“Jarvis. Is here. Right now?”
“It’s okay,” I said, trying to be soothing. “Enrico and Aldrik are at the bar.”
“They’re what?” Anger pushed back the panic in her expression as she leaned toward me. “You brought those two here?”
I had to come clean. I couldn’t bullshit her, not now, she didn’t deserve that. I didn’t want her to have another panic attack if I could avoid it, for her sake as much as for mine.
“There was a possibility that Jarvis would show up. We heard he came here recently, but I didn’t know—I didn’t think he’d actually be here tonight. I wanted to scout it out and I brought you along as cover.”
“But he’s here.” She looked around, her face ashen and pale, but she wasn’t shaking and she seemed in control. “Oh my god. I see him.”
“Don’t stare. Hey, don’t stare. Look back at me.” Her eyes drifted and met mine. “Take a deep breath. We’re safe in here.”
“He tried to kill us in the middle of the street.”
“And I’m going to kill him in the middle of this bar.” I felt myself make up my mind. I couldn’t wait, and although it was a huge risk to try to do it right here in front of fifty witnesses, I couldn’t care about that. I needed to end this petty fight and eliminate a danger to myself and to my wife.
“No.” Her voice was harsh as she leaned toward me. “You can’t do that.”
I frowned in surprise. “Why?”
“No violence. Remember? That’s the whole point. Vince would flip. Hedeon would be pissed.”
“Fuck them.” I leaned toward her and struggled to keep my voice steady and quiet. “He hurt you. He almost killed you. That’s enough for me.”
“Stop it.” She hissed the words. “You’re not doing this now.”
“What the fuck am I supposed to do then, just let him go?”
“No.” She chewed her lip and stared at the table. Then her eyes snapped up. “Have Enrico and Aldrik follow him.”
“They might fuck it up if they try the hit on their own.”
She shook her head. “No, not to kill him. Have them follow him home.”
I opened my mouth then shut it again.
Jarvis had to live somewhere. He went to ground, but he wasn’t a man with means. He didn’t have money for a lot of safehouses or hotels—there was no doubt in my mind that he was staying in one place. All I had to do was find that place and I’d have him.
“That might work,” I said slowly, hating myself for it, but she was right. If I could avoid killing him in public, I should at least try it. “But taking him right here and now would be a sure thing.”
She sucked in a breath then reached out across the table. I looked at her hand as she slipped her fingers through mine and held on tight.
“Please, Reid.” I felt a chill at the tone in her voice. “I don’t… I don’t want you to get hurt, or to go to jail, or— I don’t know, any million things that could go wrong right now.”
I clenched my jaw as I felt the warmth of her hand against mine. I hated that I was rethinking this, but the look in her eye, the feeling of her hand, I didn’t want to let her down and fuck things up, or mistakenly hurt her in the crossfire.
“All right,” I said, letting out a breath. “Come on. Let’s get out of here before he spots us.”
“What about the other two?”
“I’ll tell them what to do.”
She nodded and released my hand. I took a couple fresh hundreds from my wallet and dropped them on the table. She gave me an uncertain look as we walked back across the room together, and for a moment I thought I felt eyes on me, eyes all over the place, but when I looked back over the room when we reached the exit, lingering there near the door for half a second, I saw Jarvis was too busy laughing at something one of his guys said to notice me.
Cora left and I followed. In the parking lot, I sent a message to Enrico: Follow him home. Don’t approach. Don’t get caught. Report back.
He responded a few seconds later.
Roger that, boss. We’ll keep our distance and watch him.
Cora watched me as we got into the car and I started the engine. She reached out and touched my face, and I turned to her, body boiling with something—with need, with anger. I pulled her toward me and kissed her, pulling her across the center console, making her straddle me. I grabbed her hips and pushed her down against my half-hard cock, and felt the warmth between her legs as I bit her lower lip, pulled her hair, kissed her with all my pent-up desire, rage, and need. She moaned into that kiss, rolled her hips— then pulled away before I could take things further.