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"Really?"

He was still a child there, needing approval, needing to be reassured that he hadn’t been forgotten He was still a Mauricio Even if he hadn’t been living as one for the last few years, he had been hunted down because he was Cole wasn’t stupid He knew his return would cause resistance from some of his relatives who had enjoyed their power

I dipped my head in a nod "They’ll fall in line, Cole There are too many who respect the old way"

"And you support me"

"That won’t rin "Could’ve fooled me"

"I am"

"For your woman?"

"I’m in business with the Bartels"

"And with us, right? That was the deal You continue to make both families rich so your woman can live with no retaliation"

"Yes"

"And if anyone violates that deal?"

They already had They’d gone after Cole, and one faainst the other But Cole had technically been living outside of the fareea the other to see ould make the next move

I motioned to the hting"

"So you can keep kickingwith his towel, and ca his shoulders back, he raised his hands in a fighting stance

I held back a sht like that? But instead of saying so, I batted his hands doept a leg around his waist and lifted e of ainst a far wall I ith hiht He would need to sense my attack

He didn’t

With one swift punch, I knocked hiot the text from Theresa I’d been in New York for one week and had remained inside Cole’s ho and every evening in the gym with Cole If he was out late, for whatever reason, that just ot pushed back until he returned I figured out they were training the second day when Cole appeared with a black eye and swollen jaw Carter sometimes returned with a swollen lip and a few bruises on his jawline, but that was it