Part 43 (1/2)

”G.o.d,” she swiped her hair over one shoulder. ”I dodged a bullet tonight. So f.u.c.king glad Im not in one of those trucks.”

I raised an eyebrow at her, even as I tried not to say anything.

”It helps to have friends looking out for you,” she continued.

”Alessandra?” I questioned since Rusnak called her his wifes pet. But was that really the reason she received so much favor from everyone around her?

”Shes one of them.” She smiled, and it grew when she looked towards me. ”Dont worry, Im not even talking about your husband.” She nodded beyond me, and I turned to see Rusnak walking towards us. ”Hes the one that you want on your side, and Ive got that.” She went to meet him. Her hands moving, gesturing to the truck as she spoke to him.

He walked to where Gage was, said a few words, and then the truck pulled away. It was done.

Gage came to my side and nodded in the direction we were parked. ”Lets go.”

”Wait,” Rusnak interrupted. ”Youre the contact for the trucks, you have a long night ahead of you. Youll come with us, both of you.” He turned to Cherry. ”Call Alessandra, tell her were leaving now.”

Gage shook his head. ”Were going home, Ill call you if anythings off, but otherwise, Ill talk to you when the first drop reaches Chicago.”

”Fine,” he bit out the answer. Then he directed his attention to me and his voice and features softened. ”Well talk more later then.”

”Like h.e.l.l you will.” Gage stepped in front of me. ”If you have anything to say, you talk to me, not her.”

Rusnaks breathy laugh was cold. ”Its too late to pull her out now, youre the one that brought her in. So Ill talk to her if I choose too. I may have let you get away with this before but dont push it. You-”

”Youre the one f.u.c.king pus.h.i.+ng things, and you know it,” Gage gritted out, fists curled.

I pulled on his arm, wanting to take him away from this confrontation that couldnt end well, but he wouldnt budge. And Rusnak was still smiling at him, enjoying the fight, enjoying getting him worked up.

”Because I can. I. Make. The. Rules. Im the reason you have anything. The reason youve gotten this far.” He stepped back, dropping the crazed look in his eyes, an even scarier calm taking over as he swiped his hand out. ”Now go home. We both stand to make a lot of money, but we still have to work together. Dont ruin that.”

Gage spun, using his body to push me with him as he left. I had to grab his arm for balance until my feet caught up with his long steps. My heart was pounding and it had nothing to do with our fast pace.

”What were you doing? Why p.i.s.s him off like that now?” I waited till we were in the SUV and driving away before I questioned him.

”Because I can say no to him, and you seem to have a problem doing that.”

His anger hit me, knocking me off balance. It took a moment to recover. ”I didnt-”

”f.u.c.k,” he stretched the word, yelling it as his hand hit the steering wheel. ”Im sorry,” he spoke much lower now, voice strained, ”I didnt mean that. I- f.u.c.k- its not your fault.” His hand gripped my knee. ”Im sorry.”

I slid my hand over his, wanting to calm him, but I was feeling just as unhinged.

”What was he doing with you? What were you two talking about?” He questioned.

”He said, he wanted to talk, that hed answer my questions. I told him no.”

He was staring out the front window, the lines in his jaw moving, deepening as he grinded his teeth.

”I told him no,” I repeated, wanting to make sure he heard.

”I cant stand the way he looks at you. The way he speaks to you like hes familiar with you.”

”Its almost done,” I tried to remind him.

He shook his head, hand tightening on my leg. ”f.u.c.k that. Its done already. Theres no reason we need to see him anymore. I can handle the rest over the phone, and once Dexters delivery is done and hes away, Ill pick up the money and were gone.”

I closed my eyes. Two days. If they drove straight through, we could leave in two days.

Gage barely slept over the next twenty-four hours, never going long before his phone would ring again. But once the two s.h.i.+pments were dropped off and everything went through, things calmed and we were able to sleep a couple of hours without interruption.

But nerves and antic.i.p.ation kept me up, restless. I watched Gages even breathing, his chest rising and falling as he slept on his back, one bare leg kicked over the edge of the covers. We were only waiting on Dexter.

Gages phone buzzed on the nightstand. Before I could make out a number on the screen, he was up and grabbing it.

”Dexter?” He spoke into the phone, turning to me as he sat up. He swept a hand over my hair and pecked my head, whispering, ”Sleep,” before leaving the bed and focusing back on the phone. ”Where are you now?”

He scooped up his sweatpants and pausing as he stood. ”That far? Youre making good time but stick to the speed.” He gave Dexter the same instructions he gave every time they talked as he walked out of the room naked.

I lay back in the bed and waited for him to return, barely breathing, like every phone call. Waiting for something to tear away the hope that was building in me, but even my nerves werent strong enough to knock it down. We were so close.

”Does it hurt?” Gage asked as he walked back in the room.

I looked up to him, confused at his question. ”What?”

”Your arm.” He crawled over me on the bed, pulling my hand away from the inside crook of my arm and placing a kiss there. ”You keep rubbing it.”

”No.” I inspected my arm without pulling it from him. The thin skin there was black and blue from when we collected more blood this afternoon. ”I just cant stop thinking about it.” I cupped his head in my palms, lifting it to look at me. ”About how its going to be when were away from this. What will we do? Its going to be different.”

”I know.” He s.h.i.+fted himself over me, forcing me back on the pillow and trapping me in his arms. ”But as long as were together, thats all I want. Everything will be new, but well have the rest of our lives to build together.” He sprinkled kisses over me, but he couldnt hide the look in his eyes and it gutted me. Every time he got off the phone with his brother, that tortured look returned, clouding his light eyes. I was making him give up his family.

”Is everything on track with Dexter?” I pushed on his chest, keeping him back before he could drop his weight on me completely.

He nodded, picking up a lock of my hair, focusing on that instead of me. ”He should be at the meeting spot in about three hours. I already texted Anatoli to let his men know. Theyll do the actual exchange, and Dexter will be on the next plane to Baltimore, his debt paid.” He rolled off of me onto his back, looking at the ceiling. ”And if he does what he promised, he should be okay. If he can stay focused on Felix and Leona, h.e.l.l be okay.” He turned to me, and I felt all the pain trapped in his gaze. ”I just hope it doesnt take him as long to learn as it did me. That he can keep his family.”

I wanted to say something but physically couldnt, not with the emotion thickening my throat and choking me. Not with my thoughts crushed under the tears glossing his eyes.

So I did all I knew to do to comfort him. I slid my hands around his neck and pressed my lips to his, wrapping my body around him. Our lips parted and we breathed into each other, promises and apologies in our movements and touches. But I knew it wasnt something I could take away, this sadness, this heartache. We both knew what loss was and what it meant to let go. But at least we had each other to hold on to through it this time.