Page 146 of Dangerous Contract: Part 2

Raz and his team raised their weapons instantly, the sound of footsteps approaching from around the corner putting them all on edge.

Gun raised, Monique told them, “Don’t shoot. Not yet. Let’s make sure it’s not Frederico’s people.”

Despite everything she’d gone through, Monique was handling herself better than he could’ve imagined. She was calm under pressure, alert, and rational. Nothing like him. He was more of ashoot first, then apologize to the corpse latertype of person. She was the calm to his storm. The other half of him, the perfect half. No wonder he’d been so lost without her.

A voice drifted from around the corner, “Orazio Cattaneo.”

Raz’s jaw tightened. He recognized that voice.

“Isla Miconi,” Raz and Monique muttered.

He glanced over at Monique and caught the look she shot his way, a side-eye hot enough to burn straight through him. She looked pissed off.

“Your date has arrived,” she hissed.

“Fuck her,” he muttered under his breath, not giving a damn about Isla Miconi. “You can shoot her if you want.”

Monique chuckled, a dark, amused sound that sent a shiver up his spine. But then she surprised him when she leaned in closer, her voice dropping low, dangerous as she whispered, “I just might do that.”

He didn’t doubt it for a second. He should be worried about her, but fuck, the look in her eyes turned him on. She leaned away from him just as Isla and Frederico's guard stepped around the corner, guns raised.

Then came Miconi, limping into sight, battered and bruised but still standing. Raz gritted his teeth, wishing he could put a bullet in the old ass man. He’d just gotten back with his Rosa. Then here comes Frederico’s old ass, a reminder of how savagely Raz could lose it.

“Stop right there,” Monique called out.

Frederico and his team stopped. Isla and a few of the guards looked ready to kill. Frederico started to speak, but Monique spoke up first.

“Are we all working together, or are we fighting? If we’re working together, Raz will tell you all the plan. If we’re not, just say the word.”

Frederico’s eyes widened. Raz held in his smile, his anger with Frederico melting away. His Rose had thorns. Beautiful thorns. Lady Boss was ready for anything and anyone. His father should be afraid. Not of Raz.

But of his woman.

Chapter Forty-Four

ORAZIO

––––––––

Frederico’s team chose to work with them. Raz had been secretly wishing they’d chosen to go against him so he could kill them all. Instead, he had to force himself to play nice for his Rosa. Raz stood in the dimly lit corridor, gripping his guns as Monique briefed Frederico’s team on the plan.

"Team A will draw the guards’ attention away from the main room by creating a distraction,” she explained. “Team B will focus on securing the people in the main room and getting them out of the building. If we move fast, we can get the people out while the don’s men are engaged with Team A. We’re hoping Team C will have the exits cleared in time. If not, Team B will have to help Team C clear the exits.”

As she talked, gunfire echoed from the direction of the gala, mingling with the faint, desperate cries of the trapped guests. The sounds gnawed at him. He had to help those trapped in that room quickly.

But he couldn’t do so without a plan. Going in guns blazing could lead to more deaths. He didn’t want more innocent people to die because of his family. His eyes remained on Monique as she confidently laid out the plan.

His Rose was in her element. She belonged here just as much as anyone else in the room. Though he’d rather have her somewhere safe and sound, he had to admit, he couldn’t imagine doing this without her.

Because of her presence, he was calmer. He was more rational. He was thinking before acting. She made him a better man, a better don. Though his eyes were on Monique, he hadn’t missed the way father and daughter Miconi had been staring at his Rose.

One was staring at her like he wanted to hold her, making Raz want to put a bullet in him. The other was staring at Monique like she wanted to claw her eyes out, making Raz want to put a bullet in her also.

Though they’d agreed to work together, Raz wasn’t an idiot. Trust was a fragile thing in this world, and it didn’t come easily to him, especially not with someone like Frederico. Someone who’d already violated Raz’s trust by bringing his woman to the gala.

He knew the man’s loyalties were paper-thin. And while they might be on the same side for now, Raz wasn’t letting his guard down for a second. He’d never trust a man who wanted the same woman he wanted.

His attention was pulled from Monique when the guard he’d had watching Isla before all this chaos happened leaned over and whispered, “Lady Boss knows what she’s talking about. She was built for this.”

---