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“Was that ‘not exclusively’ on her end or yours?”
I shot him a dry look. “Are you happy now?”
“Not until you give me her number,” he joked. Or, at least I was hoping he was.
“Listen,” I dropped my voice so the cab driver wouldn’t hear me. “Layla isn’t to be messed with. The only reason why I got away with it was because she was younger then. She isn’t now. She’s managed to climb the ranks to be one of the top black market art dealers around, and you don’t get there by acting sweet and kind.”
“Damn.” He gave a low whistle. “If that was supposed to deter me, you did a terrible job.”
I turned away, snorting. “I knew it wouldn’t. I just told you, so you couldn’t blame me later.”
The cab dropped us off a block away, and we walked the to the house in silence. The four tickets in my wallet were burning a hole through my pocket. I’d checked the dates stamped onto the gold foil—a bit ostentatious, but who was I to judge? We only had a day to prepare. A day to plan and make sure the Snake didn’t get away this time.
Our last few attempts had failed miserably. Our only win so far had been taking out one of their closest associates, but it felt as if we’d accomplished nothing. The bitter taste of betrayal overpowered any feeling of success after getting revenge on Ivan.
He’d deserved everything he’d gotten. And, from the way he talked shit in between hits, he deserved so much more. His betrayal ran deeper than just killing my father. Ivan had relished in digging the knife in deeper and deeper as I slowly took his life. Everything he’d ever done had been laid bare, and I’d doled out the punishment.
But the beast was still bloodthirsty. Taking Ivan out was only half the problem. Our road to revenge was only half-paved. There was one more person that needed to be punished. And they would get everything that was coming to them.
Sienna was waiting for us in the living room. As soon as we walked in, she checked the time on her phone. “Two hours and fifteen minutes,” she said primly. “You’re late.”
“Sorry, we got held up by the finest—” The air flew from Killian’s lungs. I let my arm fall back to my side, coming around the couch to take the seat beside Sienna.
“What the hell was that for?” He hunched down, hands on his knees as he tried to take a breath.
“For being an idiot.” My arm settled around Sienna’s shoulder. “How’s your arm?”
“I’ve been taking the aspirin, so it’s fine.” She glanced between my brother and me, suspicious.
“Where’s David?”
“Here.” He stepped from the kitchen, looking haggard. Dark circles hung beneath his eyes. His shirt was rumpled and hanging over his dark slacks. Rubbing the exhaustion from his eyes, he slumped into the chair beside the couch. “What did you get?”
Taking out the four tickets, I tossed them onto the coffee table between us. “The auction is tomorrow night. Mostly art, but that’s just the front. I think the Snake is looking to expand even more than they already have. They have some big names on the guest list, apparently. I’m not sure if the Snake is just looking to sell or to recruit.”
David stared down at the tickets, an emotion I couldn’t quite place locked behind his eyes. “Then I guess we’ll find out.”
24
SIENNA
The next night, I stood before the mirror, my hands smoothing the wrap dress. Muted purple orchids blended into the black material that stretched from the a-line neck to the loose skirt. The butterfly sleeves fell just below the still-stitched gunshot wound on my arm, the stitches covered by the silk crepe fabric. I’d paired it with a single, silver necklace that stopped just above my breasts, a star with a solitary diamond at the center. It had been my mother’s once, long ago, before I stole it from her jewelry box.
My hair was left down, curling around my shoulders. Tear-drop diamonds hung from my ears. I could feel them against my neck with each turn of my head as I studied myself in the mirror. Tying the silk ribbon around my waist, I made sure it wouldn’t come undone. Dante had gone with Killian to retrieve their own suits for tonight, and David had stopped by his place for something to wear as well. I was alone for the first time in what felt like years.
Picking up the bronzer, I leaned closer to the mirror, swiping the brush across my cheeks gently before blending. The door opened just as I finished dabbing on some lip color.
“You wouldn’t be trying to make me lose control now, are you?” Dante leaned against the door frame, arms crossed. The fabric of his black suit pulled against his chest, tight against the flexed muscles of his arms. He’d cleaned up well. The suit was tailored to fit him perfectly, small silver cuff links at his wrists. The white shirt was pressed beneath the jacket. Just the sight of him dressed like that sent a rush of heat between my thighs.
“Of course not.” I turned, showing him the rest of the dress before grabbing the black heels I’d chosen to go with it. Bending at the waist, I slowly slipped them on, knowing the short skirt of the wrap dress fell just above the bottom of my ass.
I heard his sharp intake of breath behind me. Straightening, I turned around, unable to catch the slight smile that slipped across my lips. I knew exactly what I was doing to him, and I was enjoying every single minute of it. He prowled to the bed, his eyes never leaving me as he took a seat.
“Come here.”
I waltzed over to him, stopping just before our knees touched. He looked like the Devil himself, a fallen angel in a tailored suit that made me want to drag my nails across his chest. His hands moved to my hips, searing hot against the thin fabric that separates my body from his.
“Promise me you’ll behave tonight.” There was a slight smile on his lips, but his eyes were deadly serious. He was talking about our plan. Or, more specifically, the plan where I keep look-out while he did the dirty work.
