Page 87 of Stay Little Fighter

“King!” Chloe admonishes.

He turns on her, his eyes softening as soon as he sees the fear on her features. “I’m sorry.” He sighs. “But this is the plan, and I won’t accept arguments about it. I know you’re all scared to let Chloe out of your sight. I am as well, but I wouldn’t send her with Corbin and Enzo if I didn’t trust them implicitly. They will keep her safe while we get things into position at the warehouse, and they’ll be back before Salvatore and Mikayla arrive.”

Ryker looks just as pissed as I do, but before we can argue our point further, Chloe steps forward and reaches out to each of us. Like moths to a fucking flame, we both take her hand, and she looks between us with so much affection that I’ll never be worthy of.

“This is the best play. I promise I’ll keep myself safe, and I’ll be back before you even get a chance to notice I’m gone. Plus, this will keep my mind busy instead of worrying about you constantly.”

Ryker mutters something I can’t hear but wraps his arms around her, holding her so tight against him I’m surprised she can breathe. He glances up at me and nods. “Come on, Lombardi. Get in here.”

The part of me that normally revolts the second he orders I do something is noticeably missing, and I don’t hesitate to wrap my arms around the both of them.

I guess this whole sharing thing isn’t so bad after all.

CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

CHLOE

NOW

Saying goodbye to the guys was harder than I would like to admit.

If there’s one thing the last ten years has given me, it’s independence.

I spent so much time alone, knowing the only person I could truly depend on was myself, and the way my chest has ached since the jet took off and left them behind in Jacksonville is almost an insult to that version of myself.

But it’s normal to evolve. It’s healthy to grow, even when it means leaving an older version of myself behind.

Corbin is exactly what I imagined from the few times we’ve spoken. Brown curly hair and glasses resting on the bridge of his nose as he types away on his laptop. He’s by no means small, but beside Enzo anyone would look tiny. He’s at least six foot seven, and he looks like he could take someone’s head off just by looking at them funny.

I see now why Kingston was so confident to leave me in their very capable care, even if Ryker struggled to accept it.

Knowing they were at odds with one another when we left makes my stomach roll uncomfortably, but I have to accept that we’re not always going to agree on everything.

There will be times when the five of us aren’t able to come to common ground, and that includes when we’re in a high-stress situation like this one.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” I ask.

Corbin’s soft brown eyes meet mine, his fingers pausing on the keyboard. “I don’t think so. Everything’s set up at the warehouse, and De Marco and the Legion have just arrived to ensure we haven’t missed anything. I was just checking to make sure our firewalls are strong enough that no one can override them.”

Enzo huffs out a laugh from the other side of the aisle where he’s flicking a knife into the air and catching it between his fingers. He’s been doing it ever since we took off, and it’s as unsettling as it is mesmerizing. I’d rather not watch him cut a finger off, but it’s really fucking hard to take my eyes off it. “Cor, you’ve checked the firewalls six times already today. Everything is in place. You need to relax.”

“This helps to relax me, you know that,” he scolds.

I only briefly met Remy and Rocco, but I’m fascinated by the dynamic the four of them have. They seem to bicker more than they do anything else, and yet it’s obvious they wouldn’t hesitate to take a bullet for one another.

“Do you think Lombardi has anyone inside the safety deposit facility?” I ask.

Corbin frowns. “We don’t believe so. We’ve been over every employee’s file and have checked their accounts for out-of-the-ordinary payments. Nothing stuck out to us, but there’s always a chance.”

“We’ll keep you safe, darlin’,” Enzo assures me. “Wouldn’t live to tell the tale if we let something happen to the boss’s girl.”

“I’d be more worried about Ryker.” I half laugh.

He scoffs. “Ryker might be a lethal motherfucker, but he learned everything he knows from King. I’ve been on his bad side, and it was scary as shit.”

“You don’t strike me as someone that’s afraid of much of anything.”

“Exactly.” He chuckles.