Page 2 of Vicious Little Princess

I scoffed. “And you truly believe that attacking my soldiers and commandeering my shipment was the way to do that?”

“You wouldn’t have come willingly. You would have believed it to be a trap anyway if I’d asked for a meet. It also had to be tonight. While the Marchettis and Leones are stretched thin due to some poor decisions on their part—seeking vengeance when they should be reinforcing their territories and business partnerships.”

Our thinking on such matters—and certain people—was very similar.

“I see you share my assessment. Not just on that, either. Isn’t that right?”

He knew something.

Obviously, I needed to know what that was in order to protect myself and my loved ones.

And he damn well knew that, the self-satisfied smirk spreading over his face making that clear.

He was good, I’d give him that.

But he also needed something from me.

That gave me leverage.

“This conversation goes nowhere unless you take me to my men.”

“As you wish,” he said, gesturing toward the diner. “Come with me.”

Two of his men joined him, sticking close to him for his protection, while Milo did the same with me as we made our way over there.

The curtains were drawn, even one over the door, so I couldn’t see a thing within.

One of his men opened the door and Carlo stepped inside.

Bracing myself, I followed, with Milo being sure to stay close, especially as the two guards followed in after us.

Red vinyl booths filled my vision as we strode along the beige linoleum floor. There were a couple of his soldiers sitting on stools up at the counter, their sharp gazes focused on the rear of the diner.

As we veered around the corner, I realized exactly why they had their eagle-eyes focused in that direction.

Carlo came to a stop just before the swinging doors leading into a storage area.

And there were my soldiers, sprawled out before the doors and some visible even inside the storage area itself. They were unmoving, laid out across the space.

Surprising me, there was no blood pooling around them, and only a few scratches and bruises between all ten of them.

“Milo,” I said, snapping my fingers.

We’d worked together so long and so closely that he knew instantly what I was getting at, and he went to them, crouching down beside each of them and checking them over.

He moved swiftly and efficiently and within moments, he’d checked them all and came back to my side, reporting, “All alive. Virtually unharmed. Looks like tranqs, judging by the marks and bruising I saw on some of them.”

“They’ll wake up in a couple of hours.” Carlo told me. “With one hell of a headache and hangover, but unharmed, nonetheless. The automatic fire you heard from Rocco’s call was just for effect, to lay down the law and hold them off until we could get them all tranqed and nullify the threat they became to my plans to lure you here tonight when they fought so intensely to defend for you. The shipment also hasn’t been harmed. In fact, that truck outside is now empty, and the product has been delivered to Harlow in one of mine. On your behalf. You should be receiving confirmation from her at any moment.”

What the hell?

Milo and I exchanged a look.

“You’re not my enemy,” Carlo insisted. “And I apologize about the lengths I had to go to in order to bring you to me tonight. Unfortunately, extreme measures were required and made necessary by the complicated circumstances we are all immersed in with this foolish decision made by Marco and Santino to shift the balance of power and spit all over our treaty.”

Before I could respond, my phone buzzed in my pocket.

I pulled it out to see a text he’d predicted.

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