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“Good grief,” Giada mumbles. “Some customers don’t take no for an answer.”

I stare at the time on my phone in disbelief. “It’s six o’clock. We’ve been asleep for hours!”

“I feel better,” she says. “I needed the rest Adriel wouldn’t allow me.”

“And I needed to take pain medication a good hour ago.”

“You’re hurting?” she asks.

“Yeah.”

My phone rings and I see Nathan on the caller ID. “Nathan,” I answer, hoping he can tell me where Kayden and Adriel are. “Is something wrong? Where’s Kayden?”

“I’ll tell you in a minute. I’m at the door knocking.”

“I’m at the store.”

“Right. Adriel said you might be, so that’s where I am. Are you going to let me in?”

“Yes. Coming now.” I end the call and stand, only to have a dizzy spell hit me that forces me to call on Giada for help. “Get the door, please. It’s my doctor.”

Giada’s eyes go wide. “Yes. Of course.” She crosses to the door while I’m pathetically forced to sit. When she opens it I’m able to stand again, steadier now.

Nathan speaks to her in Italian, and I’m fairly certain they know each other. Then he walks in my direction, looking exceedingly handsome and preppy in khakis and a white button-down, along with a tan leather jacket.

“What’s happening with Kayden and Adriel?” I ask.

“They’re fine,” he says, shrugging a brown leather bag off his shoulder and motioning for me to sit. I comply and he perches on the edge of the stone table across from me.

“What does ‘they’re fine’ mean?”

“Yes,” Giada chimes in, sitting next to me. “What does that mean?”

“Gallo arrested them.”

“What?” Giada and I say at the same time.

“Why?” I ask.

“Yes, why?” Giada echoes.

Nathan sets his bag on the table. “He says they threatened him. Kayden says that’s bullshit and I believe him. He’s too smart for that.”

“We have to go get them,” I say, trying to stand.

His hand clamps down on my arm, holding me in place, the look in his eyes sharp, hard, unlike anything I’ve seen from him before. “I’m sure I don’t have to tell you the many reasons why that’s a wrong decision. Besides, Kayden is a very rich, powerful man, and his attorney is a beast when he has to be.”

My stomach knots. “I feel like I brought this on them.”

“The Underground brought this on them,” Giada says, bitterness lacing her tone. “It’s dangerous, and Kayden is the ringleader.”

Nathan releases me and cuts a stern look at Giada. “Gallo’s bitterness over something personal brought this on. And ever since your father died, Kayden has been allowing his people to take fewer jobs and doing all the dangerous ones himself. Why do you think you have this store?”

“Adriel wanted it,” she says. “He didn’t want to work for The Underground anymore.”

“Right,” Nathan says, clearly meaning “wrong.” Then he focuses a probing look on me. “You’re hurting.”

“I fell asleep and missed my pill.”


Tags: Lisa Renee Jones Careless Whispers Erotic