But she shook her head. “No. I need my own place.”
He frowned.
“It’s not that I don’t appreciate it. And I know it’s crazy, but after being held prisoner here, I need . . . I need to be independent.”
Gramps understood. He didn’t particularly like it, but he understood. “Okay.”
“Okay?” she asked, tilting her head. “Just like that—okay?”
“Yeah, Cass. You’re an adult. I can’t force you to do anything. But I’m willing to do just about whatever it takes to help you get back on your feet.”
“I won’t be able to afford something fancy,” she warned. “And as much as I hate it, I’ll have to borrow some money, just at first.”
“I know, and it’s fine. Skylar has a friend, Tiana, who used to be her neighbor. I bet she could help get you an apartment where she lives.”
Gramps couldn’t believe he was recommending Cassidy and Mario live at Southpoint Apartments, but he knew without a doubt that Tiana and Maria, Skylar’s old neighbors, would take Cassidy under their wings. Tiana had some dubious connections with a gang, but Silverstone would forever be in her debt after what she’d done for Skylar and Bull . . . namely, used those connections to make Skylar’s kidnapper pay for his crime with his life.
“Are you sure there isn’t anything I can do to help you tomorrow?” Cassidy asked, bringing Gramps out of his musings.
“No. The best thing you can do is roll with the punches. Know that I would never hurt you, no matter what I say or do.”
“You’re making me nervous,” she admitted.
Cassidy should be nervous. Gramps wasn’t sure how things were going to go with Coke. He and Silverstone, along with the FBI, had worked out several different scenarios as to how things might go with Coke. Gramps glanced at the jacket he’d placed over a chair earlier. Inside his pocket was a flask . . . holding what they all hoped Gramps would use in an ideal scenario.
Coke was a man who liked control. He liked to win at all costs. So after hashing out a deal tomorrow, a deal that would never come to fruition, Gramps hoped he could egg the man into doing something he normally wouldn’t . . . all in the name of showing off.
But Coke could refuse to step up to the plate, and if that happened, Gramps would have to improvise. One thing Gramps and Silverstone were good at was moving to plans B, C, and D if necessary. Once the deal with Coke was made, Gramps would be leaving the house—and he planned on doing it with both Cassidy and Mario.
Gramps didn’t respond to Cassidy’s statement—he simply rolled back over and pulled her with him. She ended up on her side next to him, her head back on his shoulder. He knew he should probably get up and take Cassidy across the hall to the room Coke had given him to use. He should pretend they were making love all night, but he couldn’t make himself move. He didn’t want Mario to wake up and wonder where his mom had gone. And he hated degrading Cassidy for whoever was watching.
When Lloyd and Martin had looked at her, almost licking their lips in anticipation, it had taken everything in Gramps not to beat the hell out of them right then and there. He hated that because of him and the role he was playing, the men in this house now felt as if it was open season on Cassidy. He was the only thing standing between her and the sex-starved jackals. And given half a chance, they’d take what they wanted, with no regard to her well-being. That wasn’t going to happen. Not on his watch.
He had one shot to make this op work.
“Leo?” Cassidy asked.
“Yeah?”
“No matter what happens tomorrow, get Mario out. Even if that means leaving me behind.”
There wasn’t a chance in hell of that happening, but Gramps nodded anyway. “Okay,” he told her, lying through his teeth, giving Cassidy what she needed to hear.
In seconds, she was sound asleep against him, her deep, even breaths wafting against the skin of his neck. Gramps didn’t close his eyes. He didn’t sleep. He stayed awake, going over all the different scenarios as to how things could go tomorrow. Keeping watch over the woman he’d never forgotten. Who he’d never thought he’d get a second chance with.
He had regrets, lots of them. Most having to do with Cassidy. He wasn’t going to fuck this up. No way.
Chapter Six
A loud knock on the door woke Cassidy with a start. She immediately realized she wasn’t alone in her bed. Looking over at the clock, she was shocked to find it was nine in the morning. She hadn’t slept in so late in years.
The pounding on the door came again, and she looked over at Mario. He was sitting straight up in his bed, his eyes wide, staring first at her and Leo in the bed, then at the door.
“Hang on a sec,” Leo barked. Then he turned to her and asked quietly, “You good?”
Was she good? She’d just slept more soundly than she had in forever, and she had a feeling it was because Leo had held her in his arms all night. Cassidy managed a small nod.
Then he did something that melted her heart. He climbed out of bed and went over to Mario’s cot. He knelt beside it and asked, “Did you sleep all right?”
Mario nodded.
“Good.”
But the boy didn’t relax. “You slept with my mom,” he accused.
Leo simply nodded. “I did.”
Mario frowned and looked at Cassidy. “He didn’t hurt you?”
Cassidy shook her head immediately. “No, honey. Not at all.”
“Why are you wearing your clothes?” Mario asked Leo.
“I guess we fell asleep with them on,” he responded.
Mario nodded as if that made complete sense.
“You’ve got ten seconds, and I’m coming in!” Lloyd yelled from the hallway.
Leo stood up and strolled over to the door as if he hadn’t a care in the world. Cassidy hated when Lloyd or Martin woke them up. Usually it was much earlier than this, to inform her of some distasteful duty she or Mario had to do that day.
Leo cracked the door open, not letting Lloyd see inside the room. “What do you want?” he asked in a mean tone that made the hair stand up on Cassidy’s arms. She’d gotten used to the soft and easy Leo, not this man he morphed into when dealing with Michael or his security forces.
“I need Mario,” Lloyd said.
“Give us a second,” Leo told him, then shut the door in his face.
Cassidy was up and out of bed before he’d turned around. “No!” she exclaimed.
But Leo ignored her. Instead, he walked over to where Mario was standing next to his bed. He put his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “You know what they want you for?” he asked.
Mario shrugged, but his face had paled. “I haven’t made a delivery for a day or so—that’s probably it.”
Leo nodded.
Cassidy walked over to the pair, wanting to snatch her son up and protect him from Lloyd. From this house. From the life she’d forced him into.
“Right. Listen to me. Are you listening?” Leo asked as he once again knelt so he could be on Mario’s level.
The boy nodded.
“I’m sorry you have to do this. You should be sitting in a classroom learning, or dancing, or any other number of things. Be smart out there. Do what you’re told, and keep your head down. Can you do that?”