Having Gracelynn in my arms was one of the best feelings I have ever experienced. She was lying with her head on my chest and her arm across my stomach. I dragged my fingers up and down her spine before I played with a strand of her dark hair. Neither of us said a word as we lay in silence.

The door was open, and I could see the front door. Would her brother come home? He already hated me. He would probably try to kill me if he saw me naked in bed with Gracelynn. I could not imagine seeing Abby with a man. I broke a boy's nose when I saw him kissing her at a party in a high school.

A ringing sound broke the silence, and I recognized it as my phone. Gracelynn lifted her head and furrowed her brows as she looked around the room.

"Forget it," I said. "It's just my phone."

She nodded before settling back into my chest. The phone stopped ringing, and I went back to enjoying this moment. I closed my eyes, and there was a smile on my lips.

The ringing returned, and I groaned. Gracelynn giggled and rolled onto her back. She pulled the sheets higher so that they were covering her bare breasts. I was going to murder whoever ruined the bliss I was feeling.

"Go get it," Gracelynn said.

"It's no big deal," he said.

"It's the middle of the night. It is probably important."

I sighed before pushing myself off the bed. I pulled my cell out of my pocket and saw Jace's name flashing across the screen. I rolled my eyes and put the phone to my ear.

"What do you want?" I snapped.

"Well, hello to you too, sunshine," Jace said.

Gracelynn pushed herself so that she was propped on her elbow. Those gorgeous green eyes were staring at me. Her hair was a mess from our fucking, making her look even more beautiful. I almost forgot that I was on the phone with Jace.

"I found him," Jace said.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"Lorenzo Ricci," he said. "He's the religion expert that The Phantom told us about."

"Where is he?"

"In Mexico. Pack your shit. We're leaving tonight."

Gracelynn raised a brow. Could she hear what we were saying? She was part of this. She would be coming with us, but that would be a surprise for Jace when we got to the plane.

"What time?" I asked.

"I arranged a flight for three a.m."

"See you then."

I ended the call without saying goodbye. I looked at the clock to see that it was one o'clock. We did not have much time. I grabbed my clothes off the floor and changed. Gracelynn sat straighter on the bed.

"What is going on?" she asked.

"We're going to Mexico," I said.

She furrowed her brows and shook her head.

"We?" she asked.

"Yes. We. Now, let's get you a bag packed."

"What are you talking about?"

"Second step in getting Diablo's Heart is finding Lorenzo Ricci, and he's in Mexico."

"What was the first step?"

"Finding The Phantom."

Gracelynn giggled. I buttoned up my shirt and pulled on my jacket. The sleeve was still wet from Gio's blood.

"The Phantom," she said wryly. "I can't believe you call Simon that."

"I can't believe you call him by his first name," I said. "Gracelynn, do you understand dangerous that man is?"

"Please, he is a big sweetheart."

A sweetheart? The Phantom has had more men killed than anyone else in the city. I did not want to tell her that. Gracelynn probably spent lots of time with him, and I did not want her to feel scared.

I turned and went into her closet. A duffel bag sat on the top shelf. I grabbed it before pulling her clothes off the hanger. We did not have enough time to discuss the Phantom. Jace would be furious if I made him wait. I was not scared of him, but I did not want to listen to his whining.

Gracelynn jumped off the bed and hurried over to me. She pulled the bag out of my hands and tossed it on the bed. She crossed her arms over her chest, and I could not help but smile when I looked at her naked body.

"How long are we going for?" she asked.

"No clue," I said. "And chances are we're going somewhere else after. Pack enough."

"That is very vague."

"Do you want to go?"

She let out a deep breath before running her fingers through her hair. She broke eye contact with me as she thought. I wanted her to tell me she had changed her mind, but that would not happen when a smile crept onto her face.

"Give me a minute," she said. "I'll be ready."

I watched her as she changed into underwear, a T-shirt, and a pair of jeans with a rip in the knee. She stuffed clothes into her bag and zipped it shut. She reached for the strap, but I grabbed it and threw it over my shoulder. I lifted my chin to motion to the door.

"Let's go," I said. "My car is downstairs."

She nodded and walked out of the bedroom. She took her jacket off the hook and the keys out of the bowl. She locked the door behind us, and we went to my car. I tossed the bag in the trunk, and we got into the car.

I kept my hand on Gracelynn's knee as we drove to my building. I snuck glances over in her direction. She was fiddling with the neckline of her shirt. She was staring out the window at the nearly empty streets. Was she nervous? Was she having second thoughts?

I parked in the garage. I kept my arm around Gracelynn's waist as we walked inside and took the elevator to my floor.

I had Gracelynn sit on the couch in my apartment as I shoved clothes into a bag. When I returned to the living room, she looked at the picture of Abby and me again. Her fingers were grazing along the glass in the frame.

"Does your sister know?" she asked.

"Know what?" I asked.

"About being a criminal."

I pulled the frame out of her hands and set it back on the television stand. She looked at me with those huge green eyes, and I could feel myself melt. I hated talking to people about my family, but Gracelynn was different.

"My family thinks that I work in business," I said. "Abby knows it is bullshit because I never graduated high school. My mother is just in ignorant bliss."

"Interesting," she said.

"Does your brother know?"

She let out a deep breath and broke eye contact.

"I think so," she said. "I support us though, so he doesn't ask questions."

I nodded. She was still not looking at me. She was staring at her fingers as she picked at the skin around her nails.

What was she hiding?

She sighed and looked at me. She smiled, and I could tell that it was forced.

"Do you think we should get going?" she asked. "We have a diamond to find."

"Let's go."

--

I drove to the small airport where the private jet would be waiting. Jace was waiting outside the plane. I glanced at the clock to see that we were fifteen minutes late. His arms were crossed, and he was tapping his foot. I parked, and Gracelynn and I climbed out of the car.

Jace's lips were pressed into a line, and his eyebrows were furrowed. If possible, I think steam would be coming out of his ears. He shook his head as we approached.

"What is this?" he asked.

"We are going to Mexico," I said.

"So you brought your girlfriend? This is a job, not a vacation."

"Gracelynn is helping us."

Jace's eyes went wide, and his jaw dropped.

"Not happening," he said. "We don't need the liability."

Gracelynn walked forward toward the plane. She stepped past Jace before turning and giving him a wink.

"I'm not a liability," she said. "I'm bait."

She headed up the steps and went into the plane. Jace watched her disappear before turning to me. He was somehow even more furious.

"What does that even mean?" Jace asked.

I shrugged. "It means she is going to be helpful."

I walked past Jace. He exaggeratedly sighed and groaned before following me to the plane.