Page 126 of Creed

“Who is it? Do you have a location?” I demand.

Len clicks her tongue. “Sharesie time is over. Give me Sophie, and we’ll talk.”

Sophie steps forward, this time shaking me off. Her entire body is stiff as she fights not to break down. I can see her pain, guilt, and worry about Ollie. “I’ll come back so we can work together on this. Creed comes with me.”

“Along with Massimo and me,” Vito adds quickly.

“I don’t need the entire Santoro mafia family,” Len grouses.

“You won’t since I won’t be there.”Papàsmirks. “But this young lady’s protection is vital to us.”

“This team,myteam,” Len amends, “doesn’t work with… Well, with people like you.”

“I’m not asking that they aid us in criminal activities,” I grit. “But keeping Sophie’s best interest front and center. It seems like we both have pieces of this puzzle that will allow us to protect her better, and we’re stronger together.”

Len pauses, then sighs. “Agreed.”

“How is Ollie?” Sophie bites her lip to stop it from quivering.

“She’s… she’s hanging on, Sophie. However, it’s touch and go at this point.”

Sophie chokes on a sob and bites her lip so hard it could draw blood.

“I’ll get your number from Army, Len,” I say, refusing to draw the MC further into this. “I’ll message you with the time and location to meet.”

“Don’t make me regret this,” Len snarls.

“Likewise,” I growl back.

Len hangs up, and Army powers down the burner.

“Thank you for acting as the intermediary,” I tell Army and Ash, tucking Sophie into my chest. She’s about to unravel, and I want to get her some privacy to do that.

“Len’s a hardass, and if she’s in your corner, she’s a fucking weapon,” Army says.

“I don’t know if that’s an endorsement or a warning,” Massimo rumbles.

Army shrugs. “A bit of both.”

Papàcalls to us as I guide Sophie to the door, and his eyes are intent when we turn to him. “This family has your back, whatever you need.”

I know this, but hearing it from my father is reassuring, especially as I don’t know what we’re heading into.

Chapter 37

Creed

Trust is hard togive, especially when raised in a mafia family. However, I went with my gut instinct and called Len, with tons of lead time, to give her team the meeting time and location—Electric, one of our clubs in San Diego, at ten o’clock. I give them almost ten hours’ notice, which means they have ample time to plan something shady. However, something tells me I can trust Len and this team.

Len herself isn’t coming for the meeting, though. Antonio and his partner, Miguel, are attending, along with a guy named Tag Hale. Tag is the head of security for Severyn Andrews—a songwriter-musician and close friend of Antonio—who will also be attending. Len promised she trusts these people, and they’re acting as the liaison for her team, which relies on anonymity.

Sophie, Andro, and I wait in one of Electric’s private VIP rooms. My brothers, Gabriele, Raf, and six of their men are spread out throughout the club.

Antonio, Miguel, Tag, and Severyn had just arrived with two other men. Rocco, the head of security at Electric, checked them to ensure none of them carried weapons. Crispin and Daniele are on the security cameras; they quickly identified the other men as Nexin Walsh and Rolf Torkelson.

The speed at which Crispin and Daniele can work is insane, but they rapidly reported that Tag is an ex-Army Ranger, Nexin is an ex-CIA, and Rolf is an emergency and trauma physician. As a security team for Severyn Andrews—a songwriter-musician and niece of a billionaire who seems to value her privacy—they’re quite the stud security package. Rolf is taller than Vito’s six-five and has Massimo and me beat for width. The guy may look like a tank, but his movements are smooth and agile as we watch them on the security feed on my phone. He may not have been military-trained, but he’s a definite possible threat.

Rocco has taken them to another VIP room and will bring them through the network of secret passages that connect the rooms, courtesy of the prohibition days. They’ll be here any minute.

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