Page 20 of Fractured Devotion

“I’m aware, but with Kronos’s handler out, the power play’s over. They’ve got Kronos in their grip now—you only ensured Ryker didn’t meet his end today. Actually,” I said, sidestepping him to reach the elevator door, “you should probably get them somewhere safe because Aleski plans to take Ryker’s wife, anyway. He has a thing for green eyes, and so do some of his clients. They’ll pay big for her, Alex. Protect her… she doesn’t deserve what he’s planning.”

The elevator doors parted, and as I stepped toward the threshold, Alex’s hand fastened around my arm. “You can’t keep hiding from our family, Carm. It’s not fair—they should know you’re alive.”

“Not now. Dealing with Massimo, Vincenzo, and you is already more than I can take.”

“Soon, baby,” he said, a quiet plea.

Casting a look over my shoulder, I stared into his eyes. “Soon.”

Stepping off the elevator, Alex called out. “Penthouse suite 3.”

Smiling, I ambled down the hallway away from my past… and my future. I should have known he’d be staying in the penthouse. If I had to bet, my brothers had commandeered the other penthouse suites as well. With a plan forming in my head, I knew what I needed to do. Andrei better enjoy the little time he had left because he was about to learn that underestimating a woman would be the thing that ended his reign.

eleven

ALEX

After sharing the information Carmela had given me, Massimo immediately went into action. He contacted Miguel Angel, who helped move Ryker and his wife into hiding. Dallas, Archer, and Drake had also retreated to Atlanta, leaving the Anastasis to clean up the mess with promises to let them know when it was done.

Reaching down, I tossed Falcon a French fry. I’d ordered room service, needing a few moments to myself. Lipovsky was planning an event just outside of Vegas in one week. According to Sofia’s contact, some of the heavy spenders were scheduled to attend, and the exhibition event was just a guise to get them all in one place at a time.

My cell phone vibrated across the coffee table’s glass surface. Dropping the remnants of my burger onto the floor for Falcon, I snatched the device and pressed it to my ear.

“What?”

A deep chuckle filtered across the line. “Someone’s panties are in a bunch.”

I blew out a breath. “Massimo, sorry. I didn’t look who was calling. What’s up?”

“Sofia has somehow landed an invitation to Lipovsky’s event, so he clearly doesn’t remember her being in Columbia.”

“Or he does and is planning something. I am surprised he hasn’t recognized me or Lorenzo.”

“He wasn’t there. The more I researched him, the more I learned he was never on site. Lipovsky paid the man in the helicopter to bring her to him, promising to sample the goods first. Unfortunately, that man is no longer living because I would have liked to dole out my own brand of torture, but for his failure, Lipovsky tortured him himself. He believes that Carmela perished in the crash. According to Sofia, he does not know the connection between her and the Angel of Mercy.”

“How is it he had not recognized her? Even with the blonde hair, I knew the minute my eyes landed on her who she was.”

“He bought her based on a photo.” Massimo clicked his teeth. “But we need to assume there is a chance he knows the woman on Andrei’s arm is Carmela.”

A soft knock at my door had me pushing to my feet. “Is Sofia going to the event alone?”

“No… Miguel is going with her this time. Lorenzo as well, as well as another player she hasn’t revealed. She claims he will shake up things in a way Aleski didn’t see coming. I don’t know. I think you might be right about this being a trap.”

Glancing through the peephole of my suite’s door, my breath stilled at the sight of the woman standing on the other side. “I need to take care of something, Massimo. Can we meet tomorrow to plan this out?”

“My sister is there, isn’t she?”

“Goodbye, my friend,” I said, casually farewelling Massimo before slipping my phone into my pocket. Standing there, Carmela’s presence was a happy surprise.

“I didn’t think you’d come.”

“I didn’t think I would either.”

Stepping back, I opened the door wide, motioning her to step inside. Carmela was still wearing the same scrap of gold material from the event.

“Can I borrow your shower?”

Her request caught me off guard. “Um, sure. Any particular reason you didn’t shower before coming over?”

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