Free Ballad (Rockstar #5) by Anne Mercier

aren’t going to do anything with her since she’s traveling with us.”
    “Ah, yeah. What are we going to do to protect Lucy?” This is what I’m worried about most. If anything happens to those babies, it will destroy her, and if anything happens to her, it will destroy me.
    “I won’t let it happen, Fee,” Cage says, pulling me into a hug.
    My husband, he knows me so well. I wrap my arms around him and breathe in the scent of pine that soothes me. “I know.”
    His arms envelop me, holding me close as he clutches me tightly to him. Then he sighs.
    “What’s wrong?” I ask, running my hands up and down his back.
    “You shouldn’t be part of this. It will always be like this. I wish there was a way to keep you out of it,” he murmurs, resting his cheek atop my head.
    “For better or worse, for richer or poorer, in good times and in bad. Do I need to go on?” I ask.
    “Fee.”
    “Cage. I will give you up for nothing and no one. I’m done running and hiding—and not just from you. From all of it. I will stand by your side and support you, whatever needs to be done. You know this so stop thinking about the ‘what ifs’.” I look up into those eyes that see every single emotion inside of me and my heart sighs.
    He rests his forehead against mine. “Fee. You undo me.”
    “And I’ll never stop. We do this together because whether you like it or not, I’m a part of this. It’s an equal opportunity Famiglia,” I tease.
    The side of his mouth twitches. “So it would seem. It also seems like we’re not the only Family who’s made these changes.”
    I nod. I sat in on the meeting between Cage and Gampy Gio, Damian and Ernesto. Not only have the Manzinis begun to allow women to participate in the Family business, but so have the Donahues and Tierneys. I’m not sure why it’s taken us so long. The Cartels have been permitting women to take part in the business—not that we’re on the same level as Cartels, but still.
    “Cousin Bella’s ready to go.”
    Cage nods. “She’s been waiting. I’d have pulled her in sooner if I could. She can shoot better than everyone but Ernesto and Damian.”
    I scoff. “She can’t shoot better than me. And I’d like to see her match me with knife throwing.” I’m a little affronted he said it like that, even though I know his next sentence is going to be—
    “Fee, I didn’t mean it like that. I was referring to those away from us. You’re a better shot than her by a mile, and knife throwing?” he smirks.
    “I know. I just wanted to hear you say it.”
    He chuckles.
    “What now, Batman?”
    “I need to relay this to Gio, Damian, and Ernesto. We’ll need to put someone on Lucy who she won’t suspect is guarding her.”
    I know just the right person. “Liam.”
    Cage lifts a brow. “Why Liam?”
    “As much as I hate lying to my sister, we could use the excuse Kane wants him to look after Lucy just in case something happens with the babies,” I tell him and he nods.
    “That’ll work. We have to make sure Coley doesn’t get too close to this. She’s going to want to so she can help protect Lucy and the babies,” Cage reminds me.
    “I know. She’s the little sister we never had and she’s fierce like us.”
    “That she is, and here she comes now.”
    I turn to see Coley walking out of the bus.
    “She looks a little pale, don’t you think?” I ask Cage.
    “A bit, yes. I’ll have Kane check her over but I think she’s probably not been eating properly.”
    “Hmm. Probably. I bet she skipped breakfast again,” I guess.
    “Stop talking about me, and yes, I skipped breakfast but I have a multigrain bar in my pocket. See?” she tells us, pulling out the bar to show us.
    “It’s not enough,” Cage scolds. “You wait right here.”
    He walks away toward the bus and I raise a brow at Coley.
    “Oooh, you did it now. You pissed off Batman.”
    She grins. “He’s not really mad.”
    “I beg to differ. He’s seriously upset because you