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She stares up at me, and I want to slap her for even suggesting something like that.
But she isn’t wrong.
I could probably disappear, but I can’t keep Maria and Lorenzo safe if I’m not around. I know Maria is not going to follow me anywhere, keen as she is to leave the mafia life behind.
I growl and grab Lucia’s throat. “Fine,” I hiss. “For Nico’s sake. But you’re going to need more than just my help for this. You’re going to need Saint. And you’re going to need Victor on board. I hope you’re ready to kiss his feet properly this time.”
Her face is pale, but her eyes are resolute. She nods slightly, not trying to speak.
“And don’t think I’m forgetting youroffers, Princess,” I tell her, stroking her slender neck with my thumb. “You aren’t benefiting from this out of the kindness of my heart. I expect you to fucking follow through, and if you run again… You’ll wish you hadn’t.”
Before she can respond, I lean in and kiss her, bruising her lips with my own as my tongue presses against the seam of them to force her mouth open. I’m doing this for Nico, but she offered to pay the price, and I’m not going to let her out of it.
Not this time.
Not ever again.
12
SAINT
My stomach is churning while I wait for Angel to show up. He’d finally responded to one of my messages—from a new, anonymous email account—and told me to meet him at “QP.” I’m embarrassed that I wasn’t able to figure that out on my own, even though Victor had taken one look at the message and said, “Quick Press” and given me an exasperated expression.
That’s a dry cleaner not too far from the city center, one of our many businesses used to clean our more illegitimately earned money.
It’s still a real dry cleaner though, so I feel very conspicuous loitering near the front while customers bring in their dirty clothes. The staff ignores me, but the customers eye me strangely.
Their stares wouldn’t bother me if I wasn’t so nervous about this meeting. It’s been ten days since Angel left. I want to be angry at him for how he’d treated me the last time, but I’ve been missing him so much that I can’t bring myself to be mad. Even his apparent defection to Pavone’s side doesn’t do more than depress me.
Every time the bell dings to signal the door opening, I turn my head to see who’s coming inside. It’s a busy place, which is one of the reasons it’s so perfect for us to use, but right now I wish it was a little less so.
When Angel steps in, my breath catches. He’s carrying a bag of what’s likely his own dry cleaning, and behind him is… Lucia.
I take a fumbling step in their direction, but they both ignore me and head to the counter.
“Hey, Carmen,” Angelo says, smiling charmingly. “I brought a suit for you.”
Carmen, the elderly Latina woman behind the counter, scowls at him. “I’m charging you triple if it’s anything like the last one.”
Angel laughs and turns to Lucia. “The last one was after Victor’s party. Do you think it’s as bad?”
Lucia rolls her eyes. “No, this one’s not as bad. Though really, Angelo, you should be more careful,” she chides.
It’s like they’re in another dimension. They’re right there, so close I can nearly touch them, but they’re so far away, too. I don’t know if I should interrupt. Did I get it wrong? Did Angel not want to meet after all? He hasn’t even looked in my direction.
They continue to banter with Carmen, and I’m left standing on the outside.
Once Carmen takes the suit off Angel’s hands, the two of them finally turn to look at me. Angel’s charming demeanor is gone, replaced by a look of indifference. Lucia might as well be Victor, with how little I can read her.
Angel looks at his watch. “We’ve got forty minutes before we meet with the wedding planner,” he says to Lucia. “That’s enough time to grab a quick lunch.”
I approach them. “Angel. Lucia. You look… well.” I swallow hard, trying not to fidget as those expressionless gazes settle on me. “Can we talk?”
Angel had agreed to a meeting. He’d told me to meet him here. He hadn’t been gushing with information, but he’d agreed! So why is he acting so standoffish now? I’m the one who should be tense and clipped, because the two of them had gone off with Pavone and left me behind. But I’m just desperate for them to talk to me.
“I don’t know if there’s anything for us to talk about,” Angel says evenly.
My heart sinks. “Angel…”
