Page 49 of Beautiful Dangerous

“Sometimes you’re better off not knowing.”

“And that’syourdecision, right?”

He looks at me like a parent looks at a child who’s refusing to do as they’re told.

“Don’t patronize me, Lucca. Don’t do that.”

“Just trust me, Olivia. And let us get this done.”

Who does he suddenly think I am? Some princess who needs shielding from the world? When was I ever that? He knows that’s not me, I don’t need protection from this shitty world, I need to control it. Or my part of it. And that’s exactly what I intend to do.

Lucca

I don’t know whether this is some knee-jerk reaction to my pushing her away, or whether taking the Pino brothers out herself really is something she needs to do, but it doesn’t matter. She isn’t going anywhere near this hit. And she might think it’s me issuing orders she doesn’t seem to want to follow, but it isn’t. It’s Javier. He wants her kept away from this, he wants her safe, so it’s my job to make sure she comes to no harm.

She heads back into the house and I start to follow her, until my phone ringing out stops me. It’s Javier. And I sigh quietly and lean back against the low wall that snakes around the edge of the terrace.

“Is everything in place?”

Do I tell him how stubborn Olivia’s being? No. All that would do is set him on edge, and I need him as calm as I need Olivia to be. “Everything’s ready to go. Running like clockwork, according to Drago.”

Drago is one of ours. An ex-Black Ops military man who’s been working undercover with the Pino cartel for just under two years. He was put in place just after Javier’s faked death, our man on the inside. Someone who’s managed to gain their trust and work his way up to be one of the brothers’ closest lieutenants. Thanks to him we know their every move, every detail of this run they’re about to undertake – their final one. We know how many men we have to deal with – twelve. We know the route they’re taking, the time they’re leaving their compound, we know everything we need to in order to take the fuckers down. And Olivia is not going to be a part of it.

“Good.”

“Should all be over in a couple of hours.”

“And Olivia? Did you do as I asked?”

“She’s staying at the house.”

“I’m counting on you, Lucca. I need her to stay home, she cannot be put at risk.”

“She’ll be safe. I promise.”

He pauses, and I feel that familiar wave of nausea rise up in my throat, it happens every time I speak to him now. Can he sense my betrayal? Does he know what Olivia and I did? Can he sense something’s wrong by the tone of my voice? Does he know how I really feel about his wife? How at times I’d wished he really were dead…?

“You’ve never broken a promise to me, Lucca. I’d hate to think you’re starting now.”

He ends the call, and I close my eyes and take the deepest of breaths as my heart tries to beat itself out of my chest. It’s only when my phone rings out again that I open my eyes, checking the screen, but it isn’t Javier this time. It’s Eddie.

“Everything ready to go your end?” I ask, glancing up at the house, at Olivia’s bedroom window.

“All set. We’ll see you at the compound in an hour.”

The call ends, and I pull myself away from the wall and head inside. I need to check on Olivia. And as I reach her room I don’t bother knocking, she doesn’t get to turn me away, not this time, I’m fucking serious. She’s going nowhere.

“Jesus, Lucca! You’re just barging in now?”

She’s pulled her hair back into a severe ponytail, changed her clothes, she’s all in black – jeans, heavy army boots, and a leather jacket that won’t protect her from shit.

“Open the jacket.”

“What the fuck is going on here? When did you suddenly become the one who issues the orders?”

When your husband made me that person. If anything happens to you, I’m the one who’s going to pay for that, and I’m really not into that outcome.

“Just open the fucking jacket, Olivia.”

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