Page 119 of The Beast Who Begged Me

“Who else?” Vitali says, looking around our small group. “Can’t be anyone those two will recognize.”

“I’ll do it,” Ricky Benedetti says. “Those aren’t the guys who took Sammy.”

I don’t like it. There’s no guarantee they won’t know him. But every other face here is on a Bratva dartboard somewhere. Benedetti has a chance of getting in the door, at least.

“You need me, too,” Sophia Vicente says.

“Hang on⁠—”

“You think because I’m a woman I don’t know what I’m doing?” she asks coldly.

“I think because you’re a woman you’re going to be pretty fucking memorable to the Bratva.”

“Trust me, they won’t be looking at my face.” She’s already tying her shirt up and knotting it, fixing her bra so it’s doing some of the talking, and producing a red lipstick from God knows where. “It’s not exactly a false mustache, but it’ll do,” she says dryly.

I glance at Fontana. “You seriously gonna approve this?”

He looks at her and shrugs. “She’s got a point. A Giuliano, a well-dressed, harmless rich kid, and a beautiful woman. They’re not gonna think too hard about it.”

We pool every bill we’ve got between us and put a fat roll in Gallo’s hand. “You came to lose money and love it. Keep them distracted. Fontana and I will be right behind you.” I turn to Benedetti. “And you don’t play hero. You stay with Vicente.”

Ricky’s staring at the door. “What if Sammy’s⁠—”

“I’ll get Sammy and I’ll get Caligula.”

Vicente slides an arm around Benedetti’s waist, pulling him out into the open. She laughs loudly enough to carry as Gallo leads them out from between the parked cars.

They’re halfway to the entrance when the door opens. Big Gee comes hurrying out, fumbling in his leather jacket for his keys, and my gun is up before I’ve even thought about it.

He’s alone. No bodyguards crowding around him. I get a nasty little kick out of that. No replacements yet.

Big Gee is scared. I see it in the way he keeps looking over his shoulder, the way he nearly drops his keys. Maybe he saw Caligula brought out and figured I wouldn’t be far behind. He knows exactly what I’ll do to get Caligula back.

But now this asshole is right fucking there. I could put him down before he reaches his car. I think of Seb, and how little of him we had to bury, and my finger tightens on the trigger.

He glances at the three coming down toward him. Shit. He’ll recognize⁠—

Vicente stumbles, folds against Gallo, laughing into his shoulder and pulling him down so his face is hidden as Big Gee passes them.

I lower my weapon.

It hurts. Big Gee is in the open, without a single fucking man between him and me, and I have to watch him go. But Vicente, Benedetti, and Gallo are already approaching the guards. One shot out here and King gets the warning he needs.

Not long ago, I would’ve burned this whole fucking building down for the chance at Big Gee. Tonight, the guy who skinned Seb is just another obstacle between me and a pair of golden eyes.

Big Gee wrenches his car door open and folds himself behind the wheel. The engine roars, and he reverses hard enough to clip a parked bike. Then he’s gone, tires squealing, the stupid fucking license plate disappearing into the dark.

“Come on,” I tell Fontana. I holster my gun and move, before I change my mind and put a bullet through the back of the car. He puts his own weapon away and follows.

At the entrance, Vicente is swaying and smiling at the guards like there’s nothing in her fucking head. Gallo turns to the guards with an apologetic shrug.

“New friends,” he says. “Wanted to show them a good time.” He lifts his marked hand as he talks, and one of the guards glances at it. The other looks Vicente over and says something in Russian that makes his friend laugh.

Fontana and I keep moving between the parked cars, low and shadowed, until we get around to the side of the building.

We sneak up to the corner and watch as Gallo takes out the money. Both guards look down at the roll. Their rifles shift back against their coats as they both reach for it.

Gallo lets the roll slip, then swears as though he didn’t mean to do it. Bills scatter across the concrete. One guard leans over to pick them up. The other is busy staring at Vicente’s cleavage.