Page 148 of Dangerous Contract: Part 2

Tomas looked at Frederico for confirmation. Frederico nodded. Tomas returned his attention to Orazio and nodded.

“Team B,” Raz said, looking at the guard beside him, then at two of Frederico’s men who were coming with him. “You follow me and Monique. For all of us, the plan is to move fast, hit hard, and don’t hesitate. If anyone gets in your way or tries to hinder the plan, kill them. We don’t have time for fuck ups,” Raz said. “Let’s finish this.”

And with that, the plan was set. Or, so he’d thought.

"Boss," Leo said, stepping forward, phone still in hand. "Why not lethimhelp with Team C and get the guest out." He noddedtoward the guard standing next to Raz. “And let me help with the old don.”

Raz frowned. He didn’t like changing plans at the last minute, especially when everything was finally starting to fall into place. But Leo wasn’t done.

"I know the old don well," Leo pressed. "I know how he thinks. I should be by your side when you face him. I should be protecting you and Lady Boss."

It was that last sentence that made Raz pause.Protecting Lady Boss. Those words struck a chord with him. Leo wasn’t just thinking about the mission. He was thinking about Monique, about her safety.

Raz knew that if he ordered Leo to do so, Leo would protect Monique over him. His other guards would hesitate. They’d hesitate because they were trained to protect him first. But Monique came first. Always.

And though he knew Leo would want to guard him first, his guard had seen how down and out Raz had been these past months. He knew that if anything happened to Monique, Raz wouldn’t want to live.

Raz gave a short nod. "Alright," Raz agreed. Glancing at the guard beside him, he said, “You’ll help get the guests out. No one gets left behind. Understood?”

His guard nodded. “Yes, boss.”

“Before meeting up with Team C and getting the guests to safety, escort Isla, Frederico, and one of their guards to a safe room where they can wait this out,” Raz ordered.

The guard nodded immediately. “Yes, boss.”

Raz then faced Frederico, forcing himself to maintain a semblance of diplomacy he didn’t feel. “I know we have a lot to discuss,” Raz told the old bitch. “But let’s save that conversation for after this is all over.” He paused for just a beat before adding, “And for the record, I apologize for taking things too far.”

Frederico only nodded in response while Isla clucked her tongue. The sound grated on Raz’s nerves, but he kept his composure. Not for their benefit, though. Hell, if he had his way, both of them would be dead by now, and he’d pin it on the chaos around them. He kept his cool for Monique.

He was doing this for her. So she could see him as the bigger person. She was the reason he held back. She was the reason he bit down on his anger and let them walk away. But in his heart, he didn’t give a fuck about either of them.

As far as he was concerned, the only reason Frederico and his daughter were still breathing was because it wasn’t the right time to deal with them. If this wasn’t a war zone, their bodies would already be in the ground, and Raz wouldn’t lose a second of sleep over it.

He watched as the guard led them away. As soon as they disappeared around the corner, he turned back to the others, giving them their last instructions and making sure Tomas and Leo relayed them to those on the phone.

Finally, he was left with his small team, which included Leo and Monique.

“Once Tomas lets us know guests are being evacuated, and once we know my father’s main guards are distracted and they have an idea where my father is, we’ll go after him,” Raz told his team, who all nodded.

This was it. The final showdown was about to happen, and only one don would be left standing. Raz refused to fall. He had too much to live for. He glanced at Monique.Her. He had her to live for.

Therefore, failure was not an option.

Chapter Forty-Five

ORAZIO

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Waiting was the hardest part for Raz. His muscles felt tight. He needed to move, to act, to kill. Standing around and doing nothing while chaos raged around them made him restless. He wasn’t built for patience, not when lives were on the line, not when everything hung in the balance.

He was too eager to get his hands dirty. That time would come.Soon. However, standing around and doing nothing had him antsy. As they waited to hear from the teams, Raz pulled Monique aside, needing a moment alone with her before all Hell broke loose.

“How are you doing, love?” he asked, voice low, gaze searching hers.

“I’m fine. How are you holding up?” she replied, her hand coming to rest on his chest, over his heart.

The warmth of her touch soothed him in a way nothing else could. He placed his hand over hers, holding it there as if her touch alone could keep him anchored.

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