Beautiful Seduction

When I touched her arm, I expected her to flinch and pull away. At this point, I couldn’t blame her if she had. “Where is Molly now?”

When her eyes opened wide and she hesitated, I accepted that she’d yet to learn to trust me. “Somewhere safe. With a friend.”

“She’s in danger, Cassidy. You are well aware of what Lazor and his brutal soldiers can and will do if they find her. You need to trust me.”

She was trembling, trying to hold onto the jaded reality I’d presented her with. “I want to trust you, Valentin, but how can I? How?”

“If you don’t and something happens to your daughter, you’ll never forgive yourself.”

“What are you going to do, bring her here? Maybe we can buy a little house and pretend you aren’t who you really are.” Her laugh remained bitter, almost hopeless.

“No, Cassidy, this isn’t our home. At this point, I will ensure she’s safe and have several of my men protect her as well as the friend keeping her.”

“Just another cage.”

“Cassidy. She’s in danger. There’s a reason Adamos wants her. That’s what we need to find out.”

“Fine. I’ll tell you. But you need to promise me that nothing is going to happen to my baby. She’s all I have.”

“Do you have a picture?”

“I would if I had my phone, which is in my hotel room!”

Sighing, I gripped her arms. “I had your things brought to my house. What is the code on your phone?”

Cassidy eyed me warily, finally closing her eyes as she spouted off several numbers.

“I understand what you think of me, and I am the monster you believe me to be, but I will never place a child in harm’s way. Never. Can you put your trust in me?”

She studied me in the moonlight, her jaw clenched, the strong woman uncertain of everything. “I trust you, Valentin. Please don’t do anything to betray me.”

I brushed my fingers down her cheek, making a silent promise I’d end the nightmare. As I turned away, feeling the same pain as I had five years before, my gut told me that whatever we’d go through in the next few days would change us both forever.

Now I needed to protect not only the woman I never planned on losing, but her daughter as well. I couldn’t do that from Italy.

Business would be concluded in the morning. Then we’d return.

* * *

Pictures of the child named Molly are on her phone, the code 356712. Make certain that kid is okay.

The text to Niccolo was another jab at my system, tossing me into the past once again. I shoved my phone into my pocket, my gut churning more than it had in months. I had a damn bad feeling a vicious storm was brewing.

“She’s beautiful, my friend,” Giovanni said casually as he handed me a cognac.

I could feel his heated gaze, studying me even more intently than before.

“Yes, she is.” I’d dispatched three of my men to head to Indianapolis where the little girl was staying. At least I should be able to provide Cassidy with some level of comfort in knowing her daughter was safe within a few hours.

“And you are in love with her.”

I laughed, glancing in Cassidy’s direction. “Love is a dangerous thing in my world.”

“You seem to forget I know your world very well. It’s time for you to settle down.”

“You sound like my father.”

It was his turn to laugh. “Well, we did think alike more often than not. I have some information that might interest you.”