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“I wouldn’t expect anything else,” I say, trying to hold onto my anger with her instead of the amusement that threatens to take over. “He is my friend and ally, so we should be okay, but if things go sideways, you get out with Rio and I will take care of everything else.”
After running over a brief escape plan, we head inside. Our footsteps echo in the stairwell as we climb to the third floor. My heart is racing as I pull open the door and step into the empty lobby.
This is the night where I get the information I’ve been looking for.
This is the first chance I have at getting rid of the Domingos cartel for good.
I should have killed Felix when I killed the rest of his family.
“Welcome, my friends,” Alessio says as he appears from behind a pillar. He stands a good half a foot taller than me and he’s built like a brick wall. “Looks like you’re feeling better, Hadley.”
Hadley nods and smiles at him as Alessio comes over to us and pulls her into a tight hug. She grins as he whispers something in her ear before pulling away. I don’t want to know what he said to her. It’s only going to bother me.
“Jovan,” Alessio says, his gaze shooting toward me. “Just a head’s up, we have some other matters to discuss at a later date as well.”
His words and the look he gives the men standing just to the side are all it takes to have my guard up. Something isn’t right here, especially with the way his gaze drags over Hadley. I can see the concern in his eyes when he looks back at me and stuffs his hands in his pockets.
“What information do you have on our guy?” I ask, crossing my arms and standing a little taller. I glance at the other men, their hands hovering near their guns.
“This is for you.” Alessio hands me a folder that was on a nearby desk. “It details everything I know about our friend’s building power and gaining support. I was thinking that this could be your Valentine’s Day gift from me this year.”
“Thank you so much, Alessio. I’ll let you get on with your night,” I say, my tone stern.
“Before you go, I just wanted to say it was nice finally meeting you, Hadley.”
She smiles at him and says, “Likewise. And thank you for having my back that first day back at the club. It meant a lot to me.”
He looks into her eyes before saying, “No problem. Everyone deserves a second chance when they are trying to get their feet under them the right way.”
Her cheeks go a light shade of pink. “Thank you.”
“I liked your fire that first day, and from everything Jovan has told me about you, you seems like a good woman, so I have a favor to ask.”
I step closer to Alessio, ready to intervene if he says something that upsets Hadley.
“What is it?” she asks, curiosity burning in her eyes.
“Never stop giving him hell, huh?”
Hadley laughs. A beautiful sound that I’d never heard from her before. So genuine. So heartfelt.
“I promise,” she says when she calms down.
“Now, let me talk to this guy in private for a second, okay? It really was a pleasure meeting you.”
“Likewise. Please come visit more often. I had fun.” She heads up out and Rio follows.
When they are out of earshot, Alessio shakes his head. “Someone is after your girl. I heard a rumor her parents are still alive. I’m not sure how accurate that is, but I thought I’d let you know in case you wanted to look into it.”
“The fuck?”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t bring any good news this time, but you can count on my support if you need it.”
“Thank you, man. I really appreciate it.”
He nods and follows the path Rio took to the stairwell, his men trailing behind him, leaving me alone with the folder.
Can Alessio’s intel be right about Hadley’s parents? And if it is, is she involved in their ruse in any way?
