Page 28 of Ruthless Oath

Yeah. Watch him.

I wanted to tell Marchello he didn’t need the gun, but he had to make it look good in front of Danny. My heart pounded hard, rattling my ribcage.

Having a loaded gun pressed against your side really amped up the adrenaline.

“You tell Gian if he ever wants to see his daughter again, he might want to think twice about moving that shipment.”

“You knew?” I whispered.

“You can also tell him that any part he played in causing my father to leave, he better undo—and fast—if he wants to keep her breathing.”

“I can’t tell if you’re bold or stupid,” Danny said.

“I’m not stupid, Mr. Collins. The ball is in your court. Get Gallanti to back off, then we’ll negotiate.”

Marchello turned me around and hurried me to a black SUV on the other side of the lot. I kept pace with him easily, considering I wanted to get away from Danny as quickly as I could.

Marchello opened the driver’s side door and shoved me into the vehicle. He held the gun on me as he nodded for me to climb over the console. “Get in the passenger seat.”

He was really playing up this hostage situation. It was kind of sexy. Maybe we could role-play this at a more convenient time.

“Okay.” I crawled over the center panel, trying to yank my dress down, but it was no use. He probably saw my panties. Although, he had his fingers up my hooha less than thirty minutes ago, so did it really matter if he saw my butt cheeks?

He got in, slammed the door, and put the car in drive. The tires screeched as he made his getaway out of the parking lot.

A thrill of excitement coursed through me. Having a man as dangerous as Marchello haul me away made me tingle in some pretty intimate spots. Another issue for my therapist.

“Well.” I breathed a sigh of relief as I clicked my seatbelt. “That was something.”

With a tight jaw, he kept his eyes on the road. His chiseled profile mesmerized me, even with that scowl on his face.Why does he always look so annoyed? And why do I find his annoyance so appealing?

“You knew what my father and Danny were planning,” I said. “Why didn’t you say so?”

“I told you I didn’t need your help.”

“You didn’t need to make a deal with me.” I stared out the window as we headed away from the city. “You tried to take advantage of me.”

“I didn’t try to take anything you weren’t offering.” He gripped the steering wheel. “And trust me, you couldn’t have told me anything I wouldn’t have already known.”

“I guess now you’ll never know.”

“Right.” He turned up the radio. “Whatever will I do without your intel?”

“Well, thanks for the assist with Danny. I appreciate it.” I lowered the radio so he could hear me. “Even if holding me at gunpoint was a little dramatic.”

“It wasn’t for theatrics.”

“In any case, you saved me a second time, but I’ll make sure you don’t have to do it again.”

“What was the arms dealer arguing with you about?”

“It doesn’t matter.” I rolled my eyes. “You can drop me off at the Ritz, and I’ll call my dad in the morning. It won’t hurt to make him sweat it out tonight. My mother will be able to help me.”

Marchello kept driving, taking me farther away from the city.

Where are we going?

“This isn’t the way to the hotel.” I glanced out the window. “You have to turn around before we hit the tunnel. We can’t leave the city.”

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