Page 72 of Unchained

As I say the words, I’m grinning. It was damn epic pulling off tonight's events with Gianna.

“Jesus fucking Christ, Colt. You’re meant to be the responsible one.”

I rest my phone against my ear with my shoulder and pick up my whiskey. It’s been long enough that the boner pills are out of my system and I need this drink. “Yeah, well, maybe I’m getting bored of being that person.”

That’s probably the most truthful thing I’ve said in years. I was bored. I am busy, but I ain’t fulfilled by constantly working, even if it's to protect my family.

There's a silence on the line. Which is never good when it comes to Hunter. “Just make sure you don’t put yourself in the firing line, especially when it comes to Gianna. You’re the one who told me outright we can’t trust her.”

I swallow hard. I’m starting to work Gianna out, and she’s far more complex than I gave her credit for at the start. Yes, she’s all the things I thought she was. Ruthless, powerful, a complete spitfire. But there is so much more. She’s fun. She’s sassy. She’s strangely calming to be around, even if I do slightly fear for my life.

Do I trust her? I trust her not to betray me. I don’t believe she’s here to hurt my family. “Yeah. Well. I might have to reassess my judgment there.”

Another pause.

“What? Spit it out, Hunter.”

He chuckles. “Almost sounds romantic.”

I groan. “Not this again. You already played matchmaker with Ace, remember how that went?”

It ended up with Jett accidentally kidnapping Harper.

“In my defense, it worked; they’re married with a kid on the way. So that argument isn’t valid,” he counters.

And he has a point.

“I’m not in love with the woman, Hunter. I’m just… not hating being around her. She’s funny.”

“Funny? Gianna Milano? Funny? The woman who scares most men by walking into a room? Are you sure it was Viagra she spiked you with, not something else?” he asks in disbelief.

I laugh, shaking my head.

“I mean, who the fuck does that? It is kinda funny. And I plan on getting her back.”

I’ve got a few ideas up my sleeve. I might start with the classics, replacing some of her potion products in the bathroom. Trick her into skinny-dipping and hide her clothes. I’ll probably never be able to be as brutal as she is to me.

“Look, Colt. Be careful. We both know she wanted you to marry her, so she could get to Enzo. She has an empire to build, and I don’t want her burning you to do it.”

A pain shoots through my chest because Hunter could well be right. This could all be a game, and whatever assessment I make of Gianna could be wrong.

“Once the Greeks are dead, does that mean all this shit is over?” I ask.

It’s been a year of hell. I know we’re going to have battles on our hands to protect our ranch for the rest of the time I’m walking this earth; that’s to be expected. But what I can’t deal with is people coming after us to get to Enzo. I’m done with this shit.

“For now, yeah. We need to make sure Gianna’s family doesn’t make any moves. Other than that, unless Enzo starts a war somewhere, we’re in the clear.”

I press my fingers against the bridge of my nose. “We both know Enzo is going to start something. Whoever he’s searchin’ for ain’t been found, and we’re all in the firing line until he finds them.”

And it’s true. Every single person in his organization knows he has an ulterior motive; it wouldn’t surprise me if this world domination plan he has is for one purpose. To find them.

But who? That’s the mystery. And I don't care enough to dig any deeper, but I bet Romeo knows.

I hope Enzo hurries up and finds them before we all die in the process.

“I’ll let you know when it’s done. I’m going to get some sleep; today wiped me out.”

Hunter laughs. “Yeah, jacking off a hundred times will do that to a man.”