Page 105 of Vicious Vows

“I’m at the docks, and it’s swarming with the FBI,” he said.

“That means we can’t move either of the cartel shipments until shit dies down.”

Another fucking delay I didn’t need. I hadn’t successfully moved a shipment into the ports in over a month. Juan and his people were not going to tolerate another delay. This wasn’t the best way to form an alliance with Lorenzo and his crew either.

“There is nothing to move.” Milo sighed. “The Feds confiscated both shipments.”

Lissia took my hand and smiled, but not even her touch could calm the storm rising inside my gut.

“How the fuck did that happen?” I shouted. “We had people in place to make sure it would arrive safely. Informants, agents in our pocket.”

“We are slowly being dismantled,” Milo said. “They are targeting our cartel shipments because they know if we don’t keep them happy, we don’t stand a chance.”

Gallanti.

“No more warnings.” I gripped the phone so tight I thought it would crush under the pressure. “We’re ending this tonight.”

The time for a quick ambush was over. Gian would suffer, and hewouldsee me coming. It wasn’t the first time I’d planned a risk like this, but if I let my anger get the best of me, it might be the last.

TWENTY-FOUR

Lissia

Marchello endedthe call and hurried up to the bedroom without even looking at me.Ouch.

Whatever news he had just received shook him to his core. The quiet emptiness that surrounded me left me unsettled and certain of one thing—there would be no peace.

Our fathers made sure of that before Marchello and I ever spoke a word to one another. Marchello tried to warn me that we were doomed from the start, but I was too stubborn to see it. If I couldn’t accept our fate then, there wasn’t a chance in hell I would believe it now.

We belonged together. I would fight for us every day.

Judging from Marchello’s expression when he ended the call, he didn’t need me, so I waited a bit before going to find him. By the time I got to the bedroom, he was out of the shower and getting dressed. A black suit, black dress shirt, and a black tie.

A hitman special. Who is his target?

He swiped his gun from the dresser, secured it in the holster in the back of his pants, and glanced at me before putting on his shoes.

“Is it bad?” I asked.

Of course it was bad. Why else would he be leaving in the middle of the night?

He placed his foot on the bench by the window and tied his shoe. Choosing not to answer me, he did the same to his other shoe.

“Is it dangerous?”

“Not for me.” He slipped on his silver watch, checked the time, then stepped toward me. He kissed my cheek. “Don’t wait up. It’s going to be a long night.”

“Where are you going?” I followed him into the hallway. “Is Milo going with you?”

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be home when I can.”

“I do worry about you.”

“I’ll leave the credit card,” he said. “You and Ricardo can go to breakfast and go shopping. Dom will take you wherever you want, but do what he tells you to.”

“I want to go with you.” I hurried after him, but when he approached the main staircase, he turned and held up his hand.

My heart sank.

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