Page 63 of Shades of Loyalty
“Daniel! Slow down, you maniac!”
“Trust me,” I call back, a grin tugging at my lips.
“I don’t know if I just don’t trust you or if I’m too scared of letting go,” she says, half-joking. But there’s something in her tone that makes my grip on the handlebars tighten.
“Then don’t let go,” I murmur under my breath, barely audible over the engine’s growl.
I don’t know if she hears me, but her arms tighten around my body just a little more.
For a few minutes, the rest of the world doesn’t exist. No shipments, no Volkov, no fucking snitch ruining my life and my family. It’s just me, her, and the open road.
Eventually, I slow down as we near the meeting point. The Harley’s rumble softens just before I feel Jennifer shift behind me.
“Okay,” she says softly, her voice barely a whisper. “That wasn’t as bad as I thought.”
I smirk, parking the bike and shutting off the engine. “Told you, pretty.”
She slides off first, pulling the helmet off and shaking her hair free. Fuck. She’s too beautiful for my sanity. Too hot to not give me the urge to fall for temptation.
I get off right after her, my eyes never leaving hers.
“Admit it,” I murmur, leaning in just enough to make her breath hitch. “You liked being so close to me.
She raises an eyebrow. “I liked not dying, for sure.” I chuckle, stepping back. “You’re safe with me, pretty. Always. You should know it by now, hm?.”
She doesn’t respond right away. But as we head towards the entrance of Volkvos mansion, I swear I hear her whispering faintly, “I know.”
Chapter Twenty-six
Daniel
The sound of our footsteps on the marble floor catches both Yuri’s and his wife’s attention. Their gazes linger on me and Jennifer before they walk down the staircase, welcoming us into their mansion.
The address isn’t known to many people. Jennifer and I being allowed here is huge — it’s their private house.
It’s their private life after marriage. No one in our business knows this is their house — and fuck me, if it weren’t for the pretty woman next to me, I don’t think Yuri and Katya would’ve invited me here.
While Jennifer looks around in shock, taking everything in, I maintain a serious expression.
She’s still not used to our world. To the luxurywe can afford.
“Good to see you, Caruso,” Yuri says, nodding. He seems tense; it doesn’t surprise me.
Hell, heshouldbe tense. All of us should be.
“Can’t say the same, honestly,” I respond with a sarcastic tone. He sighs, shaking his head.
We rarely joke around each other, but when we do it's in a safe environment.
We can’t risk miscommunication because of sarcasm. It costs people’s lives.
In his home, though, I don’t think anyone could die because of a simple joke. God, I hope not.
Katya smiles to lighten the mood immediately. Once I got to know her, I realized she hates it when there’s tension or hostility in the air. She prefers things calm and stress-free.
After all, she’s like Jennifer — a normal woman married to a man involved in messed-up businesses she had no idea about.
She still barely knows anything, but it was their choice not to involve her in business.
