Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 54103 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 271(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54103 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 271(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
Was he about to say love? I think back on my conversation with Gianna. People don't fall in love within a week.
When I look at my complex, intense, bright, yet dark man, I’m not so sure about that.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Nico
I sit in the back of a police surveillance van with Detective Ramirez, a tough cop who has been an ally to the Family since I took leadership and began transforming the city. She revealed the true identity of the person behind my woman's mother's murder.
Now, we watch a security monitor displaying a live feed from the restaurant where the meeting is taking place. When I agreed to this plan, Sienna demonstrated remarkable initiative. "I'll message Adrian, claiming I got his number from your phone. I'll say I’ve got what he asked for, and I need to meet immediately to put this behind me. I saw his desperation. He'll take the bait."
Sienna appears on screen, traversing the bustling, upscale restaurant with surprising confidence. She berates herself for her reaction the night of the party, as though she should have maintained composure after that bastard blindsided her.
"She looks confident," Ramirez observes, then addresses the technicians monitoring the audio equipment. "Do we have audio?"
One technician increases the volume, allowing us to hear the restaurant's ambient noise and Sienna's breathing. Ramirez is right—Sienna appears self-assured, but her irregular breathing betrays her anxiety.
"If he tries anything with her," I growl menacingly.
Ramirez shakes her head. "Let's avoid that scenario. You made the right decision in approaching me. Adrian won't be able to use his Russian connections to evade consequences this time... will he?"
"Viktor Barinov won't interfere when you prosecute my cousin," I assert grimly.
"I’m not going to ask what you mean by that."
"That's undoubtedly for the best."
Sienna sits at a corner table, fully visible to the cameras. Despite the grainy quality of the feed and her distance from the lens, her beauty remains striking.
"Adrian confirmed his attendance?" Ramirez questions.
"You saw the text. He said he’ll be here."
We wait for what feels like forever. All I want is to storm the restaurant and trade places with Sienna. My protective instinct has never been stronger, yet pride mingles with concern. She's overcoming her fear, rising magnificently to the challenge. Even she fails to see her extraordinary fortitude.
"Here we go," Ramirez announces.
Adrian struts across the restaurant with his usual bravado. He reaches Sienna, snorting derisively. "You could at least pretend to be happy to see me, doll. I'm doing you a favor—helping you put away the man who stole your mother from you ."
"Are you planning to sit, or just stand there trying to act tough?"
Ramirez grins at me. "Tough gal."
"The toughest," I affirm proudly.
Adrian laughs harshly, taking a seat and adjusting his jacket.
"Is that gun supposed to scare me?" Sienna challenges.
I clench my fists, battling the impulse to rush out there and stop Adrian before he endangers my woman.
“We have agents positioned throughout the restaurant," Ramirez reminds me. "If he tries anything, we'll intervene." She snaps her fingers for emphasis.
"I must admit, doll, it's fascinating watching you attempt bravado after your performance the other night."
"I have what you want," Sienna retorts.
"Give it here, then."
"Not until you clear something up."
"Perhaps I'll simply take it from you. Where is it—in your pocket? Did you bring a bag?"
"I'll create a scene if you try anything. You might get away. Or you might not. Are you willing to gamble?"
I smile maniacally. She consistently surprises me.
Noticing Ramirez watching me, I suppress my expression. I can't compromise my reputation for stoic severity.
"Whatever it is, spit it out," Adrian snaps.
"Before you showed me the police report, I asked Nico to investigate my mother's death. He told me something interesting. He told me you were the one who executed her. He explained the Russians ordered it. The cops even had you and Viktor Barinov on tape, but mysteriously, the evidence vanished, and the cop suddenly developed collective amnesia... well, almost all."
"Someone's been telling tales, then," Adrian muses.
"Is it true?" Sienna demands.
"That's not how this works, sweetheart," Adrian says sarcastically.
I tremble with the effort of holding myself back. The image of Adrian daring to touch my woman's throat haunts me relentlessly.
Sienna reaches beneath the table, presumably into her handbag, extracting the recording device. She holds it on her side of the table. "Same deal—if you take this, I scream. This recording contains Nico confessing to numerous crimes. Gianna, too. You could send them both to federal prison. But I need the truth. Or I'll die before I let you have this."
"You foolish slut," Adrian snarls. "What good will the truth do you now? What do you think will happen if I tell you the truth? It changes nothing. The past is the past. Soon, this city will belong to us."
"To you and Viktor."
"He deserves Dallas far more than my cousin ever did. Nico’s stuck in the past. He's too soft. He believes in running the mob like a legit business. But this isn't business. It's our private corner of hell."