His dark eyes were serious when he tilted my head back. “Just so long as you get that I’m not trying to control you like your stepdad. And that I’m not protecting you because I think you’re weak. You’re the most important person in the world to me, Rylee. That’s why I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe and will never do anything to hurt you.”
11
Nova
I kissed Rylee’s forehead and admired the sight of her naked body sprawled out on my bed. She looked so peaceful and insanely sexy as she slept, making it hard for me to decide between letting her rest and joining her to get another fix. But the decision was made for me when I’d received a text from Mac a few minutes before. He had information about Rylee’s situation, and we needed to meet.
After a quick shower, I pulled on clean jeans, a T-shirt, socks, and a pair of brown boots. I grabbed my cut from my dresser and tossed it onto the bed so Rylee would remember to wear it if she woke up while I was gone.
With one last kiss on her sweet lips, I left the room, shutting the door softly behind me before jogging down to Mac’s office.
Scout, Dom, Hack, and Breaker were already there, and each nodded in greeting when I entered. Mac was on the phone, so I shut the door and leaned against the wall beside it to wait.
My cell vibrated, and I pulled it from my pocket to check if it was Rylee. I was surprised to see Kevin’s number flashing on the screen. Scout was closest to me, sitting on the end of the couch, so I bent over and quietly explained that I needed to take the call and who it was. His eyebrows raised, but he didn’t comment, just nodded toward the door, letting me know that he’d fill in the prez.
I stepped into the hall and answered the call. “Kevin?”
“Nova. Hey, um. Since you’re practically family, I wanted to let you know. It seems Rylee ran away. Her mother filed a missing persons report, but I personally inspected the scene and found no evidence of foul play.”
I remained quiet, aware that he was choosing his words carefully in case someone was listening.
“Her stepfather assured everyone that she was still in residence, but again, it was very clear that she’d simply run away. Since she’s eighteen, there isn’t much we can do.”
“Thanks for letting me know.” I understood what he was saying but was confused as to why he thought it was necessary to specifically call me to say that he’d made sure no one suspected the jailbreak.
“But now the stepfather has disappeared as well.”
Now we were getting somewhere.
“He packed a bag and drained their accounts. The wife didn’t file a report, so we aren’t investigating. Just thought you might want to know in case you were planning a visit.”
This was a warning.
Chad had taken off before the Ukrainians could catch him, and Kevin was telling me to be on guard because more than likely, Chad was looking for Rylee. But he would never get through the MC to get to her. The information did start the wheels in my mind turning, though. The officials weren’t looking for Chad…
I thanked Kevin, and we disconnected, then I quietly stepped back into the office.
Mac was still talking quietly with someone, but after a couple of minutes, he gestured for me to come over and handed me the phone. “Nic,” he told me before I put it to my ear.
I’d been anxious to hear from Nic ever since Mac had agreed to reach out to him. We had no idea how far his connections reached, but if we wanted to negotiate with the mob, we needed an emissary. Hopefully, the fact he wanted to speak with me was a sign he could help.
“DeLuca,” I greeted after lifting Mac’s cell to my ear.
“Nova. How’s your girl?” he asked, his voice filled with genuine concern. Despite being known as the ruthless head of the Italian mafia in New York, Nic had a wife and kids that he adored more than anything, and a particular soft spot for women in trouble.
“No harm done, and she’s got me now.”
“Glad to hear it.” Then his tone turned hard and all business. “I spoke to a contact, and we have a problem.”
Fuck.
“They don’t have an interest in trading for Chad. He’s broke, so it doesn’t help them recover their money. But they could have made even more by trafficking Rylee.”
My fist clenched around the phone, and I had to remind myself that if I crushed it, I’d lose precious seconds digging mine out of my pocket and calling Nic back. But hearing him say those words...it ignited a rage inside me. I wanted to squeeze the life out of her stepfather with my bare fucking hands.
However, the bigger problem now was how to keep Riley safe from the mob. Worst-case scenario, the Silver Saints were really fucking good at giving people new identities and lives. But Rylee had lost so much, and I hated the idea of her being forced to leave what little connections she still had to her dad behind.
I took a deep breath because there could still be options. Nic hadn’t sounded as though he was finished talking.
“Are they willing to negotiate at all?” I asked through clenched teeth.
“I made a deal that encouraged them to agree to settle for the amount Chad owes them and nothing more,” Nic answered. He gave me the number, and I mentally patted myself on the back for being a frugal bachelor since I became a prospect with the Silver Saints MC at eighteen. I had more than enough money to pay the debt and still build a life for Rylee and our family.
“A deal? What will we owe you?”
Nic laughed, but the sound came from the dark and deadly head of a
