Page 37 of To Have and To Hold

“The famiglia and cartel have been together in this war since the alliance formed. How did you not know?”

Panting, she shook her head.

Lowering my arms, my lips curled. “A weapon. You want a weapon? I’ll give you a weapon.” I lifted the hem of my t-shirt revealing a Beretta 22 Bobcat in my holster tucked into my jeans. “Do you want it?”

Her eyes opened wide. “No.” She sniffed and wiped the tears from her face. Even with the dark smudge under her eyes, she was stunning. “What happened at the club last night?”

I took another step toward her.

“Stop,” she demanded. “Answer my question.”

“Two Russians from the Kozlov bratva made it past our security. It could have been a deadly mistake.”

“Are they dead?” Her voice quivered. “Did Reinaldo kill them?”

Fuck, someone had told her.

The damn whores in that conference room.

I worked to keep my voice calm. “Isabella, I don’t know what you heard.”

She wrapped her arms around her midsection. “Do you kill people?”

“I have.”

A tear slid down her cheek. “Andel Patr?n, Reinaldo…?”

“We live in a dangerous world. Often, it’s kill or be killed. It’s not like we go out each day and say to ourselves, I wonder how many people I can kill today.”

She scrunched her nose and lips as if she’d swallowed something sour. “And my family? Dante?”

I nodded. “The Mafia and cartel’s businesses aren’t that dissimilar. We each have our specialties.”

Letting out a breath, she dropped her arms to her side. “My father owns part of Emerald Club. He oversees the restaurants.”

I shook my head. “Your father is a dangerous man. He wouldn’t have lasted as long as he has if he wasn’t.”

“I knew he was a made man by the time Dario was born. I thought that was in the past.”

Again, I shook my head.

“Emerald Club has whores.”

“If that was a question, the answer is yes.”

Isabella spun toward the window again. “Isn’t it dangerous to have a window to the street?”

Her thoughts were obviously scattered.

“It’s reflective and bulletproof glass. You can see out, but no one can see in. Ifel Patr?ncould, he’d have Mia in a bulletproof bubble 24/7.”

I took two steps toward her. She didn’t move. From a distance, I watched her shoulders tremble.

“Isabella, how can I help?”

She tipped her face forward. “You can’t. No one can.”

“You’re shaking.”

---