Page 25 of Sin & Secrets

It was enough to get the lieutenants to agree, at least. They’ll have my back if my father tries to use this as an excuse to back out of our treaty.

As if summoned by our discussion, Claudio Lazzaro himself appears on the stage before us, one arm strapped to his chest in a sling.

“Ladies and gentlemen! Please give a round of applause for Miss Cassandra!”

He gestures stage right as Cas appears, head bowed as she strides toward the mic next to him. I don’t miss the way she recoils from his attempt to kiss her cheek.

For a moment, the moron just stands there, baffled by her audacity, before storming off backstage.

“Good evening, everyone.”

Behind me, someone drops a tray of glasses. I glance over and see Mia staring at Cas with bulging eyes, completely ignoring the carnage at her feet.

I’m staring, not at the bruise on her neck that has tormented me these last two days, but at the matching one under her left eye.

I don’t realize I’m standing up until Teo drags me back down.

“I’m going to end that motherfucker.”

“Rocco,” Teo hisses.

“Let’s keep the lights up tonight, shall we?” Cas simply smiles as she adjusts her mic. If she hears my outburst, she doesn’t let on as she launches into her first song.

But when I finally tear my eyes away to look at my friend, it’s to find my anger reflected back at me.

Suddenly, someone grabs my collar and pulls me backward with a sharp jerk.

“Listen here, Your Majesty. I don’t care what it costs me. You go back there and kill that bastard,” Mia hisses in my ear as a kitchen knife presses threateningly against my neck.

Honestly, this woman terrifies me more than my father.

“Stand down, Chiavari,” I hiss right back. “We’re already working on it.”

Mia slowly lets me go.

“Take a seat.”

She slips into the chair next to Teo, offering him a curt nod. “Princeling.”

“Wench.”

He holds out his hand, and she rolls her eyes before resentfully handing over her weapon.

“What’s the plan?”

“I need you to clear out the office upstairs,” I tell her, although my eyes wander back to the stage.

“Do you want me to lay out the tarp?”

Teo answers for me. “We can’t kill him yet. But Rocco has a plan to get her out, at least.”

“Give me my knife back, and I’ll do it myself!”

“He’s on the list, Chiavari,” Teo explains. “Our hands are tied.”

“I’ll make it look like an accident.”

“Mia,” I tear myself away from Cas’ performance to intercept the redhead’s warpath, “don’t complicate things for me. That’s an order.”

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