Page 72 of Dirty Big Sins

Guns were confiscated and men knocked to the ground before they were cuffed and hauled back to their feet. Miranda rights were then read, making the entire operation look completely by the book.

Zia looked terrified when I hauled her against me, but she fought for her freedom. “Vincent, stop. I need to look at your shoulder. I’m sure you need a doctor.”

“You’ve been shot?” Agent Reed walked closer. “You need medical attention?”

“Eventually. First I’d like you to explain to me what’s going on so I can call my lawyer.”

“That’s what we’re going to sort out when we get everyone out of here.” He bent down and examined my shoulder. “Ambulance is on the way. We’ll get you to the hospital first, considering that looks pretty nasty.”

Hurt like a bitch too.

“We were planning to execute a legal search warrant for this plane when the tail we had on Cullotta produced a hell of a lot more than we expected.”

“Bastard Feds got the jump on us when they stormed their way through the cabin door. We had not been expecting them.”

Romeo glared at me as if I was supposed to take that as some kind of warning. Old man could go to hell at this point. He’d broken the one and only rule I’d given him. As long as Zia was safe and with me, then I’d cooperate.

“They want the diamonds too.” I said slowly, still struggling with the whole mess when I’d yet to see a shred of evidence these gems even existed.

“What diamonds?” Zia asked. “And can I please get dressed before you haul us out of here for questioning?”

“Sure. But make it quick. EMTs are on their way in and I’m sure they aren’t going to linger onboard.” Reed nodded to another agent and indicated for him to follow her.

“You have my manager, don’t you? That’s why he’s missing. He feeding info to you or something.”

Reed shook his head. “No. He really has gone missing. Although I suspect we’re never going to find him.”

The agent didn’t have to say anymore. I knew what that meant. They were operating on the assumption that the mafia had taken care of that particular problem. Fucking Brian. He’d been a hell of a business partner for a long damn time. I could hardly believe it had come down to this. I might have read his erratic behavior somewhat wrong, but since he’d gone off the rails without confiding in me, there wasn’t much I could have done.

“What about you, Cabrini? You going to tell us what’s really going on? Imagine my surprise to find you here with your dead father. So much for the head of the Rossi’s family’s early demise.”

“You’re going to have to take that up with him. We may be related by blood, but he doesn’t trust me with any family secrets. I’m still not even convinced these fucking diamonds you keep ranting about even exist. I can tell you that Zia is not involved in any of this and if you arrest her, you are going to ruin an innocent woman who doesn’t deserve this. At which point then you will have to face my wrath.”

“Shut the hell up. Threatening an agent of the law is not in your best interest right now. I wasn’t planning to arrest either of you, but keep that shit up and I’ll have no choice. For now, though, your ass is going to the hospital and I’m going to tear this plane apart until I find what I’m looking for.”

“Just so long as you leave a note on where I should send the bill for any damage. Not to mention my I told you so.”

Zia returned from the bathroom, her blue dress as gorgeous as ever if out of place in the middle of the chaos. The EMTs had arrived and were assessing the wound.

“Is he going to be all right?” She ran forward when they moved me onto a stretcher.

“Can’t say for sure, ma’am. Bullet is still lodged inside there. We’ve got to get him to the hospital so they can remove it and assess the damage.”

Damage.

I could barely feel my arm let alone move it.

Fuck.

The fight.

When they started to carry me out, we passed Romeo who sat handcuffed on one of the flight crew jump seats, looking none too happy. In addition to this mess, did the dumb bastards even realize they’d fucked up their own plan for me to throw the fight so their precious patsy Berzerker could win?

By shooting me, they’d taken me out of the fight and nobody would win…

“You did this shit on purpose.”

The man shrugged. “You were never going to toe the line. It felt like a good teaching moment.”

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