“What is it like, then?” I asked. Then, without waiting for him to reply I went on a tirade. “I asked them for help dealing with your family. I went to them for help after they brutally massacred my heart last year but I sucked it up because I was sure I was going to get assassinated by your fucking henchmen and what were you doing? Conspiring with them behind my back, and for what? To try to play hero? To try to win me back for them?”
I stopped to take a breath and I could see the hurt in Alessio’s eyes.
“How long have you been selling out your family to the FBI?”
Alessio’s eyes burned with anger at my latest accusation. “I’ve never sold out my family to anyone.”
“No? Then what do you offer the FBI? What’s your value to them?”
“I told you that was a bad fucking idea,” I said, watching Beatrice, Trey and Callie drive away from my house. “Why did you tell her the Bianchi’s were trying to kill her?” David asked, turning to look at Devon. “Because that’s as close to the truth as we have and explaining all the shit going on right now to her would very likely break her,” he replied. I agreed but it felt dangerously like we were still lying to her. “The last year very nearly broke her, I don’t think finding out that there’s a mole in the Bianchi family and he’s trying to kill her but we don't know who it is, would do her in just yet,” I replied. My words rang in the room but no one was listening any longer. I felt Michael and Rachel leaving, heading toward the kitchen. I knew we’d find them there but we had other business first. Important business. I stopped and stared at David. I could feel Devon’s gaze on me too but I couldn't take my eyes away from David. “It’s been so fucking long,” my voice rasped as I
The first blow was a shock, the pain went shooting through my thighs, down my legs, and up to my back until there was a reverberation of anticipation flowing over my skin. A streak of humiliation hit soon after, it threatened to take every ounce of my pride and burn it in a heap of ash. I could almost see the ashes fluttering through the room, out the window, toward the ocean where the breeze would scatter them in the sea. My pride was wounded and heat rushed to my face, coating my cheeks with the unfamiliar bright red pigment.Despite everything, my pride was all I had left, it was the only thing holding me together. I clung to it as I counted down the minutes of my life. I never thought the end would look like this.It wasn't a hard blow, but it had enough force to make the sting tingle through my body, shaking the bars that were holding my resolve in place. He had used his hand, which was more than enough to make his point, that he was stronger than me, that he was in charge, and t
Six weeks earlier...I stared into the cold, dark eyes of the giant man sitting across from me and I felt my soul slowly leave my body. The dread that filled me knew no bounds. I was trapped and we both knew it.My breath was shallow but I willed my body to stay calm. I'd like to think I succeeded but looking at the smirk on his face didn't instill much confidence.There are moments in my life that I can recall vividly. They come back to mind as vividly as if I were still there, in the midst of the chaos swirling around me. I can feel the panic as I sit, waiting for time to tick by slowly, ushering me to the other side. The other side of what, I don't know, the chaos perhaps or perhaps the other side of my anxiety. I could handle anything if I could just get rid of the sinking, panicked feeling that overwhelmed my body in such circumstances.I was in such a moment right now. I would remember this day forever. The room was spinning but over the years I had become adept at hiding my fee
“We have some news,” Reese said as he dropped a file folder on my desk. “You know Beatrice Welsh, don’t you?”The name sent a shiver of desire through my chest. I knew her. The name brought back memories that plagued my dreams. I tried to hide my emotions as I looked up at Reese with a neutral expression.“The name rings a bell, why?”“The word on the street is that she’s been tapped to be the new counsel for the Trivisonnos,” Reese answered, knocking his knuckles against the desk as he sat on the arm of the chair in front of my desk. He was nonchalant, unaware of how his words affected me.“How reliable is the source?” I asked, my heart racing as I considered the consequences. I needed to get in touch with my own sources. If this was true and the Trivisonnos had hired her that meant they knew more than I had credited them for, more than any of us credited them for. “It’s from our undercover asset, he heard talk of a meeting between her and The Butcher. She looks an awful lot like th
My hands were shaking as I held my cell phone in front of me, moving the device closer to my eyes to better see the screen. I must need glasses. There was no way this was the correct account. I was staring at the balance of my firm's reserve account for the Trivisonnos and there were more zeros than I had ever seen before in my life. There were more zeros than I had told them to deposit. There were just too many zeros. At first, I thought it was a mistake, but then I remembered who I was dealing with.That's when I knew how seriously deep in shit I really was. No one deposited over a million dollars in their lawyer’s retainer account unless they were expecting a long, dirty relationship with lots of illegal and probably painful tasks.I mean, I knew before that this was not my ideal client, but now it was like reality had dropped an anvil on my head and I was shaking my head in confusion as I tried to finish running the damn race. I had been the gazelle and now I was the fucking coy
Callie sat at the bar and I walked through the restaurant toward the empty table in the back reserved for one David Wattiers. I rolled my eyes at the name, only David used his full name to make a reservation. My face was steeled as I approached the table behind the waiter. I let the relief show when I saw it was still empty. I was early, not by much but enough that I had hoped I would have a minute to compose myself before I saw him again. It had been a year since I had last seen him and eleven months since I last spoke to him. I had become adept at avoiding him in court. Callie and I had found new bars and restaurants so I wouldn't risk running into him during my downtime. It had been a full lifestyle rework. This was going to be the death of me. He would be the death of me if the mob wasn't. My fear of the mob was pretty intense, though I had managed to hide it well. There was no way I would show weakness. They would pounce on that weakness and exploit every last facet of my sel
"We're in this together," Callie said roughly as she pulled her arm viciously from the grip of the bodyguard. As I pulled her into the room to a chair near mine, I noticed David nod to the bodyguard. He exited quickly and the door closed softly behind him. "I'm not sure you know what you're getting yourself into," Michael murmured a frown on his face as he surveyed the dark-haired visitor. "I know it's serious shit if Bea decided to call this asshole again," Callie said gesturing toward David with a jerk of her head. "Well, now that the happy family has all gathered, shall we begin?" David asked, ignoring the barb from Callie. "Bea, we need you to start from the beginning. When did you get the call for the Trivisonnos?" Devon asked, his eyes gentle, his voice low and calm. I cleared my throat and took another drink. The wine was calming, I was starting to understand how ridiculous it had been to call David. I could handle this on my own. I didn't need him. I had Callie and sh
I watched as Beatrice and Callie disappeared in the cab and watched as it took off down the road. I wasn’t fast enough to catch her in the bar and now there was no hope of following her, she was damn fast when she wanted to be and I had hesitated too long. She slipped away. I almost had her in my clutches again. I knew if I could have just kept her with us for an hour, I’d have convinced her to stay. I could have convinced her to go home with us again. We would be doing something vastly different right now. I turned with a huff and saw Devon at the door, watching the road with regret. “She’s so angry,” he muttered. I could hear him, but just barely. I nodded in agreement, she was so angry. I pulled out my phone and sent Beatrice a text. I was letting my anger and fear get the best of me, but right now, that didn’