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Confined & Vunerable
publish date:
2026-07-07 02:38:48
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Forged In Fire Cat Bait
CHAPTER FIFTY: USING CAT AS BAITCATARINAFour days of house arrest were slowly driving me insane.Four days of being confined to the compound with armed escorts if I so much as wanted to walk to the garden. Four days of watching Jameson move through his day while I sat on the sidelines like some fragile piece of glass that might shatter if the wind blew too hard.And to make matters worse, my hormones were still a complete disaster.I snapped at one of the staff members over breakfast. Snapped at Declan when he checked in on me. Nearly bit Jameson's head off when he suggested I rest instead of train."You need to eat something," Jameson said now, setting a plate of food in front of me."I'm not hungry.""You haven't eaten all day.""I said I'm not hungry." I pushed the plate away, harder than necessary. It slid across the table and nearly fell off the edge.Jameson caught it with one hand, his expression patient but strained. "Cat—""Don't." I stood up, unable to sit still for anothe
Forged In Fire Confined & Vunerable
CATARINAThree days of house arrest, and I was ready to murder someone.Preferably Fiona Fitzpatrick."The contractor she met with is a low-level thug named Danny Russo," Declan reported during the morning briefing. "He'll work for anyone if the price is right. No loyalty, no principles—just cash."I sat at the war room table, arms crossed, listening to the surveillance updates with growing frustration."We have teams on Russo, Fiona, and Patrick," Jameson said, studying the photos spread across the table. "Twenty-four-seven coverage. If any of them so much as breathes wrong, we'll know about it.""Good," I said tightly.Jameson glanced at me, his expression unreadable. "Cat, you understand why—""I understand perfectly," I interrupted. "Fiona wants me dead, so I'm confined to the compound like a prisoner. I can't leave without an armed escort. I can't do my job. I can't even go to the damn grocery store without three men following me around.""It's temporary," Jameson said calmly."I
Forged In Fire Legitimate Business & Hidden Threats
JAMESONThe restaurant was neutral territory—a high-end Italian place in the financial district that catered to businessmen and politicians. The kind of place where deals were made over expensive wine and perfectly cooked steaks.Carmine was already seated when I arrived, looking every inch the successful businessman in his tailored suit. No one would guess he controlled half the underworld operations in Chicago."Jameson." He stood to shake my hand, his grip firm. "Good to see you.""Carmine." I took the seat across from him. "Thanks for meeting with me."A waiter appeared immediately, pouring water and taking our drink orders. Once he'd disappeared, Carmine leaned back in his chair, studying me with those sharp dark eyes that reminded me so much of Cat."You said you wanted to discuss business opportunities," he said. "I'm listening."I took a breath, organizing my thoughts. This conversation mattered—not just for the alliance between our families, but for the future I was trying to
Forged In Fire Departing Truths
CATARINAOur last morning at the cabin, I woke early and lay in the darkness, Jameson's arm still wrapped around me. Outside, the first hints of dawn were starting to paint the sky.Three days. That's all we'd had, and it felt like it had changed everything.We'd cooked together. We'd taken long walks around the lake. We'd given each other massages and soaked in endless baths. We'd talked—really talked—in a way I'd never done with anyone before. He'd asked me about my childhood, and I'd told him things I'd never shared with a living soul. He'd listened without judgment, pulling me close when the memories got too dark.And we'd made love. Constantly. Eagerly. Without a single thought of consequences.The realization hit me like a physical blow.Protection. We'd never used any.Not once in three days.I did the mental math—we'd been together multiple times, and I couldn't remember a single instance where either of us had even thought about it. Jameson had been too focused on me, on maki
Forged In Fire Intimate Moments
JAMESONThe cabin sat on the edge of a private lake, secluded and gorgeous, with floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over the water. It was the kind of place that felt a world away from Chicago, from the Connelly compound, from everything.Exactly what we needed."Well," Cat said as we pulled into the drive, her voice carefully neutral. "I wasn't expecting this.""Good kind of surprise or bad kind?"She turned to me, her dark eyes soft. "Good kind."The cabin had been a contact of Brendan's—a place that nobody knew about, that had security measures built in that would rival Fort Knox. No phones, no interruptions, no threats. Just us and time.I helped her out of the car, and she took in the surroundings with something like wonder on her face. She'd spent so much of her life in compounds and training facilities—controlled environments designed for protection or combat. A place like this, peaceful and beautiful, seemed almost foreign to her."Come on," I said, taking her hand. "Let
Forged In Fire The Getaway
JAMESONI found Grandfather in his study, reviewing reports from the past week."I need to take some time," I said without preamble.He looked up, one eyebrow raised. "Time?""A few days. Away from the compound. Away from Chicago.""And Cat?""Cat's coming with me."Grandfather set down his pen and studied me for a long moment. "I see.""You don't need me here. Declan can handle things. We're in a holding pattern anyway—we've broken the Collucci play, Isaac is handled, Patrick is being monitored. There's nothing that requires my immediate attention that Declan can't manage.""This is about Cat.""This is about both of us," I corrected. "We've been living in chaos since before the wedding. Attack after attack. She nearly died. I nearly died. And now we're finally getting space to actually breathe, and I'm not going to waste it. I'm taking my wife, and we're going to disappear for a few days."Grandfather smiled—actually smiled. "Where?""Somewhere she won't be able to anticipate. Somew
Forged In Fire Control & Chaos
CATARINAMy phone was vibrating before I even opened my eyes.I groaned, reaching for it on the nightstand and squinting at the screen through the early morning light filtering through those ridiculous pink curtains.Seven missed calls from my fathe
Forged In Fire Comfort & Connection
JAMESONThe food arrived exactly thirty-two minutes later.I'd spent most of that time sitting in the chair across from Cat's bed, trying not to stare at her while she scrolled through her phone, occasionally making sarcastic comments about the wedding photos
Forged In Fire Nightmares & Comfort Food
JAMESONThe dining room felt too quiet.I sat at the head of the table, staring at the empty chair across from me where Cat should have been sitting. The staff had already set out dinner—roasted chicken, vegetables, fresh bread—but I hadn't touched
Forged In Fire Blood & Consequences
JAMESONI didn't bother knocking.Grandfather's office door slammed open hard enough to rattle the whiskey bottles on his bar cart, and I stormed in like I owned the place.Which, technically, I did now.My grandfather looked up from his
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