Page 55 of Bad Guys Need Love Too

But Neal didn’t seem to care that she’d essentially planned to blackmail him into a relationship with her. He was too busy looking at Isla like he was seeing her for the first time. “You…you did allthatfor me?”

Her eyes flew to his. “Of course! You were always too good for her. You just didn’t see it! I couldn’t let you ruin your life forher.”

Nico scratched his head. “I don’t get it.”

Tenley patted his shoulder. “I know. But what I think we’re looking at here is karma in action. These two deserve each other.”

That was a generous way to look at it, Lark thought. And probably truer than even Tenley imagined. But as far as she wasconcerned, Isla could have Neal in all his small-penised, doesn’t-like-going-down-on-a-woman, whiny, narcissistic glory.

Meanwhile, she’d be having multiple screaming orgasms with the tatted, pierced, stalker/hacker/kidnapper/protector/lover/boyfriend of her dreams, finally making her the main character in her own story.

All’s well that ends…

“Wait a minute,” she said, turning to Isla. “So, we’re square, right? You get Neal free and clear. The hit is canceled,right?”

The rotten little wench’s chin came up stubbornly as she turned her attention to Nico. “Whatexactlyis going on here? Why is this bitch still alive?”

So much forall’s well that ends well.

“I’m glad you asked,” Nico practically purred. “See, you needn’t worry about her anymore. Because you’re going to be busy informing on your uncle and his criminal operation to the FBI. You’re going to destroy the entire Franchetti organization, princess.”

Lark’s eyes widened. She hadnotseen that one coming. And given the look on Ren and Tenley’s faces, they hadn’t either.

Isla snorted. “The fuck I am. He’ll kill me.”

“Not if you’re in WITSEC.”

“Witness protection?” She shook her head. “No way. I won’t do it.”

Nico moved toward her and leaned down, grabbing the back of her chair to cage her in. Lark knew she shouldn’t enjoy seeing fear light the other woman’s eyes. But she did.

“You’ll do it, or you’ll die today.” He gestured to Neal. “So will he.”

Her eyes widened. “But I don’t know anything about my uncle’s operation! What would I even tell them?”

“Don’t worry about that, princess. I’ll provide you with everything you need to know.”

“Won’t that implicate you, too?” Lark asked.

He smirked at her. “I’m guessing our mutual friend here can make it look like I wasn’t even in this country all year. Am I right?”

Ren shrugged. “Sure.”

The ease with which he agreed to falsify records for a mafia hitman was somehow scary and sexy all at the same time, much like Ren himself.

Isla was starting to sweat. “There’s no way I could convince them I know enough about the operation to get any charges to stick.”

Neal sat up straighter. “It’s a conflict of interest, anyway. Her uncle is my firm’s client.”

All eyes turned to him. He didn’t seem to realize what he’d just admitted. Lark held in an eye roll, but just barely, because seriously, had he always been such an idiot? How the hell had he made it through law school, for fuck’s sake?

“Youwork for Mario Franchetti?” Nico asked.

“Well, my firm does. But attorney client privilege prevents me from testifying against him.”

“That’s not entirely true,” Tenley said. “If you’re given a court order based on the authorities suspecting your client of crime, or if concealing information will harm another person, either financially or bodily, you can be forced to break privilege.”

Nico raised a brow at her. She shrugged and said, “What? Successful criminals know more about the law than any lawyer ever could.”

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