Page 55 of Bound in Debt
“Do you, though?” I cock my head to the side. This idiot hasn’t thought any of this through. The sheer incompetence… “Liam is getting restless, jumpy. Victoria had no idea about the engagement until he posted that staged photo. My nephew has no plans, no sense of honor. But he will have a shitload of money at his disposal if he gets his hands on that trust. It makes me concerned about his intentions to follow through on your arrangement.”
“You think he’s going to try to hide from me?”
“I think he’s a young man who didn’t make this mess. His father did.”
Angelo hums in the back of his throat. “And how long can I count on your loyalty to me…” he smirks, “Mors?”
“Until I’m rolling in the six million dollars you’re so eager to get your hands on?—”
“It’s my money,” he sneers, finally showing me he gives more of a fuck about his bottom line than playing power games with Mors.
I’m not impressed.
Angelo Lombardi is a pig, consumed by his own greed. Granted, it takes money to keep a crime organization afloat, but greed is weakness. Only one domino has to fall to bring the whole damn empire crashing down around his ears. Angelo thinks too highly of himself, assumes I’m cowed by his reputation or his dick-swinging performance art. He’s too willing to trust in his control over me to see that I could be the downfall of his little mob.
Luckily for Lombardi, politics aren’t my style.
Shoving a knife in Angelo’s throat is.
A thick silence surrounds us as I patiently wait for Angelo to refocus.
He can waste time arguing about who Victoria will be exchanging vows with or he can concentrate on when he’ll get his money. I’m betting he’ll choose to focus on the latter.
“She agreed to this?” I bow my head in acknowledgment. He cracks a small smile. “How long until her trust is released?”
“She’s speaking to her lawyer today.”
That’s a lie, but a small one. I need all the time I can get. We’re still going to be short two million dollars. The only person I know who can get me that kind of money as quickly as I need it is the last person in the world I want to borrow from.
I don’t plan to pay Angelo back at all. But I need a backup option in case he gets too antsy and reneges on our deal before I’ve had a chance to get Victoria and I out of here.
“And when is the wedding?” Angelo questions, staring at me hard enough that I think he’s trying to read my mind.
“We need to confirm there are no restrictions or protections on her trust that would prevent?—”
Angelo waves away the bullshit I’m feeding him, seeming frustrated by the lack of any real answers. “Alright…once your bride-to-be confirms a timeline with her lawyer, let me know. In the meantime, I want a down payment. I need you to do something for me.”
I’m sure you do.
He slides a folder neatly in front of me. I ignore it, choosing instead to keep all my attention on the man across the table as he waves one of his men over.
“My daughter is dramatic—she takes after her mother—but she insists the sheriff’s oldest son tried to rape her. I wasn’t inclined to believe her, but I’ve since learned he may have been stalking her, following her to restaurants and showing up at her favorite club… Well, let’s say I have my suspicions now.”
Dumbass.
He’s just told me he has a daughter, someone I could use as leverage. I’m sure her existence is public knowledge, but the fact he’s sending me after her attacker shows he cares enough to punish any insults she suffers.
“And what is it you want me to do?”
“The boy needs to be warned,” Angelo orders, taking a thick cigar from the box his man holds out. He puts the unlit smoke to his mouth, chewing lightly on the end. “I’m understandably not going to stand for this kind of shit.”
“Of course.”
“He owes me a knee.”
Christ Almighty.
“His name, address, and photo are in the folder. Memorize it. The file stays with me.”
