We both had lawyers here, but I was beyond caring.

“We called this meeting because I had a call this morning.”

Logan frowned at me.

Duke didn’t. He went still, very very still.

I took a step forward. “A certain ex in jail informed me about a phone call he got, about a couple things you wanted from him.” My nostrils flared. “You fucked up, Royas. Since he was still in jail, I’m assuming you called him on their line. It was recorded. The call he made me? Blocked number. I’m betting he called on his lawyer’s phone, with his lawyer sitting across from him. Know why either is significant?” I didn’t wait. “Because if you go through with your second question to him, I’ll point everyone in that direction. Every mother fucking person I know. Judges. Police. Investigators. I will raise holy hell in my defense and all those calls are going to get put into the evidence pile. You set yourself up, and you didn’t even know it until now.”

I got him. He wasn’t moving, so I know that I got him.

Rocks moved as the lawyer stepped forward. “What call are you talking about?”

I motioned towards him. “Inform your lawyer of your mistake, or trust me; I will. You try to set me up? Fuck you.” My voice was soft, almost chiding. “I’ll do everything in my power to not only keep Nova away from you, but also your daughter.”

It’d all been a head game.

I narrowed my eyes. “That was your last shot at control over a situation completely out of your fucking control. You’re going to leave your daughter alone. You got me?”

Logan stepped next to me. “Your daughter is the one who predicted what you would do.”

Duke was still glaring at me, but at those words, his head jerked to the side. That surprised him.

My tone went mocking. “She saw you coming long before you made any moves. Want to know something else you failed at? Your daughter knows you, but you don’t know your daughter. And now you’ll never know her again.”

Mathias made a sound, but I couldn’t discern what it was. If it was a signal or an urge to stop this, I didn’t care.

Duke stared back at me.

I waited, expecting something from him.

But nothing came.

He had nothing.

We’d taken him by surprise. He had no moves left.

As if on my same wavelength, Logan scoffed. “Let’s go. He’s done.”

We headed to the vehicle.

Logan got in his seat and said as we started to leave, “When the fuck were you going to tell me that shit?”

I glanced at him. “When I wanted to detonate the bomb to take him out.”

He narrowed his eyes at me, and something flashed there. Something good. He lounged back in his seat. “He really did all that?”

“Yeah.”

“Only guy we know in this scenario in jail is Mancini. That’s who we’re talking about, right?”

“You’re right.”

“Do I want to know what he wanted Mancini to say?”

My fingers curled tight around the steering wheel, real tight. “No.”

“You going to tell me at a time if I absolutely need to know?”

I gave him a look, a slight grin on my face. “You know I will.”

He nodded, his tension easing up. Then, he laughed. “You’re like the new Mason.”

I shook my head, feeling more sad than anything. “I’m just a father, and a partner now.”

I gave him ten seconds.

He only needed five. “So you and the baby guardian-mama, huh?”

41

Quincey

I was in Nate’s sauna, my towel wrapped around me because he said his friend was here. My whole body was aching. We were doing doubles for rehearsals to make sure everything was ready to go, and our first show was in a week. I was ready, but I was sore.

So sore.

The door opened, and Nate came in wearing a business suit.

“What are you doing?”

He started shedding his clothes.

“Nate.”

“Taylor flew in to surprise Logan, and both of them are going to watch Nova for a few hours. I told him I wanted private time with you down here.”

“Where are they now?”

“In the toy room.”

“Oh.”

The shoes were first.

The shirt was next.

The pants.

His socks.

He pulled off the T-shirt he wore under his business shirt.

Then his hands paused just above his boxer briefs.

I sighed. I so loved his boxer briefs.

“Am I going to be alone here?”

“We’re in the sauna.”

“It’ll be great for our lungs.”

“I don’t think this is healthy.”

He gave me a wicked grin before taking his boxers off and coming toward me. “Well, I’m fully hydrated, and I was thinking of playing our game again?”

“What?”

But he had whipped my towel off, and he lowered me down on the bench.

He didn’t come over me. He moved so he was at my feet, and then he rested a hand just above my navel right before he lowered his face.

His mouth found my clit, and I was gone.