Page 75 of Charity's Redemption

“I’ll go with you,” Nico said.

Luca nodded. “That’s a great idea.”

“No.” I shook my head. “No.” I waved my hands in front of me and frowned. “No,” I said, lowering my voice. “I don’t want you involved, which was why I was doing it on my own.”

“He knows Nico. He won’t suspect anything.”

I glared at Luca as he encouraged this ridiculous idea.

“I don’t want him involved.”

“It’s a great idea. I can call him and we can meet him there.”

“Right. And when the police look at his schedule and see he's penciled you in the night of his death, you don’t think you’ll be their primary suspect?”

“You forget I’m his lawyer. Besides, I’ve gone over all his books looking for evidence that could be used against him. His nefarious activity doesn’t get put in.”

Who would pencil in their criminal activities?

“And when I kill him, where are you going to be?”

“Right there with you.”

I scoffed. “You can’t handle that, Nico. Look how ill you were with Kandy?”

“You don’t have to make it bloody.”

I scooted closer to him and smiled as I slid my hand over his shoulder and tapped his cheek. “You’re so sweet. What if I want to make it bloody?”

“Try not to,” Luca said. “Take Nico. It’s official. I need to go.”

“Dammit, Luca.” I pulled away from Nico and stomped around the counter to face him again. Is this the only way to get his attention? Stand in front of him and force him to face me. “This is supposed to be a discussion about how I am doing this. Not you taking over and forcing me to take your brother, who gets squeamish when I get violent.”

Nico raised his hand. “I don’t get squeamish. I just don’t like it.”

“You want me to take your brother on a kill mission.”

“I want you to take my Consigliere.”

I huffed out a breath. “And if he pukes all over the scene?”

“Charity, enough.” Nico’s voice boomed in the kitchen, silencing my next words and freezing me in my place.

Nico never raised his voice.

“I’ve heard enough,” I bellowed.

It’s one thing to listen to her question the logistics of it all, but I won’t have her insult me and my constitution.

My heart pounded against my chest as her eyes widened. She took two steps backward, away from Luca, her fist clenched on the counter.

“I may not pick up the gun or knife like you do, but I’ve lived in this life longer than any of you.” Standing from my stool, I placed my hands on the counter and leaned against it. “I won’t have you question my ability to do anything for this family.”

Oh, how the tables have turned.

Charity has done nothing but complain because she thought we were undermining her ability to do her job, and now here she was doing the same thing to me. “If you don’t want me to go, then find another way to get to him. Those are your choices.”

Her shoulders sagged. “I don’t like it.”

---