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“Like Alberto?” I seethed, and she slammed the door in my face. I cursed, wanting to pound on the door, push my way inside and tell her that she was mine and she always would be. I couldn’t control my temper or my jealousy around Allegra. It had always been that way. I’d never been much of a hothead, not before I met her, but she just brought it out in me. I would have to do this at another time, figure it out. I figured Ricardo was passed out somewhere at the mansion after the wine he chugged at dinner, anyway, so I had some time to think.
Before I could get back to Enzo’s, Ricardo called me. I answered it from the car. “What?” I barked, still angry about my argument with Allegra.
“Did you do it?” he asked, an edge of excitement to his voice.
“No,” I said flatly. “You saw that guy who was with her.”
“Yeah, and you could take him out in a second,” Ricardo complained. “You scared or what?”
“I’m not scared, but I’m not suicidal. He was carrying,” I argued.
“So you’re backing out? Is that what you’re telling me?” Ricardo asked, this time something like warning in his voice.
“No, I didn’t say that.” I took a deep breath so I wouldn’t yell at him. I hated Ricardo, but at the same time, I had to respect him because he was Enzo’s son and heir. “I just need some time to get her alone.”
“She’s never alone, little princess,” Ricardo scoffed.
I paused, listening to him curse. “What’s your beef with her, anyway?”
“I told you. It’s a way to get rid of Romeo,” he said. “She watches the old man like a hawk, and rumor is she has a spot in the business. Rumor is thatshe’sthe heir. Can you believe that?”
I could. Allegra had always been responsible and mature, even when I’d known her, and her father had treated her like an equal instead of just a spoiled princess. I didn’t respond to Ricardo’s question. “I’ll get the job done,” I promised.
“Good. I’ll wire you the money when you get it done,” he promised, and I rolled my eyes. Half the time, Ricardo didn’t pay off on various jobs he did, which was why I’d taken the ten grand from Enzo. I would need it, staying in safehouses and going out in the dead of night to get supplies. I still couldn’t believe I was doing this, kidnapping my ex-girlfriend, but I didn’t want her hurt. I didn’t want Ricardo to kill her along with Romeo. I might have my issues with Allegra, but I’d never want her hurt. There was a part of me that still loved her just as much as I had back then, and I couldn’t bear it.
“I’ve got another job for you, this one from my old man,” Ricardo said over the line.
“Go ahead.” A job from Enzo I could do. It would be a nice reprieve from thinking about Allegra to use my hands again, even if it was for violence.Especiallyif it was for violence.
“Gregori hasn’t paid his tab in six months,” he said, and I knew I was in for a long night. Nikolai Gregori was a local business owner who paid Enzo for protection. Enzo had guys camped out near his place day and night, and Gregori paid a pretty penny for it. Or at least he used to.
“Am I getting the money or giving a warning?”
“Warning,” Ricardo said, sounding bored. “You know Papa, he has a big heart.”
“I’ll get it done,” I said, and hung up the phone, tired of hearing Ricardo’s nasal voice. I pulled a U-turn at the next light and made my way to Gregori’s place, a local restaurant with Ukrainian cuisine. He did pretty well for himself with his connections to the mob, so it wasn’t that he couldn’t afford the protection.
When I arrived, one of Gregori’s sons met me at the door. “We’re closed,” he said firmly, trying to shut the door in my face, but I stuck my foot inside. It was only midnight, and I knew for a fact they kept the restaurant bar open until three.
“Guess you should tell everyone at the bar that,” I muttered, and pushed my way past him. “I need to talk to your old man.”
The kid gulped. He had to be only about nineteen, so I didn’t want to hurt him. Luckily, I didn’t have to, because he took me through the kitchen into the back office where Gregori was sitting, looking at the cameras outside. He must have missed me on them, though, because the shock in his eyes was obvious. “Rocco?” he asked, standing up. “I thought you were—”
“In prison?” I asked, rolling my shoulders, ready for a fight. “I was. Out early for good behavior.”
“Oh. Oh, that’s…good,” he said in his heavily accented voice. “What are you doing here?”
I smiled slightly. “I can tell you it’s not a social call, Nikolai. Seems like you’re behind on your payments to Enzo.”
He gulped. “Just a little,” he said. “The restaurant hasn’t been doing so well since that Russian place opened up down the street.”
“Seems like you’ve got plenty of patrons tonight,” I said idly, shutting the office door behind me. It was a small office, and he had nowhere to go.
He backed up against the wall. “Listen, we could just talk about this, all right? I’ve got some money in the safe, I’ll—”
“All of it?” I asked.
Gregori shuffled his feet before looking up at me. “Not all of it,” he admitted.
