Craving Cecilia (The Aces' Sons 6)

“We planned for this,” Dragon said calmly.

“We plan for everything,” Casper added. “But knowing he’s here now, we can adapt a bit. Here’s what I’m thinking—”

The longer I stood with them, listening to Casper as he laid out the plan for the day, the more my shoulders relaxed. They really did try to plan for all contingencies. All that calm disappeared in an instant when Casper said Cecilia’s name.

“You want to what?” I barked.

“She’s gotta come with us,” Casper said. “Highly visible.”

“No,” I replied.

“You think I’m happy about this?” he shot back. “You think I’d ever put one’a my kids in danger? This is the only way to draw them away from the club. They don’t need to take any of us out—at least not at this point. He’s after CeeCee and Olive, and for this to work, he’s gotta think that he’s got a chance to get one of them.”

“We risk the chance of them tryin’ to get onto the property,” Dragon said. “And we could hold ’em off—but I’ve got a feelin’ that they’d just come back. How long you think we should play that game? Can’t keep the women here indefinitely.”

“Sure as shit can’t keep them inside indefinitely,” Casper added. “He’s not gonna stop.”

“So we take Warren out,” I said.

“The militia hasn’t gotten back to your friend,” Casper said calmly. “And they let Warren leave. They’re in this shit. You think takin’ one man out will stop this shit?”

“His goon squad isn’t part of the militia—”

“They’re still gettin’ paid,” Dragon said reasonably. “Even if Warren’s dead. I’d put money on it.”

“Militia will take care of that,” Casper agreed. “Hamstring us and claim plausible deniability. Exactly how I’d play it.”

I ground my teeth together and stared at the rows of booze behind the bar. I knew they were right. We had to draw the fight away from the clubhouse full of women and children, and we had to make it so that they couldn’t retreat and regroup. That didn’t mean that I could agree to putting Cecilia right in the middle of the fight we were about to invite.

“We’ll get her to the house and inside with Cam,” Casper said. “She’ll be in the open fifteen seconds tops from the truck to the front door.”

“Fifteen seconds is a long motherfucking time,” I bit out.

“You got a better idea?” Dragon asked. “I’m all ears. You don’t? Get your shit straight and back us the fuck up.”

“Cecilia know about this?” I asked Casper. If she knew, there was no way I could put a stop to it, short of tying her down.

“Do I know about what?” Cecilia asked, coming up behind me.

“Fuck,” I breathed, closing my eyes in frustration.

“Warren’s in Eugene,” her dad replied, not bothering to sugarcoat it. “We’re gonna draw him away from the clubhouse.”

“How?” she asked quietly. “What do you need me to do?”

“You’ve got to be fuckin’ kiddin’ me,” I bit out.

“Olive stays here?” she asked her dad, looking straight into my eyes.

“Of course,” her dad replied.

“Then I’ll draw that asshole a map straight to me,” she said.

I held her gaze, the muscle in my cheek jumping as I forced myself not to shout at her. We could do this without her. I wasn’t sure how yet, but I knew there was a way, I just had to find it. Unfortunately, the only idea that kept popping into my head was cutting Farrah’s hair short like Cecilia’s and taking her instead—which I knew Cec would never allow in a million years. Maybe if I put the idea to Farrah instead. When it came to a showdown between Cec and her mother, I honestly didn’t know who would come out on top.

Cecilia turned to her dad and Dragon. “If something happens to me—”

“It won’t,” her dad said instantly.

“If something does,” she continued, ignoring his reassurance, “Olive goes to Mark.”

I choked on an inhale, my entire body locking in surprise.

“If something happens to Mark,” she said, her voice less steady. She looked between the men and swallowed hard. “She goes to Lily and Leo.”

“Not gonna happen,” Dragon said quietly. “Nothin’s gonna happen to you, CeeCee.”

“Baby girl, you think I’d okay this if I thought you’d get hurt?” her dad asked, staring at her in wounded surprise.

“Now nothing will happen to Mark, either,” she joked flatly, shrugging her shoulder. “Lily is my first choice if we’re dead, but Mark would never let Olive go to Leo.”

My stomach churned with nausea as she walked away, her back straight and her chin high.

“She’s exactly like her mother,” Dragon mused.

“I’m aware,” Casper said emotionlessly. He finished his cup of coffee and set it hard on the counter. “I’ll round up the boys and let them know what’s happenin’.”

“You don’t lock that down, you’re a fuckin’ moron,” Dragon said to me, gesturing toward Cecilia before turning back to the bar.