Page 53 of Under His Control

“Nina. No.”

She sneered at my warning. Then she shoved some money to Vanessa.

“This isn’t Constella money going to a Giovanni,” she sassed. “She’s not with them.”

Vanessa blinked back tears. “I’m not with anyone. And if I can run far and fast enough, I’ll never go near my father or his new friends ever again.” She folded the cash and quickly shoved it into her pocket. “I’d rather die than see any of them. They’re not like the Mafia soldiers.” Again, she faced me, almost as though she respected that I wanted details. “They’re ruthless. Selling women. Violating them. I lasted two nights in their clubhouse before I could escape.”

I firmed my lips and shook my head, furious that men like those bikers could get away with operating where we always had. Dante didn’t traffic humans, and I suspected that was why he steered clear of the Devil’s Brothers and Stefan when he started to favor them.

“Then go. Get the fuck out of here,” I said as I gave her cash from my purse.

“Thank you. Thank you so much.” She pocketed it too, crying outright now. “And you need to tell him. Tell your uncle. Tellyour soldiers. Stefan is teaming up with those bikers, and I’m not sure who will be able to take them both on.”

I nodded. “Go.”

She lingered, glancing at us all. “They have a second compound, too.”

I perked up, listening for something useful. “Where?”

She described the location, apologizing that she couldn’t be more accurate. “I was so scared when I escaped. I… I was worried they’d broken my leg. But it’s in that area.”

“Thank you.” I stood, urging Nina and Tessa to get up. I had to take this information straight to my uncle.

As our guards approached, I held my hand up to stop them from getting too close. “Go,” I ordered Vanessa. “Go now.”

She didn’t need to be told twice. Turning hastily, she limped away.

“Eva.” Tony, one of the guards, started after her. “Is that Miss?—”

“No.” I shook my head. “She’s no threat to us.” While she was manipulative before, I knew this wasn’t a trap. I saw the wounds and knew she couldn’t be faking it. The Vanessa I knew before never would’ve stooped to accept cash as charity. “Let her go.”

Tony narrowed his eyes at me, but I stood firm. Bringing Vanessa to us would cause more problems. Dante would want to kill her. Stefan could use her being captured by us as a reason to attack. Any number of undesirable consequences could follow.

“Get us home. Now.” I strode for the door, eager to share this news with my uncle. If this detail could put us in a better position against our enemies, then I would hurry it along.

Because the fewer enemies we had building up against us like this, the more likely I could achieve a future with Liam and Olivia.

19

LIAM

Yesterday, I spent hours with Franco and another new recruit getting fitted for suits. It was a far cry from the uniform I was used to in the military, but I wasn’t going to protest the Constella dress code.

Eva enjoyed checking me out in my tailored garments last night, too.

However, tonight, on my first official assignment, I was dressed down in the shittiest jeans I owned and a plain black T-shirt.

Just like I wouldn’t complain or criticize how they wanted me to dress in an expensive suit, I wouldn’t say no to anything they asked me to do. Including going undercover to this second, secret MC compound where they wanted me to place a listening device. Recording the conversations that the bikers held in privacy would give Dante and the Constella forced much-needed intel to remain ahead of the game. I understood that Dante, Romeo, and Franco all kept themselves in a position to stay one step ahead of the Giovannis and the Devil’s Brothers, and I respected that they weren’t rash gangster idiots.

They strategized just like my superiors had in the army, and it was no different. Not the same battlefield, but the same concepts were at the base of it all.

Dante approached me near the garage, where I was getting fitted with different guns. He nodded, approving of how I looked. “I agree,” he told Franco. “Looking like this, he’s the most likely to get close enough undetected.”

That was all I had to do. Sneak in, plant the bug, and get out. Easy, peasy.

“Well, they would be able to identify most of our men,” Romeo said, also looking me over. He was always so serious, but I wanted to tell him that I had this. This was far from the first undercover task I’d completed.

“And he hasn’t been around for long.”

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