?” I swallow. “Isn’t that a bit extreme?”
“Extreme?” he shouts, his hands flying to his hips. “Extreme is you running off to New York withDerek Rentto confront your father with the Cartel hot on your trail! Extreme is you not seeing what’s going on here!”
“The Cartel knows I’m here?”
“When will you get it, Savannah? They have eyes everywhere!”
“Christ, Cole, fill me in, then!” I shout, taking a step toward him. “Please, for once in my goddamn life, will someone tell me something? I’m tired of living in the shadows, only seeing the gray and black!” I take another step until I am right in front of him. “Don’t I deserve that much?”
“You deserve the world, Savi.” His whisper catches me off guard.
I shake my head and try to remain on track. “Don’t be sweet right now, Cole.” I pause. “Please,” I lower my voice, “don’t try to steer me off course. My father did all the time.”
“I wasn’t trying to.” His hands slip around my waist, pulling me in. “It just came out. It’s how I feel, and when all of this is over, I intend to give it to you.” His voice is low but still harsh. I can hear his frustration. “Look, baby, therearesome things you need to know that are going to—”
“Logan,” Mark says. I forgot he’s still here. “We need to prep Savannah.” He opens the door farther, and in walks Keith.
Oh, fuck me!
“How mad is he?” I whisper to Cole.
“Let’s just say not as mad as me.”
“I am sorry, Cole.”
“Let’s just get through this.” He kisses the top of my head and turns me around to face Keith.
Keith is holding a small box. He stops in front of me and speaks quickly, not looking directly at my face. “This is your tracking device.” He opens the box and reveals a silver bracelet with a white stone in the middle. “It’s undetectable.” He quickly snaps it around my wrist. “Don’t,” his eyes finally meet mine, and they are cold, “take it off.”
“I won’t.”
“This is the wire.” He opens a second box from his pocket and shows me a matching necklace. “This will help—”
My stomach sinks. “I don’t want to wear that.” My voice caught in my throat.