Page 66 of Maximum Bet

“We think they left in Cecilia’s car.”

“And . . .” Leo waves his hand in a circle.

“And we think a couple of Kozlova guys followed them out of the neighborhood.”

“Lucas.” My voice drops, and my jaw sets. “If you don’t find my fiancée and mother in the next ten minutes, I will take you out to the desert, and you’ll disappear.”

Lucas clears his throat. I hear the waver in his voice as he says, “Yes, sir. I’ll call you back within ten minutes.”

The line goes dead, and I clench my teeth so hard I’m about to break a molar.

“Nico, go to the other airport. We need to get back to Vegas now.”

Chapter 22

Cassandra

Dominic, Leo, and the rest of the men . . .

Don’t. Know. Where. We. Are.

Unlocking Sadie’s phone, I quickly type in Dominic’s number.

I suck my lip between my teeth as I wait for an answer.

“I don’t know who the fuck is calling me right now,” Dominic growls, “but you better not fuck with me, because I’ve got a need for blood, and I’m ready to take it out on the next person I see.”

“Hey, honey,” I coo, squeezing one eye shut. “How’s the trip going?”

“Cassandra.” The way Dominic says my name, dark and low, as if he’s ready to throw me over his lap and teach me a lesson I won’t forget, has my core tightening and inappropriate thoughts running through my head.

I have problems.

Inconvenient because his mother is watching worriedly from a few feet away.

“Where the fuck are you?” he not so much asksas demands.

“I’m at the hospital,” I blurt without thinking about how that sounds. “Not for me!” I amend. “For Sadie, she’s in labor. Natalie and your mom are here, too.”

“Natalie is safe with Cassandra,” Dominic says. In the background, I hear Leo thank God. “How did you get to the hospital?” he asks, tone still threatening. It’s clear he’s on the verge of losing control.

“We drove?” My answer comes out in a squeak.

“Give me the phone,” Cecilia says, grabbing it from my hand. She puts it on speaker and huffs. “Dominic, I know you aren’t scolding Cassandra for helping her friend in a time of need.”

Dominic scoffs but backs off as he speaks to his mother. “From what I understand, the four of you left the house in the middle of an attack and were followed. Apparently, on your way to a hospital with a woman in labor?”

“Yes,” Cecilia states matter-of-factly. “And I would do it again.”

“Mom, you can’t be fucking serious?” he snaps. Marco laughs in the background.

“Language,” Cecilia scolds. “And I have been driving underprecariouscircumstances since before you were born.”

“You drove?” Dominic asks in disbelief.

Cecilia lets out a delicate snort. “Who else do you think is capable of handling that drive?”

“I don’t know. Maybe mydriver? Sam?”