Page 41 of Montana Falls
I would have pulled it out, but there were other people present and I didn’t want to alert John to a mass panic. It seemed a foolish thing to do as we raced through the lobby, with its polished black marble floors, and the giant chandeliers on the ceiling casting soft, warm light.
It was a rather pretty place for a potential gang shoot out and murder.
“Where is he now?” I muttered, as Lincoln led the way, his long strides cutting a path through the space, while Misha stayed close behind, still focused on his phone.
I could hear him muttering under his breath, tracking John’s every move still, as if he could will the man to stay in one place. The rest of us trailed behind, Logan and Kody scanning the lobby for anything that felt off, while Price’s hand stayed firmly on my lower back, guiding me, keeping me steady.
As we approached the bank of elevators, I could feel the tension in the air between all of us, but it was quickly turning from fear to something far more fun.
Adrenaline. The best kind of thing for us to feel, really.
It made it easier for when we convinced John to come out and play with us.
Misha pressed the call button, and I glanced at him. “He’s still around the corner. Just lingering. But I don’t trust it. He knows we’re close, I think. Or at least he knows something. He keeps pacing and swearing and getting in and out of his car.”
The elevator doors slid open with a soft ding, and we all stepped inside, crowding into the small space.
“How do we play this?” Kody asked. His voice was low but urgent. “Stick to the plan or say fuck it and try to just take him now?”
“The plan.” I said firmly. “I trust it, and Ivy’s guys know what we’re doing. They will help if things go wrong.”
“You definitely trust them?” Logan asked, eyes flicking to the floor indicator as it ticked up.
“I don’t need to trust them. She sent her second, and he’s a De Luca – I trust that he’s smart enough to know I’d ruin his entire family line if he crossed me.” I swallowed hard as I tapped my combat boots against the floor. “Plus, Ivy owes me. I did her a favor once and she will repay the debt. So I trust that, at least. Even without her wanting for us to go into business together so she can earn money her father did not taint.”
“Was he a piece of shit?” Logan asked.
“He would have been friends with John.” Was my reply, but that said all I needed to say.
The elevator came to a stop before we could talk more, and the doors slid open with a soft hiss. As we stepped out onto the twins’ floor, I could see the borrowed gangsters immediately, some of my nerves melting away at the sheer number and size of them.
Caro De Luca himself stood guard in the hallway, his sharp, dark eyes already on me. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and looked exactly like all the rest of his relatives I had seen back home, with one minor exception.
He looked dead behind the eyes. Honest to god dead, as though he had no happiness left behind his dark stare.
“Caro,” I said as I approached him, my voice calm but urgent. “John’s outside. Misha’s been tracking him—he hasn’t moved far, but we think he’s planning something. We need youand your team to spread out. Check the surrounding areas, the exits, any weak points where he could slip through. If he makes a move, we need to know immediately.”
We may not have met in person, but he knew who I was, and was clearly happy to take my orders.
Ivy must have trained him well.
Caro’s expression tightened, his jaw clenching as he processed the information. “You’re sure he’s gonna make a move for the kids with us all here?” he asked, his voice low and serious. “He’s gotta be stupid to do that.”
Misha stepped forward, not looking up from his phone. “John isn’t stupid. He’s reckless and angry and egotistical and won’t care that he has no soldiers, and we have dozens. He’s come here for what he thinks is his son, and he won’t be leaving without him. So yes. He will make a move. Without doubt.”
Caro nodded, glancing back at his team and waving them off in various directions, before turning back to me. “We’ll cover the area, make sure no one gets in or out without us knowing.” He paused, looking me directly in the eye. “You sure you’re okay to handle things in there? No offense meant, but I don’t know you. I only knew your dad.”
I cocked my head, temper flaring. “You think because I am a girl I cannot do this?”
“Fuck no.” He snorted a dark laugh. “My girl is like you, and she would have John’s head for breakfast with ease. I don’t doubt you because you’re a woman. I’ve just never seen you in action before and wanted to see if you wanted more backup than your arm candy.”
He looked right at Kody as he said arm candy, and I almost laughed.
“I’m fine with my men, and we can handle this like planned.” I nodded. “If you see John, don’t engage unless you have to detain him.”
“Sure, then. Good luck. Or have fun. Whatever sentiment you want.” Caro gave me a curt nod, then signaled to the last handful of his team to follow him. His men moved quickly, scattering down the hallway, disappearing into stairwells and around corners.
“Thank you,” I called to his retreating back, as Logan knocked on the hotel suite door and waited a moment for Beni to open it and wave us inside with a grim smile.
