Page 135 of Dangerous Contract: Part 2

Her mind was chaotic right now. There were a thousand things to do. She was trying to formulate a plan while worrying about her friends and Raz. She couldn't do all of that at the same time. She'd go crazy.

Therefore, she told herself that her friends were okay with Rome and Cas. Raz was fine for now. She had her eyes on him. She and her team were the ones in the most danger. They had an old don to deal with.

For now, she needed to focus on that. As soon as they survived this mess, she'd contact Meka and Toya. That thought helped ease some of the chaos in her mind, but not all of it. And Leo's words weren't helping calm her.

"How long before the reinforcements from the casino arrive?" Monique asked.

"I just made the call," Leo reminded her. "They have to gear up, but they should be here soon. Once they've surrounded the building, they'll call my cell and give me a total count of how many are here. I'll have to see if we have enough loyal men on the inside to hold the old don and his men off until reinforcements arrive," Leo told her as he and two guards half-dragged and half-carried Raz down the hall.

They were taking him to the kitchen staff's breakroom. Leo said there should be a couch there for him to lay on. Though Raz was out of it, he was protected. She couldn't say the same for the man who'd brought her to the gala.

"Have you checked on Frederico?" Monique asked Leo.

"Don't ask questions like that when Raz wakes up. You'll end up getting Miconi killed," Leo grunted as Raz began to slip.

"Careful with him," Monique hurried to say, arms reaching forward on reflex.

Leo glared over his shoulder at her. He didn't have to say a word. The look said it all. Raz wouldn't be out cold if it weren't for her.Yeah, yeah,she knew. She'd make it up to him later.

"We got him." Facing forward, Leo told her, "As for Miconi, I've got a guard on Frederico. They're holed up in one of the upstairs rooms. But they can be found at any moment if the old don orders his men to do a full sweep to search for you and Raz. There's nothing I can do about that at the moment. And I have no idea where Isla is. There are too many variables right now. That's what makes taking the old don on risky as hell."

First of all, fuck Isla,Monique thought but held her tongue on that. After what Frederico told her, Monique no longer wished the woman any ill will. That didn't mean they'd ever be friends, though. Monique continued forward, gripping the gun Leo had given her.

Toya had given her a crash course on shooting. They'd even gone to the gun range a few times. Monique's aim wasn't bad. Toya's main critique of her was that she hesitated before pulling the trigger. Maybe it was because the thought of hurting someone just didn't sit right with her.

But to protect the people she loved, she'd do whatever she had to do and deal with her emotions later. She wouldn't hesitate. She couldn't hesitate. Damn, she hoped she didn't hesitate or freeze altogether.

Monique shook her head to clear it of her fears. Fear had no place here. However, telling herself that didn't alleviate her concerns. She needed to talk to keep her mind off her fears.

"On the ride here," Monique started as she walked down the hall behind Leo and the guards. "Frederico told me that he was asked to come here tonight, and he was asked to invest in Cattaneo Corp as a favor to someone."

"Did that someone tell him to ask you to the gala?" Leo drawled.

"No, nosey," Monique mumbled. "Just so you know, Frederico didn't ask me here to upset Raz. He asked me because he really wanted me to come with him."

"If you believe that, I have a house on the beach that I want to sell you," Leo told her, causing the other two guards to chuckle.

"I'm carrying a gun. Remember that," Monique reminded them. Their laughter quickly died out.

Both guards mumbled, "Sorry, Lady Boss."

"Anyway, I'm just saying that Frederico coming here with me is a totally separate thing from him investing in Raz."

"What about Isla?" Leo asked. "Does she really want to marry Raz, or was she told to want that as a favor to someone?"

That bitch!"I think she really wants to marry Raz. The person who told them to come here also played matchmaker without Raz's permission."Or mine!

As they rounded the corner and came up to a door with a plaque on it that read:Employees Only,Leo asked, "Who is this matchmaker? Did he tell you that?"

"He was about to tell me as he was helping me fix my dress. Unfortunately, Raz stormed in and unleashed hell on him before we could finish our conversation."

"Orazio has never been the patient type. Open this door for us," Leo told her.

Monique rushed around them and opened the door. After following them inside, she flicked the light on and stared around the room as Leo and the guards carefully laid Orazio on the couch.

The room was small, with no places to hide in case of an emergency. The couch was wide enough for a couple of people to lie on it. The problem was the length. Raz's tall frame was too long for the couch.

His legs hung off the end. That had to be uncomfortable, but he didn’t stir. She was ready for him to wake up so she could apologize for drugging him. Seeing him in such a vulnerable state, a state she'd put him in, nearly brought tears to her eyes.

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