Page 134 of Dangerous Contract: Part 2

"The don isn't going anywhere," Monique told them. "And neither are we."

"Was she paid off, too?" one of the guards asked Leo.

Leo shook his head. "No. She's just insane, like Raz."

"Raz wouldn't want to leave," Monique told Leo. "He wouldn't want to run away."

"That's because he's crazy."

"True, but you know he wouldn't want to leave. He'd stay and fight. He's the don. He's not afraid of his father. He's not afraid of his father's men. He's not afraid to go to battle with anyone. Now isn't a time for him to run and hide while his dad terrorizes his guests. Now is the time for him to show his father and those guests exactly who he is," Monique told them. "It's time for him to show them why he deserves to be the don."

"Speaking of don Cattaneo," one of the guards started. "What happened to him?" Both guards stared Raz up and down.

Cocking his head to the side, Leo stared at Monique, waiting for her to answer.

Monique cleared her throat before saying, "Your don, he, uh, fell and knocked himself out." One guard started to speak again. "He's alive," Monique rushed to add. "And he'll be waking up soon to take charge of the situation. Until then, we need to get people here who are loyal to him. We need to surround this place with people who are on Orazio's side. Can we do that?"

The taller guard frowned and asked Leo, "Is it okay for us to take orders from her?"

Leo nodded. "She's the don's woman. Until he wakes up, she's in charge."

Now was not the time for smiles, but for some strange reason, she was smiling on the inside. On the outside, she was in full boss mode.

"So," she started. "Can we get men loyal to Raz up here or not?"

Leo nodded. "Yes, we can, lady boss."

Lady Boss!That had a nice ring to it.

"Good," Monique replied. "Oh, and Lady Boss is going to need a gun."

“Not happening,” Leo told her.

“Trust me, I wouldn’t be requesting one if I didn’t know how to handle it. Toya taught me.”

“Oh, really? She’s a pretty good shot. By the way, is she still mad at me about what happened that day with your father?” Leo asked.

“Now’s not the time for that, Leo,” Monique told him.

She’d let Toya let him know that she wasn’t mad. She hadn’t been mad ever since Cas explained what had gone down between Leo and the old don. But that was for Toya to tell, not Monique.

“Let’s get to work,” Leo told Raz’s guards.

As Raz's men did her bidding, her gaze drifted to the don, who was still unconscious. She knew Leo was only going along with her for Raz’s sake. She also knew that if she did anything Leo didn’t agree with, he would quickly veto it. Knowing that made her feel a little braver.

She wasn’t doing this for Leo’s approval, though. She was doing this for Raz, who was already shouldering so much right now. Her actions today had only added more stress to his already stressed-out life.

Today, she would place herself in his shoes, literally, and carry some of that weight for him. She claimed she could handle his lifestyle. Now, it was time for her to see if she truly could.It's my turn to protect you,she thought as she watched him.

Rest and let me carry this burden for a little while.She pressed a kiss to the side of his head. This man was insane,obsessive, possessive, and stubborn as hell. But he owned her heart. And she wasn't about to let anyone take his title from him.

Not even the old don.

Chapter Forty

MONIQUE

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