Page 99 of The Woman with the Wallet

“Sugar, you’re not.” I knew that stubborn set to her jaw. And, to an extent, I did agree that it was her right to fuck that bastard up for what he’d done to her and Lil. Not to mention poor Henry.

That said, there was no way I was putting her at risk. I couldn’t tell her that, though.

“You’d have a hard time stopping me.”

“Not if I bring some people on this to babysit you. Listen, this isn’t about you not being capable. Or not earning the right to beat his ass. But the thing is, this is Family business. I can’t let you in on it. That’s not how shit works. Maybe I could have if Cosimo didn’t find out. But now that he has, things have to be by the book.”

It was a relatively harmless lie.

Whenever possible, we didn’t want anyone else involved in our business. Especially if that business involved murder.

On a personal level, though, I didn’t want a body on her conscience. For me, that was part of the life. And I knew I’d feel different if it were a life-or-death situation. If, for example, she’d shot the bastard dead back at Lil’s place.

This was different.

It wasn’t self-defense.

It was straight-up murder.

I could live with that.

I didn’t want Max to have to learn how to.

So she was keeping her pretty ass in my apartment. Even if I had to handcuff her to the bed to make that happen.

In fact, I might really like that plan.

“I don’t want you going alone,” Max insisted as I got up, wanting to get moving as soon as possible.

“Worried about me, sugar?” I asked, leaning down to press a kiss to the top of her head. “I won’t be doing anything alone.”

Except, maybe, tossing Devon’s hotel room.

Snatching someone off the street was, at minimum, a two-man job. Likely three.

With my brother out of town, Venezio needing a break after babysitting Chuck, and Cosimo not being an option, I had to branch out a bit.

“Yo,” Brio answered on the first ring, the sounds of yapping dogs in the background.

The Family’s resident lunatic was also our animal-loving rescuer. “You busy tonight?” I asked.

“Eh, could be… less busy, if need be.”

“Wanna have some fun?”

“Always,” he was quick to agree.

“Know anyone else who could be free tonight?”

“Nico don’t usually got much going on. I’ll call ‘em.”

“I need a car with fake plates. And a balaclava.”

“The dessert?”

“The mask.”

“Alright. We’ll scoop you in an hour.”

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