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My entire body tenses in anger. “Absolutely not.”
“You haven’t heard my offer yet.”
I’m ready to slam the phone down, but Sia jumps up and latches onto my arm with both hands.
“Wait,” Sia mouths. “Hear him out.”
My eye twitches.
“Two big ones.” Donny’s voice lingers in the forest air.
“Two million?” Sia mouths.
“You get this job done, Hook, you can disappear for the rest of your days. You won’t hear from me, the Rigianos, the Lucrazis, or Barones. Fly off the map for all I care.”
A long silence passes.
“If I agree to terms – which I’m not saying I am – it happens without the girl.”
“Won’t work without her. Here’s why. We’re going to check you in a night early. You’re both going to act giddy and drunk. Both with different style hair. You’ll be clean shaven. This way, when the Barones check the cameras, you won’t stick out at all. Then, on wedding day, you stay in your room until the reception. You’ll slip in when it’s dark. By then the bodyguards will be outside the Plaza. From there, logistics will be up to you. Make a scene, don’t make a scene, I don’t give a fuck. Just get it done.”
I shake my head at Sia and put Donny on mute. “Too dangerous.”
“But, Leandro, think. We’ve been talking about ways to handle the others. This is it.”
“Hook,” Donny growls.
“One second,” I say, then put the phone on mute again.
“We can start again, somewhere far away. Raise our child. I can’t keep doing this.” She spreads her arms. “I need to be able to see real doctors. We need to leave this life behind. You already popped my cherry. I’m not innocent anymore. Fuck it. Let’s go do this one job together, and get outta Dodge.”
My chest tightens at the ask. Putting her in harm’s way is no longer in the cards. If I lose her… no. It’s simple, I can’t lose her.
“You’re the best at what you do.” She cups my face with her hand. “You won’t let anything happen to me.”
My temples are pulsing. I’m the best at what I do because I operate alone.
“I’m not interested in getting picked up by the feds, Hook,” Donny growls.
“Thought these phones were clean,” I say.
“Crystal. I’m just being impatient,” Donny cackles. “I already know I have you. You would’ve hung up three minutes ago if I didn’t.”
I grunt at that, and Sia masks a giggle.
“Are you sure you’re up to this?” I ask Sia.
“As sure as I’ll ever be. This is for our new life.”
I fight back a grin. “Alright, Donny. I’m in.”
Chapter 27
Alessia
I’m having a tough first trimester. I’ve been vomiting all of yesterday and the day before. It gets to the point where I beg Leandro to go see Maria – our resident nurse – in hopes she has some insight.
I sit on the floor of the RV bathroom, hands around the ring of the toilet. It’s cute when Leandro comes in. He bought me all my prenatals from the closest shop, some Tums to soothe my stomach, and a heated blanket since I’ve been getting the shivers here and there. About once a day he tells me how he wants to call off the big job. But I’m firm about doing it.
