Page 41 of Desire and Revenge

“Fucking Tony,” he snarls. “He’s in bed with the Cartel.”

In the shaky video, Tony is leaning against the side of a ceramic shop. Beside him stands a thin man with sharp eyes and an even sharper smile. I’d recognize Juan Alvarez anywhere. He’s a notorious figure, the devil incarnate in the world of crime, his hand in every slice of the pie—mostly the dirty, unsavory slices.

“What’s he doing with him?”

“Beats me,” Davide shrugs. “But I’ve been tracking Tony’s offshore accounts, and there’s a steady stream of untraceable income. I’m betting if I follow the money trail, it’ll lead us straight to Alvarez.”

“Get solid evidence linking Tony to Alvarez,” I command, my tone firm. “And wait for my orders before you share it with the others.” I straighten up and dig my hands into my pockets. “Do you have his location?”

“Tony or Alvarez?”

“Tony.”

“He’s on his docked boat with his mistress,” Davide informs me, rattling off the location with precise detail.

I nod, processing the information. I make my way out of the backroom of the empty bar and step out into the street. This side of town is nearly deserted, a remnant of its days under the reign of a notorious gang years ago. It’s the perfect place for Davide and me to conduct our meetings, away from Lucchese’s prying eyes.

My entire strategy hinges on the fact that Lucchese doesn’t see me as a threat. He must remain calm and unsuspecting.

Setting his room on fire, however, has had the exact opposite effect. Since the wedding weekend, security at the Lucchese estate has been tightened to the max. The most aggravating part is that Sebastian is now keeping his wife tethered to his sidelike she’s his personal guide dog. I haven’t had a single moment alone with her.

Maybe it’s for the best. Maybe I don’t need another chance to get my hands and mouth on her. God knows I won’t stop until I’ve had my fill, six ways to Sunday.

My hands twitch for my cigarette, but I curl them into fists in my pocket and throw my legs over my waiting bike. Fastening on my helmet, I take off in the direction of Tony’s boat. My mind should be full of rage about one of my partners getting himself involved with a man like Alvarez, but instead, the only thing I can think of is what it’ll feel like for Sofia to be at the back seat of the bike, arms wrapped around my waist clutching tight with her breasts pressed against me.

Gritting my teeth, I try to chase away the image.

Try and fail.

I’m only too glad when I seeThe Giavonna, Tony’s boat. The bike revs to a stop and I climb off it and deposit my helmet.

I walk leisurely across the boardwalk and spot a single guard in front of the boat smoking. “I’m looking for Tony.”

He must recognize me, because he nods immediately and steps aside. “Go on in, boss. I’ll warn you to knock before you open any doors.” The man laughs.

I step onto the boat and then take the stairs down into the lower rooms. A sound of a man laughing draws me in the right direction toward a red door located at the back. I knock, uninterested in seeing more of Tony than I ever care to.

“Who the hell is it?” the man barks.

“It’s Castello.”

“Shit.” There’s panic in his voice that I immediately narrow my eyes at. “A minute! If you could wait for me on the upside, we need to put our parts away.” A nervous laugh follows.

And then I hear it—a whimper. Without another thought, I raise my leg and drive my booted feet into the bottom of the wooden door. There’s a scream as the door flies open.

“I told you to wait!” he snaps, his face getting red in fury. “Can’t a man get privacy on his own property? This is out of line, Castello, you can’t just come?—”

I tune out the rest of his words and my eyes take in the other occupants of the room. His mistress, a buxom red head, is clutching the bedsheets to her body, but I’m not as interested in her as I am the golden-haired girl curled up in one corner, sobbing.

“Get up.” My order slices through the room and makes Tony’s mouth snap shut.

The girl looks up and meets my eyes, then shakily rises to her feet.

Damn it all.

“How old are you?”

Bottom lip trembling, she hugs her thin arms around herself. “Thirteen.”

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