Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 94076 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94076 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
I rub my jaw. “There’s a party on Saturday night. It will be a chance for me to look for the book properly.”
“You mean, you’ve been working there all week, and you haven’t even tried to find the fucking book?”
“I need to build trust.”
“No, you need to get that fucking book before I lose my patience.”
I climb to my feet. I feel too vulnerable looking up at Luca. I need to be eye level with him. “It’s a locked room. I have to have a reason to be in there, and for that to happen, they need to trust me. I’ve already been caught once.”
“Ah yes, by the enforcer.” He says the title theatrically to mock it. “These stupid titles are bit childish, aren’t they? Enforcer. President. Treasurer. What are we, kids in the playground?”
Okay, Don Moretti.
I bite my tongue. Keep my expression neutral. Despite envisioning Lars showing Luca what he does to people who call his title childish. I’m thinking a bullet to his face. No, Lars would get up close and personal with his fists, and he wouldn’t stop until they were both bleeding. Lars from his knuckles, Luca from the area that used to be his face.
A surge of warmth spreads through me.
I’d pay a billion dollars to see that.
“Have you seen much of this enforcer since you’ve been working there?” Luca asks.
I look him in the eyes. “No.”
It’s easy to lie to someone’s face when there is so much at stake.
“He offers you a job but doesn’t check in on you?” Carolina asks.
I answer her but keep my eyes locked on Luca. “I don’t think I made that much of an impression.”
“Enough for him to offer you a job,” she says.
“I was in the right place at the right time. I don’t think he has given me a second thought.”
Luca tilts his head. His eyes roam my face looking for inconsistencies or something that might show I am lying. But I give him nothing.
“I’m just asking for a bit more time. But I will get the book.”
“Good. Because I’ve decided that if you don’t come up with the goods, I’m going to gift Lucretia to Viktor for his troubles.” He smiles with glee. “Just think, you’ll be sister wives.”
In my silent rage, my gaze slides to my bed where I keep a knife under the pillow for protection. Could I reach it before he has a chance to stop me?
Could I plunge it right into his heart before the self-satisfied smile even leaves his face?
“Did you hear what I said?” he says, irritated because he hasn’t gotten the reaction he was hoping for.
I look from my pillow to his smug face, mentally counting the steps it would take to reach the knife and the seconds it would take to plunge it into his neck.
But the impulsive move would be a fatal move if I don’t succeed. He would hurt Lucretia. And make me watch.
“I heard you, Luca. But that won’t be necessary. I won’t fail. I’ll make sure of it.”
“Good. Because you should know, I have sent Lucretia away to an out-of-country boarding school.”
I gasp. “Why—”
“Insurance. That you will do as I say. One word to the Knights or to anyone about who you are and what you are doing there, and I will have the men stationed outside of the school take her into the woods and do the worst possible things to her.” He leans closer and whispers, “Right before they slit her throat.”
My heart beats like a drum. Fear twists in my gut. I should’ve known Luca would take extra steps to ensure my silence.
I can’t get her to safety when I don’t know where she is.
And if I confide in anyone about what my brother and Viktor are trying to do, then he’ll ensure I never see her again.
“Where is she?”
He chuckles. “You don’t need to concern yourself with her whereabouts. She’s quite safe. For now. All you need to concern yourself with is doing exactly what I tell you.”
Unshed tears brim in my eyes.
I might never find her if I don’t comply with his commands.
Inwardly, I steel myself and lift my chin, determined not to show him the raging fear I feel.
One day I am going to kill this man, and I am going to rejoice when I’m doing it.
“You don’t have to worry about me, Luca. I know exactly what to do.”
CHAPTER 37
Lars
In Church, Beast brings the rest of the club up to speed.
“Do we have any idea who killed him?” Bear asks.
“Devil’s Kitchen is a blind spot,” Bram adds. “Minimal cameras. Nobody willing to talk.”
“So we don’t know who came and went out of Cheezy’s apartment,” I say.
“Or put a bullet in his skull while he was doing the five-finger shuffle,” Axe adds.
“Is it possible our suspicions about Cheezy were right and he was the one who sold the clean routes on the dark web?” Rogue asks. “Maybe they paid him a visit.”