Page 38 of Volatile Vice

These bastards truly think of women and girls as chattel and nothing more. Pawns in the big boys’ games with each other. They don’t see them as human at all, not even when they’re defenseless children with no means of fighting for themselves. It’s disgusting. Just the thought of it sends a wave of anger through my entire body.

I have to stop this.

“Let me think about this, Natalie. You can reach me on this burner phone when you need to. I’ll see what I can do, but I can’t make any promises.”

“Please, Mr. Gallo. If you care anything at all about this little girl…”

“I don’t evenknowthis little girl, Natalie. But I won’t sit around while any child is harmed. I just have to figure out the best way to go about this.”

“Please don’t tell Mr. McAllister that I reached out to you. I don’t regret it. I would do anything for Belinda.” She sucks in a breath. “But if he finds out…”

“I know. Trust me, this will stay between the two of us.”

I’m tempted to tell her everything. That Belinda and I will never be married, and that the Bianchis and the McAllisters will be out of business as soon as I can make it happen.

But I can’t.

I can’t tell anyone that.

Not until it’s over.

“All right. Thank you, Mr. Gallo. I need to get back to the house. And I still have to stop at the store so I have some groceries to show for my trip.”

“I understand. Reach out on the burner whenever you need to. And I’ll be in touch.” I shove the burner back in my pocket and pull out my regular smartphone.

I have a missed call. From a number I don’t recognize.

Dare I call it back on this phone?

I pull out my burner again and tap in the number.

“Hello?”

God, that sweet voice. It’s Raven. Raven tried to call me. I already had two missed calls from her regular number.

“Hi, Raven,” I say.

“Oh my God, Vinnie.” She lowers her voice. “How are you? Are you okay?”

So very Raven. The first thing she thinks of is me. HowI’mdoing. When I’m the one who left her alone in her bed in the middle of the night and then proceeded to screen her calls all day.

I don’t deserve this woman. No one does.

“I’m fine. More importantly, how areyou?”

“So much is going on, Vinnie. I mean, physically I’m fine, but…”

“But what?” I ask.

“That lawyer. The one who asked me out.”

“Right. What about him?”

She pauses. “You really don’t know?”

My heart begins to accelerate, and I’m not sure why. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Raven.”

“You mean it’s not all over the news?”

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