Page 44 of Pucking Snowed In with the Enemy

My phone dinged, and I jerked out of my thoughts. There was a message from Aaron, a stupid gif of a dog giving me a heart. Really? At twenty-eight, my life was reduced to getting dog gifs from my cousin. I should probably just agree to the arranged marriage my father was trying to set up. This was his third attempt in four years, his persistence surprised me as much as it annoyed me. Why he cared, I had no idea. Ronan was going to marry who he wanted and take the throne, so what did it matter if I ever got married?

“Boss?”

“Hey Goran, everything good down on the floor?”

“Yeah. Can I come in?”

“You know you can. For the last time, you’re my friend, not just an employee,” I growled, annoyed that he still acted like this after all this time. I’d grown up with Goran, but he’d also taken a bullet for me. Nothing solidifies a friendship like that.

Goran stepped in and closed the door before walking closer. His face was pale, and his eyes darted around the room like he was avoiding staring me in the eyes.

“What’s wrong?” He opened his mouth and closed it again. “What the fuck is going on?” I stood from my desk, worry etching my mind.

He sighed. “Ceaser is at it again,” he said.

“Jesus fucking Christ. What is it this time? Does he think we stole his gifts out from under the tree at Christmas? Better yet, I hired the fucking Easter Bunny to shit on his lawn.”

“No, he thinks we sent the FBI after him.” My heart sped up with those three letters, but I didn’t know why he would think that. I’d only given over three names in three years, and they were all people the council was trying to get rid of, and none of them knew the information came from me.

“I don’t understand. Why does he think that?”

“Because there is a certain FBI agent, you know, that has been spotted in Italy and may or may not have had some of the Mancini family arrested. It’s speculation, I don’t know if she is actively investigating them or just part of a larger team based in Italy.” I licked my lips. Shit, Savannah. “But…Nathan, that’s not all.”

He stared at me and didn’t say anything. This wasn’t good. If he fucking said she was married I was going to lose my mind. I could feel the pressure building in my head, worrying over what Goran would say next. “Just spit it out already.”

“Ceaser, has decided that he’s not going to wait for answers, he’s put a hit out on Savannah Freeborn.” Fuck, fuck, fuck. “And….” Goran paused. “Stay calm Nathan.” My brows knit together as he pulled out his phone. “You promise?”

“What the fuck is this? Are you going to make me pinky swear next?”

“Fuck,” Goran mumbled, and handed the phone over to me. One look at the image of Savannah brought back all the emotions I’d been trying so hard to bury. She was walking across the street, her strawberry hair blowing behind her, a commanding air to the way she held herself. Fuck she was more beautiful than I remembered.

“Go to the next picture.”

I swiped to the next photo, and my world came to a halt. She was standing outside of a large private school holding the hand of a young boy who looked to be about three. He had midnight black hair and Savannah’s bright blue eyes, and he looked exactly like me. Oh my fucking god. I had a son. I had a son, and she didn’t tell me.

“She named him Cutter Nathaniel Freeborn, but your name is on the birth certificate. Ceaser is out for blood. Your blood.”

I’d never tasted rage before, but I did now as I stared at my son’s face. Savannah wouldn’t keep me from him one more day and there was no fucking way Ceaser or his men were getting anywhere near them.”

I rose from the desk. “Goran, get me Ricardo on the phone, and get a team ready. We’re flying to Italy tonight.”