Page 108 of Dangerous Contract: Part 2

"Understood. But having fun could also be a means of confrontation."

"Well..." She thought that over for a second. "True. That's true. But that's not the point. The point is, I plan to leave there with Raz." Monique cocked her head to the side as she stared up at him. "Will you be okay with that?"

Frederico took a deep breath, held it in for a few seconds, and then released it slowly before responding.

"Will I be okay with you leaving my side to be with another man?" He shook his head. "But do I understand why you must do so? Yes, I understand. I won't interfere with whatever you have planned. I swear. However, I'll leave my number with you just in case you need to reach me. All my numbers. If you can't reach me, you can call my guard. Call if things don't go your way and you need someone to talk to. I won't pressure you at all if you call. I'll just listen. And if you need a shoulder to cry on, I have two you can borrow. No strings attached."

Was this man real? He couldn't be. He was saying all the right things, which should raise green flags, yet Monique was seeing red flags. Perhaps it was because of her past experiences with men.

Trevor, well, that bastard wasn't even human, so his promises didn't count. Then there was Raz, who made her feel like he'd destroy the world to be with her. However, when the world needed destroying, he decided he wanted to save the damn planet and not her.

At least, that was what it felt like. Then, along comes Mr. Miconi, saying all the right things. Were his words just as empty as the others? Or was she so fed up with lying ass men that she couldn't see the truth even when it stared her in the face.

Maybe Frederico wasn't all talk. Maybe what one crime boss wouldn't do, another one would. Monique's main concern was that Frederico would somehow interfere with her kidnapping plans.

She couldn't allow that. But, going to the gala with him would provide a great cover and make her seem less suspicious to Raz... maybe. Then again, it could end up backfiring in the worst way. That was a risk Monique was willing to take.

"I'll take your silence as a yes; you will accompany me to the gala," Mr. Miconi drawled. That charming smile returned to his face, causing her lips to curve in a smile of her own.

"Yes. I'd love to."

"Great," he told her, smile brightening. He glanced over her head to stare behind her. "I'm glad we got that straightened out because your friends and Cas are heading this way."

Monique looked over her shoulder.Yep. They were almost to them. Toya winked at her.Heffa. Monique wasn't as mad at her as before, but she still had to somehow teach her bestie a lesson. That could wait. There was one more thing she needed to make clear with her date. Monique faced Mr. Miconi again.

"Just to be clear, I love Orazio," Monique reiterated, not wanting to lead Mr. Miconi on in any way.

"I know. And I know you can't shut love on and off like a valve. I love my wife. She was my soul mate, and she passed away too early. I'll never stop mourning her. And if you never stop loving Raz, I'm okay with that. You can love someone you can't be with while also enjoying someone who is willing to share his life with you. And to be honest, I'm not looking for love. But I am ready to start living again. And I think you are, too."

"I'm already living," Monique pointed out.

"Waiting for a man to realize you're his everything isn't living. It's called being stagnant. And you're too beautiful and kind to spend your time waiting on anyone."

His words struck something deep within her heart. Before she could process the feeling, Cas spoke up.

"We're back!" Cas yelled a little too loudly as he moved to stand next to Monique. "Thanks for keepingourMonique company for us," Cas told Mr. Miconi.

"I did it for myself, not anyone else," Mr. Miconi replied smoothly.

Monique didn't miss the look that passed between the two men.

"We should go," Monique suggested, easing some of the tension that had entered the room. "Frederico, I'll see you tomorrow evening."

Frederico grabbed Monique's hand and kissed the back of it. "I can't wait, beautiful."

"And that's how plagues are spread," Cas muttered as he placed his hand on Monique's shoulder and steered her away from Mr. Miconi. "We should hurry up," Cas told them. "It looks like it's about to storm. I'm pretty sure there's a tornado warning out for our county."

Monique looked back and waved one last time to Mr. Miconi, then allowed Cas to escort her out of the building, with Toya and Meka following them.Why the hell was she smiling and feeling giddy inside?For some reason, she couldn't wipe the silly grin off her face. Outside, Monique stared up at clear skies.

"Cas, it's not about to storm," Monique pointed out.

"Oh, it is. You just can't see it yet. But I can hear the sirens."

Monique held in her smile. Cas was worried about how Raz would react to seeing her with Frederico. What he should be worried about is whether she cared about Raz's feelings at all.On the entire ride home, Monique kept thinking over Frederico's words, unable to believe how small the world was.

Small world or not, she wasn't a first come, first served kind of woman. Just because Mr. Miconi had seen her first didn't mean she would be his. No matter how angry she was with Raz, her heart still belonged to him.

But she was tired of waiting on him. She was tired of being stagnant.Been there, done that, will never do it again.She was ready to start living again, and she wanted to live her life with Orazio Cattaneo.

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