148
GIANNI
There is no sense of peace in the house. No hope of calm. Not while it’s crawling with guards at all hours. Not with Jack out there somewhere, plotting how he’s going to blow iny world to pieces for taking his son’s life.
I sent Roger home an hour ago against his wishes. He needs sleep we both do, but I can’t imagine willing my mind to quiet down long enough for sleep to catch up to me. I would only toss and turn and wake Caterina. One of us needs to be sharp, meaning he needs a break while I pace my office or check in with the guards down at the front gate walking the perimeter. Watching. Waiting.
1
If this goes on much longer, I don’t know how my nerves will stand it. A man in my position can expect to spend sleepless nights. I’ve lived with strain, stress, tension, to the point where I thought I was impervious. But this? Everything that’s ever mattered is at stake, and at the moment, I can’t do anything but wait for Jack to show his face. Roger’s exhausted his extensive contact list. We have guys combing every square mile between this compound and the property Jack’s been living and working out of. We even have eyes on his Miami residence in case he flew down there to regroup.
Where is he? What’s his next move?
A whiskey might dull the incessant pounding in my head, but I can’t risk dulling my senses. I can only grind my teeth and push through, ignoring the bar cart while I pace for lack of anything else to do. Patience has never been one of my virtues.
The ringing of my phone pierces the silence. I pounce on it, snatching it from the desk. The sight of Sebastian’s name, especially at two in the morning, takes my already rapid pulse and sends it into overdrive.
“This had better be good,” I murmur without greeting him.
“Of course it’s good. Why else would I be calling you at this time of night? I did it. It finally happened.”
My grip on the phone tightens. “What are you talking about? I’m not in the mood for games.”
“This isn’t a game.”
So why does he sound so jumpy? Almost hyper. “Tell me you have good news.”
“Excellent news. And if you want what I know you want more than anything, you will meet me at the address I’m about to
provide.”
Easy. Calm. I can’t afford to leap without looking first, especially when it sounds like the kid is on speed. His breathing erratic, the words pouring from him in a rapidfire stream.
“Is this about what I think it’s about?”
“You’ll find out when you get here.”
“I’m going to need more than that, Sebastian.”
“Do I have to spell it out? I have something you want. This merchandise isn’t the kind I can let out of my sight. So either you can claim it, or I’m going to have to. Either way, it needs to be dealt with.”
“How many men am I bringing with me?”
“None. You won’t need them. This is the part where you trust me.
1
Trust him? My heart is about to tear its way out of my chest. If he s Moroni, why won’t he use his name? What’s with speaking in these cryptic codes?
“Give me the address,” I grunt, scribbling it down on a notepad bore tearing the page free.
“It shouldn’t take you more than twenty minutes to get here. I’ll waiting.” With that, the line goes dead, leaving me staring at my phone while the sound of my heartbeat fills my ears.
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Why was he so cryptic? That’s what bothers me, the question that rolls around in my head as I leave my office and stride quickly down the hall, to the staircase. I take the steps two at a time before rushing down the hall as silently as I can, slowly opening the
bedroom door.
She left the lamp on the nightstand burning, and a book is open on her chest. She fell asleep while reading. I can imagine her waiting for me as long as she could before there was no fighting sleep anymore. Considering she blew a man away three nights ago, she’s taken things well. No outbursts beyond the breakdown the scene. I’d be worried if she hadn’t at least wept after what she went through. Beyond that, she’s been strong, and résilient. She knows what needs to be done now and can accept it. Yet another example of her belonging at my side. She was made for me, for this ruthless world. My queen.
For a moment, I take in her peaceful beauty. The dark locks fanned across the pillow, the hand curled beside her head. My little bird.She got damn lucky, escaping the crash without a scratch. It was Charles who ended up with a concussion and a broken arm, and even that seems mild when I think of how bad it could’ve been
Now she’s dreaming, unaware of the current battle waging a war inside my head between trusting Sebastian and possibly losing a golden opportunity. When I look at her and think about the life growing inside her, there’s no choice to be made.
Whatever it takes, I’m going to protect them, and that means following Sebastian’s instructions.
I walk into the closet as quietly as possible and push all the clothing out of the way, typing the code into the safe built into the wall.Weapons.I need a gun or two and maybe a knife. I strap a knife to my ankle and grab one gun, placing it at my back. Then I close the safe and walk out of the closet, my gaze lingering on Caterina for a moment longer. I’m tempted to kiss her goodbye, but I don’t want her to wake up and question where I’m going. Lying to her is not an option, and I wouldn’t want to anyway. We’re partners in this.
I choose against it and slip out of the room. After closing the door carefully, I jog downstairs and straight out the front door. The trio of armed guards standing in the courtyard cast quizzical looks my way. I ignore them, heading straight for Roger’s cottage. I’m not surprised to see the light on in the front window- he hasn’t gone to bed yet. It’s as much of a challenge for him to relax and let go at a time like this as it is for me.
The door swings open practically in sync with my knock on the door. “I saw you coming,” he explains. He’s in flannel pants, and a plain white T–shirt, so at least he made the effort to prepare for sleep.
By the time I finish rattling off all the details of Sebastian’s call, his brow is lowered to the point where I can barely see his eyes. “You trust him? When he sounded half out of his mind?”
“You know how he is. He can be… theatrical at best.”
“To put it mildly.”
“If he’s holding Moroni for me, I can’t afford to pass up the opportunity. Like he said, there’s only so long you can hold a guy like that before people come sniffing around. This isn’t like Christopher. There’s no keeping him indefinitely.”
His sigh is heavy. Resigned. “You’re going to go, aren’t you?”
“I can’t afford not to. I need him dead. We all do.” I point at the house, my hand shaking with anticipation. “Those lives in there? They’re all that matters. If I don’t end him tonight, I’m going to regret it. One way or another, I’ll regret it.”
“Give me five minutes.”
“I never said you were coming with me.” I’m talking to the empty living room by now. He’s already getting changed in the adjoining bedroom.
“I swear you’re out of your damn mind. Why would you think I’d you go alone? You might trust that little shit, but not me.”
There’s no use in arguing, so I don’t bother. I want to get this done and over with. I pull three men together. “I want a man posted at my bedroom door, and one at Tatiana’s. We’ll be back as soon as we can. Roger will keep you posted.”
I look over my shoulder to find him leaving the cottage in dark jeans, a leather jacket, and his T–shirt. “Do we have an address?” I hand him the paper and wait as he plugs the address into his phone. “A warehouse. No surprise. It’s in Costello territory, at least. Did he ask Jack for a meeting there?”
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“I don’t know. I didn’t ask questions,” I tell him. I’m halfway to the car, which I’ll be driving. I can’t sit passively for another minate. I’ve done enough of that the past few days to last me a lifetime. This is it. I’ve waited so long, craving the sensation of grinding the man into dust under my heel. That craving, has only intensified until now, I want blood. Knowing I’m this close to achieving what I’ve waited for is a heady sensation that translateso a heavy foot on the gas pedal. I’m so close. This ends
tonight.
“I’ll take the lead.” Roger’s voice is quiet, low. “Just in case. Stayck until I give you the all clear.”
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
