Page 16 of Chasing Danger

She sniffed in disdain and brushed a lock of poker straight dark hair out of her face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Dealing with the criminal underworld on a regular basis meant that I was fluent in the language of lies. For example, when someone really didn’t know something, they tended to get to thepoint with simple phrases like “What are you talking about?” A long, formally worded sentence like “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” was usually a sign of lying.

My grin grew wider. “Oh, come now. I made it especially for you. Tell me you at least read the card I attached.”

She sneered at me but said nothing.

Still, I could easily imagine her disgusted face when she found Shane’s body spread out in pieces on her doorstep. There was no doubt in my mind that she was the one who set my previous lover up to try and kill me. I still wasn’t sure if she convinced him after he’d already found his way into my bed, or if he’d been a plant from the start. However, it didn’t matter. The outcome was the same.

Shane was dead and Caprice’s latest attempt at getting rid of me so she could take over the Bianchi family had failed.

As if sensing my thoughts, she narrowed her sharp eyes at me until they were as thin as dagger blades. “You may not realize, but I’ve been expanding my business into this area, so I was concerned when I heard you’d been hanging around here. Along with Alex’s presence as well, I can’t help but wonder what’s going on. Has the little prince already got himself into trouble trying to fill daddy’s shoes?”

The Vidales family was moving into Baltimore?

It must have been a new move, because this was the first time I was hearing about it.

Either that, or it was a very successful secret.

Baltimore was only a stone’s throw from D.C. It was a great location for influencing the country’s capital without being righton their doorstep, but that close location also made it a risk. It was much easier to mobilize against an enemy that was practically camped out in your backyard, meaning federal law enforcement could also come after us much easier when we were so close to their headquarters.

Recently, the FBI director had been killed in the line of duty, and there had been a scramble to find a proper replacement. Perhaps this disruption had given Caprice the confidence to try increasing her influence on the country’s government.

Could that also be why the Russians were so set on meeting in this area?

Whatever the reason, her involvement in Baltimore could prove problematic for both me and Alex if she interfered with Russian relations. I would need to get rid of her.

Under the table, I fingered the dial of my watch. Oliver was lucky that he hadn’t accidentally activated it when he grabbed my wrist earlier. The watch had a hidden compartment that could shoot out poison needles, which were fired by turning and pressing the winding dial in just the right way.

The Bianchi family had always specialized in drugs. My great grandmother invented the poison on these needles, and the formula for the antidote lay locked away in our family vault. The table was only a few feet wide. At such close proximity, I wouldn’t even need to aim. One prick from a poisoned needle and she would be dead within minutes.

Problem solved.

However, killing her would incite backlash from the Vidales family. I was already trying to prevent a war with the Russians.I couldn’t afford to initiate a war between Italian families at the same time.

I let go of my watch and placed both hands on the table in front of me.

“My business is my own, and doesn’t concern you. Stop sending assassins after me and I’ll stop returning them to you in pieces. Understand?”

After so many years of association, I was immune to her intimidation tactics. The conversation was over and we both knew it. She stood to leave, but not without one last parting comment.

“Don’t bother buying anything here,” she said as she left. “The drinks aren’t worth the price.”

Then she was finally gone, and the bell over the door marked her departure with a merry jingle.

I breathed a sigh of relief, but deep down I knew I couldn’t relax. Usually, Caprice was a problem I just ignored, but this time I might need to find a more permanent solution for her.

At least we’d been too far away for Oliver to hear us. I didn’t need to scare away my latest conquest before I’d even won him.

Nodding at Oliver on my way out, I found Eva and Gavriil waiting for me just a few steps away on the sidewalk.

“Sorry, sir,” Eva said as they walked with me to the car. “You told us to keep everyone away from the shop, but we couldn’t...”

I held up a hand to cut her off. “No, you did the right thing. Caprice Vidales can’t be chased away like some ordinary citizen.If she was determined to come inside, nothing short of death would have stopped her, and we don’t need that right now.”

Gavriil opened the car door for me, and handed me an unmarked manila folder once I was settled inside.

“That’s everything we’ve found about Oliver Grant so far,” Eva explained as she took her place in the shotgun seat. “He seems to be just an ordinary civilian, but we can keep digging if you’d like.”

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