Page 154 of Vicious Little Princess

“You’re being hyperbolic.”

“Am I? This is the only way to handle this situation. Safely and without incriminating all of us.”

As we stared out at her, she put her laptop down on one of the patio tables and took a seat, while typing away rapidly. “We also have another problem. Those mercenaries weren’t actually mercenaries. They weren’t just working for the highest bidder in Santino and doing his dirty work because of money.”

“What?” Nico said, striding over to her, with us following suit.

“I know because I was in a position to offer them a lot more than what the bastard could at the time. It wasn’t just for the thrill of it either. No, he was shielding them from something. And I think it was Joe.Thiswas the missing connection I couldn’t make before as to why Joe intervened in the Shawn Price takedown, why he was truly there.” She pulled her phone from her robe pocket and accessed a text, then slid it to the center of the tabletop so we could all see. “There’s also this that I received from this sicko tonight.”

I frowned as I read it over Nico’s shoulder.

It was just parts of a text, a lot of it blacked out. All that was available to read was:

Wondering how I was able to contact you? Let’s just say I have some new friends. Better than the ones your boyfriends murdered. They were just a stepping stone to these guys.

“Why is it all blacked out?” Julian asked.

Not looking directly at him, Caterina said, “Oh, just personal insults against me that I knew would rile you guys up.”

“He wrote something about me, didn’t he?” Julian said.

“It doesn’t matter. He won’t be a problem much longer.” She gestured to her laptop and told us, “I’ve put a poison pill in the system. When they hacked in, they would’ve realized just how valuable the information I have on here is, so they’ll very likely try again. And when they do, it’ll destroy whatever little they were able to takeandenable me to get a foothold into their system by extension. At that point, we’ll be able to put all the pieces together.”

“Pieces you believe will lead to Angelo?” Nico uttered.

“Yes. He called them hisnew friends.Given how good these guys are, they’re why he’s been able to stay hidden so well and evade even the likes of me. They’re on another level. But if I can track them and break his link to them in the process, all that goes away.” She looked out at Nico. “Given that Santino and Marco were allied at the time, it stands to reason that Marco may be working with them, too. They were somehow connected to the Shawn Price operation, but they are ghosts so I couldn’t pick up on it. There was no trail.”

“What of Stover?” I asked her.

“Still crickets. He must be deep in this right now.”

“Or he’s been compromised,” Nico put to her.

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “These guys are good, but he’s beyond them.”

“Okay, what if they don’t hack back in and that plan doesn’t work?” Julian asked.

“I’m still trying to do it, regardless.” She gritted her teeth, clearly hating to admit, “Although I might need help.”

“It’s hard to come by somebody else of your skill set,” Nico reminded her. “The level you’re at—huh, I see. You meanhim.”

“I do, yes.”

“Caterina, bringing a reckless element into an already volatile situation isn’t exactly ideal.”

“Reckless element? Who are you talking about?” Julian asked.

Nico folded his arms across his chest. “Levi Knight.”

Off his tone, Caterina frowned out at him. “I thought you were on better terms with him now, after our call?”

“This isn’t about that. It’s about the rogue shit he’s known for.”

“Something you’re aware has been tampered down in him lately.”

“Something I also thought had been tampered down inyouuntil tonight happened.”

Oh shit.

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