Page 99 of Taking Care of the Target

He peeled off her silky tank top, revealing a matching red bra. “Damn, I missed you. And I’m not just saying that because you’re almost naked. But I missed naked you, too. I do kind of feel like I’m cheating with the brunette version of you.”

The corner of her mouth kicked up, and he slipped one of her bra straps off her shoulder. “Wait,” she said, pushing him away as he reached for her other one. “You have to catch up.”

He lowered his eyebrows. “Catch up?” Didn’t they already do that downstairs?

“On nakedness.” She scooted out from under him, sat on her knees, and grabbed the hem of his shirt. She lifted it over his head and tossed it aside. She traced the puckered pink line where her knife had gone in. “I should’ve made you get stiches. I still feel so bad that I—”

He cut her off with a kiss. “Don’t worry about it. Chicks dig scars.”

“Not when they’re the ones who gave them to you.” Cassie bent down and pressed her lips over it.

He groaned in relief and anticipation when she undid the button of his jeans and lowered the zipper. Dizziness set in as she cupped him over his underwear. Then her fingers traveled up—too high—and she dragged her fingertips over the skin just above the waistband of his boxers, teasing him until he couldn’t take it anymore.

With a growl, he gripped her hips, digging his fingers into the skin, and pulled her flush against him. He kissed her, rediscovering every inch of her mouth with his tongue. “I’m never letting you go again.”

“Last time you said we’d start over and that you were mine, and then you left me. Just know that if you ever try that again…” She wrapped her arms around his neck and locked eyes with him. “Just don’t, okay? My heart can’t take it.”

“I won’t, I swear. My life completely sucked without you, and I already had plans to find you, no matter what it took.” He brushed his thumb across her bottom lip. “And for what it’s worth, I never stopped being yours. I’llalwaysbe yours.”

A satisfied smile spread across her face. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too. After this mess is over, we’ll start over new. Together.”

“Sounds perfect.” A wicked glint hit her eyes as she dragged her fingernails down his chest, sending the waves of desire that’d been building inside of him cresting and crashing. “But for now, I think we should take advantage of all this uninterrupted time together.”

She rolled her hips as she sucked his lower lip into her mouth, and then the world blurred into skin-on-skin, moans, months’ worth of pent-up longing, and coming together, only to work up the energy to do it all over again.

Chapter Forty-Five

The testimony Vince gave as Assistant US Attorney Birch questioned him was the smooth, expected part. Seeing Carlo was far from easy, but Vince laid out the facts.

When Carlo’s slimy lawyer stood to cross-examine, Vince reminded himself he needed to remain as calm as possible, no matter what Uffizi said. The lawyer brought up his father’s death and talked about how, even though Carlo took him in, Vince was an uncontrollable, angry kid who stole alcohol and cars.

“Borrowedone car,” Vince said. “When I was seventeen. And the charges were dropped.”Thanks for that, asshole.

Uffizi continued on with his spiel, painting him as someone who wanted to take over his uncle’s business and was bitter when he was told he couldn’t have Rossi’s Restaurant, because it was Carlo’s main source of income—hah!The bones in Vince’s jaw ached from biting down so hard. He kept hearing AUSA Birch telling him it was of the utmost importance he didn’t lose his temper, no matter how much the other side provoked him.

Uffizi stopped his pacing in front of the witness stand. “Isn’t it true you had access to the safe that held the weapons in Rossi’s?”

“I knew where the safe was, and Carlo had shown me a few of the guns, yes.”

Uffizi made a big deal about how at any time, Vince could’ve gotten into the safe and used the weapons.

“I also have two witnesses who’ll sayyou’rethe one who killed Eduardo Alvarez,” Uffizi said with a smug look Vince sincerely wanted to punch off his face.

Sal and Dante, no doubt. “Most of Carlo’s guys would say anything for him,” Vince said. “That’s what happens when you’re a don in the Mafia.”

Uffizi strode forward, ignoring the last comment. “But there was another witness, wasn’t there? A waitress who worked at Rossi’s? Ms. Cassandra Dalton?”

A long exhale leaked through Vince’s clenched teeth as he fought the urge to keep Cassie out of it. His stubborn, amazing woman had taken away that option, and soon she’d be in his place, adding her testimony.

“In fact, you told my client you killed Cassandra Dalton, didn’t you? Remember, you’re under oath.” Uffizi grinned at him, and Vince grinned right back. As much as he wanted Cassie far, far away from this mess, he couldn’t wait to see the look on Uffizi’s and Carlo’s faces when the prosecution called her to take the stand next.

“I told him that so he’d stop trying to kill her,” Vince said. “He’d asked me to kill her twice, and his capo, Sal Esposito, hired thugs to mow her down in the street. She barely survived the drive-by shooting, and then there’s the sniper Carlo sent to kill her. I think there’s a recording of him ordering that hit, isn’t there? And pictures of her apartment afterward?”

Uffizi’s eyes narrowed. “Convenient that she hasn’t been seen for months.”

“Actually, getting her out of the city alive was extremely inconvenient, considering we were shot at as we tried to flee. But I helped her get out of Jersey and told her to run and never look back. Then I came back and lied to Carlo, because I knew he wouldn’t stop going after her until she was dead.”

---