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“Because that’s Frederico, and he works for Donati.”
My jaw drops. “Wh—”
“Keep your distance and don’t say too much. Goodbye, Mariella.”
With those final words, he’s gone.
Vicente
ChapterThirty-One
“She doesn’t know who he is, but they’re clearly watching her,” I tell Khalid when I get into his office.
He puts his pen down and sits back in the chair. “You think it’s Donati? Making sure you stay away from his daughter?”
“Probably, but I don’t like it. This guy lives in her building. He followed her to the casino.”
“Followed?” Khalid questions with an arched brow. “We both saw the surveillance footage. They came out of the cab together.”
“He’s a snake. He knew what he was doing.”
Leaning forward, he folds his arms on the desk and stares at me. “Okay, what’s another reason why they might be watching her that closely?”
“There shouldn’t be one. Donati said he didn’t want her to know about him. His whole reason for leaving her behind was to protect her. He was insistent I didn’t tell anyone about Mariella because we all know she’d be used as leverage by any other enemy. It has to be for protection.”
He leans back, lifting his arms in the air. “Then maybe that’s it.”
Something about this whole situation bothers me. I already looked into everything. He moved in a week before she did. I have a guy who works for the company that owns that apartment complex. Frederico must’ve gotten wind that she signed a lease there and then was able to move in earlier so as to not have it look suspicious that he moved in right after her.
Him joining her in my casino, knowing that we own it was a ballsy move. A deliberate one. Why?
“I need to talk to Frederico,” I say.
“Hold on,” Khalid replies, standing up. “We just got everything settled, Vicente. You killed Alberto, got them to drop their pursuits on both our club in Briton and our cocaine route.”
“Right, and what? We say we’ll make sure nobody else infringes on his territory, and I don’t mention the existence of his daughter. Does it seem fair? They’ll want more.”
“But what?”
“He keeps me away from his daughter,” I say quietly, mostly to myself. I look up at Khalid. “He claimed he didn’t want me around Mariella because of my ways. Because he doesn’t want her in the life. So why put one of his guys right next to her, keeping her closely involved?”
Khalid folds his arms, his face contorting as he thinks. “Think they believe Frederico will get information from her?”
“She barely knows anything.”
“What if Donati doesn’t know what Frederico is doing?”
My eyes snap to his. “I have to talk to Donati,” I say in a rush, flying toward the door.
“Vicente, don’t let your emotions fuel you on this.”
I don’t respond, already half down the hall. I think to give Donati a warning that I’m on my way, but it’s best if I just show up.
* * *
Once I’ve tracked him down at his bar in Briton, I barge through the door, eyes searching the floor. Two of his soldiers stand up, one of them saying, “Hey, we’re not open.”
The other one puts his hand on his friend’s arm, recognizing me. I quickly pull the gun from the back of my pants and aim it at them.
