Page 42 of His to Possess

Before I can knock, the door swings open and a huge bear of a man stands there. He possesses a craggy face covered inpock marks and he’s glowering at me. I can’t miss the pistol he’s carrying in a side holster which he doesn’t even attempt to conceal. He wants me to know it’s there.

“Mr. Gallo is waiting for you,” he grunts before I even say a word.

Hmm. Well, this is definitely going to be interesting,I think, and cautiously step inside. The foyer is large with a cathedral ceiling and stained glass windows depicting, of all things, butterflies. Maybe that’s a good sign. I hope so, anyway.

The Bear guides me down a long hallway off to the left and I quickly realize that this place is so much bigger than it appeared from the outside. It’s a mansion with endless corridors and a ton of rooms. As we walk by, I peek into some of them and all the decor looks old and expensive. They’re probably all antiques and worth a fortune.

Finally, we reach our destination—an office where Carmine Gallo sits behind a big, wooden desk that looks far too expensive. A quick glance around and I see a lot of little pricey objects from small pieces of art like statues and vases to larger paintings hanging on the walls. I get the impression that Carmine Gallo has a lot of money—more than he even knows what to do with.

Clearly, he has his eyes on the Five Families and the Rossi family, in particular. Which could mean one of two things—he wants to work with the alliance or he wants to usurp the Rossi’s position of power they hold over this entire city. From the weasley look in his dark, beady eyes, I’m thinking he looks like a man who is greedy and far too ambitious for his own good. Of course, I don’t trust him at all.

My spidey senses kick into overdrive as he stands up and approaches me. You can tell a lot about a person from firstmeeting them, and my impression of Gallo is he’s a power-hungry, dominant, sneaky creep. His gaze slides down my body and he doesn’t even try to hide the lascivious look in his eyes. My stomach turns, but I force myself to be cordial. For now, anyway.

It’s much easier to catch a fly with honey than vinegar.

“Hello,” he says, offering his thick, meaty hand. “And to what do I owe this pleasure?”

Even though I don’t want to, I shake his hand. It’s clammy and he squeezes so hard, I try not to grimace. Taking my hand back, I wipe it down the front of my jeans. “Let’s cut to the chase,” I say, all business. “You know who I am, right?”

He gives me a sly smile. “Of course, I know who you are, Butterfly. Or, should I say Ms. Serrano.”

Fuck.How did he find out my real name? Gritting my teeth, I do my best not to show my cards to him or the fact that he just took me by surprise. It’s also important not to underestimate him—let him underestimate me instead.

I only arch a brow in answer and play along. “I’d like to know why you put my name on the Kill List.” I don’t mention Angelo because I don’t want Gallo to think I even care. Of course, the complete opposite is true, but I get the feeling I need to be very careful about what I say to this man. I can’t yet risk revealing my true motivation for being here and that’s to protect Angelo.

He sends me another oily smile that makes my stomach queasy. “Blake, Blake, Blake.” Walking over to a side table, he picks up a bottle of fancy-looking whiskey and pours two glasses. Then he turns back around and offers me one. Even though I don’t want it, I accept the drink. “I can’t tell you how happy I am that you came to me today.”

Shit, this does not sound good. I swirl the amber liquid around in the glass, but don’t drink it. “Why?” I ask, taking the bait.

“Isn’t it obvious?” he asks coyly.

“Not really since you want me dead.”

He laughs and it sounds harsh and abrading. “If I really wanted you dead, you’d already be six feet under. No, I have other plans. I want us to work together.”

Work together?I frown, not sure where he’s going with this. “Go on,” I say, pretending to play along.To possibly be interested in whatever he’s planning on proposing. I need to figure out what the hell he’s up to so I can make a deal in regards to Angelo.

“Let’s be upfront with each other, shall we? I find that’s how the best partnerships are able to work. Honesty is the best policy, isn’t it?”

I don’t comment, just wait for him to continue.

“First of all, you should know that this entire job was merely a setup to get you to come to me.”

“The John Grady job?” I’m so confused.

“Exactly. Grady works for me, but I needed to draw you out and what better way to do that than by creating a false job. And look—it worked like a charm because here you are.”

“Did Fox know this?” I ask. If my handler betrayed me, I will be livid.

“No, he had no idea,” he says with a dismissive wave of his hand and I relax slightly.

“But you put me on the Kill List—me and Angelo. People came after us. I’m sure there was a much easier way to set up a meeting with me,” I tell him in a dry, flat voice.

He smirks. “I wanted to see what you were made of first. Forgive me, but I’ve never hired a female bounty hunter and I was curious to see if you were as good as everyone said. Looks like the rumors proved to be true.”

Flattery will get him nowhere. Growing impatient, I trail a finger along the rim of the glass then tap my nail against it. “I am good,” I say confidently, so annoyed by this asshole that I realize my hand is shaking. Gripping the glass harder, I wait for him to continue.

“Shall we cut to the chase?” he asks.

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