“Oh, I see.”
Sawyer paced in front of the windows. “I want to know where you are. Is this what you want too?”
“Why? I’m committed. I’ve told you that. I’ve told her that. I’m not backing out. I told her and you, that this is it. I want her to have my baby too. What has you freaked out?”
“We’re family now. She’s going to get pregnant, if she isn’t already. We need to think about the future. We need to think about this baby. We need to make sure that she is completely free and clear of her uncle. I can’t stop thinking about it. The deal. The debt. We have to get her out of that situation.”
Jack stared. “You don’t think she’s safe?”
“Look, when this started she was part of a debt payoff. And yeah, I wanted to fuck her. I don’t deny any of that. But she’s ours now, Jack. We made her ours. She’s going to have our baby. We owe her this. She gave us something she’s never given anyone. We have to protect her. And if her uncle is the asshole he seems to be, he could break his deal with her. Who knows when he would try to use her again. He could threaten her. We have to make sure that never happens.”
“What are you saying, Sawyer? We aren’t in the murder business. We aren’t criminals. We are in the global business of making money. I don’t disagree, but I’m not going to start killing people.”
“Calm the fuck down. I didn’t say I was going to kill the bastard.”
“Then what are you suggesting?”
“We’ll pay him. Buy him out. Whatever he wants.”
“You’re going to buy her?” Jack looked stunned.
“Do you have a better idea? I’m buying her protection, not her. She has already pledged herself to us. This is insurance Gino doesn’t come back.”
Jack sighed. “I don’t think Lily would see it that way. She told us how she feels about her uncle. She hates him, man.”
“I’m going to tell her before I talk to Gino. She deserves to know what I’m thinking. I want her to know we’ll do anything we have to do to keep her safe. She has to come first.”
“I agree. I’m in. Whatever you need.”
Sawyer paused. “I had another idea.”
“Well, shit. You’re all over the place today. I can’t keep up with you since Arnie’s wedding.”
“Actually it’s about that. Not Arnie, but about the wedding weekend. Hear me out. We need to give her a couple nights off.”
Jack shook his head. “Now that she’ll never go for. She’s insatiable. And I feel the same way when I’m around her. I can’t stop thinking about her. I want her all the time, man. All the damn time. We’re trying to make a baby. We can’t take a break from that.”
“But she has to rest. And her body will adjust, but both of us together was a lot for her. I think we should send her to an advertising conference that starts tomorrow. Just for two nights. Penny told me about it this morning. Lily would fly out tonight, take a work trip and give her body and chance to recover. You know she’s sore. She’s not going to tell us.”
“A conference? And what in the hell do we do while she’s gone?” Jack argued.
“What we did before she was ours. We work our asses off. We watch football and drink beer. It’s two nights—that’s it.”
Jack huffed. “You’re right.”
Sawyer eyed him. “Now, that we are not going to tell her. She doesn’t need to know everything.” He smiled.
“Got it. She doesn’t need to think we’re sending her away. It would crush her.”
“Exactly. It’s just a chance for her to rest. We’ll put her up in a five-star hotel. Penthouse suite. Everything she wants. She can get a massage. Go shopping. Maybe she’ll want to shop for baby things.”
“You know she doesn’t want that stuff, man. She just wants us.”
“I know.” Sawyer’s smile faded. “I know.”
Thirty-Two
Lily