Page 136 of Dangerous Contract: Part 2

She refused to let them fall. Now was not the time for crying. Still, he looked different like this. Still strong, still imposing, but calmer, almost peaceful. It starkly contrasted to the raging storm he'd been when he'd seen her with Frederico.

The entire plan to kidnap him and make him jealous seemed so childish now. Now, she just wanted him to wake up so she could tell him she loved him. They could argue about who was right or wrong later.

Right now, she just wanted to hold him and be held by him. She’d been angry when she’d done what she'd done. No, she'd been furious. That anger was fading, leaving behind only guilt and a gnawing sense of dread.

What if they couldn’t hold the old don off until Raz woke up? What if something happened to Raz before he had a chance to fight back? What if he lost everything because of her? Her heart began to race, and a dull ache formed on the left side of her head.

Ugh!Closing her eyes, Monique took a few deep breaths to hold off the panic attack she felt coming over her. It had been her idea to stay and fight. This was what she wanted. Being nervous, afraid even, was normal.

She just couldn't allow it to control her. She exhaled, trying to eliminate all the fear and nervousness forming a knot in her belly. She opened her eyes when Leo started talking.

"This room will have to do for now," he told them. To the taller guard, Leo said, "Stoney, go check the doors. Make sure they're still holding. Rocco, call Shado."

Stoney and Rocco. Stone and Rock. Brothers maybe?Stoney left the room. Monique listened as Leo and Rocco continued talking about Shado.

"He can break into anything and move without being seen or heard," Leo continued. "The guy is practically a ghost. I need him to find a way inside the building without being detected. Once he finds a way in, I need him to get eyes on the old don. I want him to take out the guys guarding the don if he can. That'll give us an advantage because the don will have to move his men around."

"On it." Rocco reached for his phone and then paused, groaning. "Ahhh shit, I forgot. Shado's on leave."

"On leave? Why?"

"He found the girl he'd been searching for. He took some time off to go see her. He doesn't know when he'll be coming back."

Leo blinked in surprise, the tension in his face easing slightly. "Well, damn, that's good news. Maybe now he can stop moping around and killing everything that moves. Where did he find her?"

"In Illinois, I think," the guard replied. "Or maybe Indiana. No, it was Maine. Yeah, Maine. He lived there for a while before coming to work for us. The team he worked with there continued searching for her after he left. They found her for him. He called and told me he'd found her, and he needed some time to convince her to come back with him."

Leo massaged his chin. "I hope he doesn't do anything crazy. That kid is kind of insane."

"Kind of?" Rocco scoffed. "That kid is totally insane. But he has a good heart, and he's loyal. We may hear of some murders in that area, but none of his victims will be the girl he's been looking for. The kid is crazy about her."

Monique listened as they discussed thisShadoperson. If she didn't know any better, she'd think they were discussing Raz.Totally insane but has a good heart. Loyal. Crazy in love.Yeah, that sounded like her Raz. They were doing a lot of talking, but Monique needed action. She was ready for this to be over.

"Shado's not here," Monique said, speaking over Leo and Rocco. "You all can discuss his sanity later. Let's figure out another way for our guys to get in undetected. We're running out of time."

On the outside, she was all seriousness. On the inside, she was thinking,did I really just say our guys, as if Raz's men are mine to command just as much as they're his?She waited for Leo or Rocco to notice what she'd said. If they did, they kept it to themselves.

"Lady Boss is right," Rocco said, scratching his head. "We need to figure this shit out." He froze, gaze jerking to Monique. "Sorry for cursing."

Well, wasn't he respectful!

"No problem," Monique told him, taking a seat on the couch next to Raz and slipping off her heels.

Still holding her gun, she placed her purse on the couch beside her. Inside was the ring Frederico had given her. She hoped they both survived this so she could give it back to him and apologize to him for what Raz had done.

Frederico hadn't deserved this. He'd come here to help Raz and had ended up hurt because of it. He'd even wanted to protect her and had gone as far as giving her his guard's numberso she could contact him if she ever couldn't reach Frederico. Monique's eyes widened.

"His guard!" she yelled, drawing Leo and Rocco's attention her way. "I have the phone number of Frederico's guard. His main one. The one that would've been by our side if Frederico hadn't ordered him to stay in the main room while we came back here for Frederico to help me with my dress. I could call him and ask him and Frederico's men for help."

"You do realize we've lost Frederico's daughter, and Raz nearly killed Frederico. Plus, we don't know if Frederico is safe or not," Leo reminded her. "When you call, the first thing the guard is going to do is ask for Frederico. What will you tell him?"

Monique sighed. "You're right. That could lead to us having two enemies to defeat."

Leo nodded.

"Then again, maybe not," Monique drawled, a plan coming together in her mind.

"What are you thinking, Lady Boss?" Rocco asked.

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