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“I’ll take care of it,” I swore. I forced myself to breathe through the roiling in my belly. I’d allowed him to fuck me—the sameman who had been a part of my father’s death. The man who hadkilledhim. “I promise.”
“Good. I’ll send a team to bring you home when the job is complete.”
I ended the call immediately, rushing from the room toward the nearest bathroom.
The contents of my stomach filled the toilet alongside a single tear for the man I thought I’d gotten to know.
22
Dante
Gabriel sat across the table from me, pouring over the documents I’d brought. “We need to minimize the number of foot soldiers you’re using,” he demanded, shaking his head. “Why the hell do you need eight stationed at your house?”
“There’s plenty of room in the budget for it,” I argued.
His brown eyes rose to meet mine with a skeptical expression that looked so much like Bria’s. “The budget’s not the fucking problem,” he said, tossing the documents forward. “I told you not to let people in your house, man.”
“It’s never been a problem.”
He gave me a skeptical look. “You’ve got a fucking assassination attempt on your head right now, and you’re comfortable having underlings roaming free in your home?”
I scoffed. “Do you take me for a fool? I have them all vetted and checked before allowing them anywhere near my home.”
“We’ve always had different views on this shit,” Gabriel said with a sigh, dropping the topic with an eye-roll.
He didn’t allow anyone but immediate family in his home. He had a separate office for all work afflictions; even his guards stayed on the exterior. But here in Sicily, there were far more people willing to come through the cracks and challenge him than in New York. He’d had people try to take him down in the past, but the guards on the exterior of his house had always quelled the attack before they reached the door.
Plus, Gabriel was adept at defending himself. It came with the territory.
“You really want to get through all this business before we catch up?” Gabriel asked. “We’re at the nicest café in the city, and it’s a fine day. Let’s save shop talk for later.”
I glanced at all the paperwork and the things we needed to discuss. I wouldn’t be able to settle fully until it had all been discussed, especially when so much was urgent. A part of me envied the cool, laid-back way Gabriel carried himself and his affairs. Not a care in the world plagued him as he leaned back in his seat, an ankle crossed over his knee.
I knew the predator that lurked beneath that collected façade, though.
It didn’t matter that he carried himself with an heir of nonchalance and humor when I’d seen how quickly that could change.
“Shop talk later, then,” I agreed with a groan as I leaned back in my seat.
“Always so serious, Dante. It’s no wonder you already have frown lines.” He shook his head. “I want to know about the girl I saw you carrying inside the other night.”
“I’d rather talk about this business you’re using as a cover. A pawn shop, Gabriel? Really?”
“We aren’t talking shop,” he said in a singsong voice.
“There’s a lot to discuss.”
“It sounds like you’re deflecting,” he pushed.
I didn’t know what to tell him about her. What mattered enough to disclose? “Her name is Sienna,” I told him. “And she’s…complicated.”
“Uncomplicate it.”
“If that were fucking possible, I would have already done it.” I shook my head, thinking about how fucked up this situation had become, especially now that there was no reason to keep her. Her background check was clean, and the reason she’d been hiding for so many years checked out.
She wasn’t a threat, and that meant it was time to release her.
Only I didn’twantto let her go.
