Page 178 of Syndicate of Sin Bundle

Me: I’ll talk to you tomorrow, hopefully!

With that, I slipped my phone into my purse and shuffled out of the car. Riccardo walked beside me, guiding me to a side entrance. I spotted a tinted-out SUV in the alleyway across the street and gulped, my stomach twisting at the thought of the FBI watching our every move.

“This way,” Riccardo said, leading me into the entrance that he had led me out of that first night.

After taking one last look at the SUV, I followed him into the hallway and to Constantino’s office. Two large men stood in front of it, dressed in dark suits with their hands crossed over their torsos.

Riccardo knocked on the door. “Boss, Sage is here.”

A moment later, Constantino opened the door, a devilish smirk on his face. “Sage, so glad you could join us.”

He took my hand and led me into the room with Laila, who jumped up from her seat and hurried over to us. But Constantino stopped her from touching me.

“You don’t get to touch Sage until you choose.”

Laila’s face dropped. “Why is she here then?”

“You’ll see.” Constantino’s smirk widened as he looked over his shoulder at his guards. “Any word on Bethany?”

Eyes widening, I tensed. Bethany will be here? But why?

I tugged on Constantino’s wrist and swallowed hard. “I don’t know if my being here with Bethany is a good idea,” I whispered, brow furrowed. I peeked over at Laila, not wanting to upset her, but also scared that they’d blame me again for what had happened to Bethany.

“Bethany won’t be a problem for you,” he said, glancing at Laila. “Right?”

Laila looked between us and nervously chewed on the inside of her cheek.

Before she could answer, Riccardo cleared his throat. “Bethany is here now.”

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constantino

Riccardo grabbed Bethany, who was zip-tied and gagged, and shoved her to the floor at my feet. He nodded and exited the room, closing the door behind us and leaving the four of us.

Sage pressed her lips together and stared at Bethany, nervously chewing on her inner cheek. Laila opened her mouth to say something, but one look from me, and she snapped it shut.

I pulled a spare gun out of my desk drawer, took off the safety, and handed it to Laila. “Choose.”

Bethany began shaking her head back and forth, scooting across the floor to Laila, while Sage snapped her head toward me, her eyes wide in shock.

“Constantino, I …”

While I wished that I could’ve told Sage about this, I needed her reaction to be as believable as possible. I needed tears, sobbing, begging, and pleading. I needed Laila to hold a gun to Sage’s head and choose not to pull the trigger.

“Your life is in my wife’s hands,” I said to Sage.

As if Sage didn’t think my wife would choose her, she collapsed onto her knees, threw her head into her hands, and began sobbing uncontrollably. Her shoulders shook back and forth, and all I wanted to do was pick her up and reassure her that I would never let anything bad happen to her.

That even if my wife chose Bethany, I would choose her.

Laila grasped the gun in her trembling hands. “Constantino …”

“Choose.”

“I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

“Well, if you don’t”—I pulled my gun out of my waistband and pointed it at Sage’s head—“then I will.” I clenched my jaw and glared at my wife. “Stand up, Sage.”

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