Page 56 of Ruthless Vengeance
“And good for you for being so supportive.” Andre chuckles, slapping me on the back. “Who knew that my baby brother could be so domesticated?”
I grit my teeth. “Was there something you needed to talk to me about?”
“I came to ask you how your little chat with Clara’s brother went.”
The atmosphere instantly shifts.
I tilt my chin up toward the open front door, and Andre quickly shuts it, just in case Lila or Rosa might be within earshot. This is definitely not something that they need to get caught up in.
It’s bad enough that Clara is involved, but there’s not much I could do about that when Ben was using her as a bargaining chip.
Once I finish telling Andre everything I learned about Cillian, he lets out a long breath and tucks his hands into his pockets.
“This is one hell of a mess to get dragged into.”
“Tell me about it. What do you suggest we do?”
Andre looks out over the front of his sprawling estate with a solemn expression on his face. “I don’t think we can continue to use Ben as a mole.”
“Too fucking right, the guy is a snake. He’d think nothing of throwing us to the wolves if it meant saving his own ass.”
“I get it, Marco, you hate the guy. But if Cillian were to learn he’s been feeding us information, it won’t just be a death sentence for Ben. It will be a death sentence for all of us.”
I let out a long breath as I rake my fingers through my hair.
Andre frowns. “At this point, we still need Cillian to trust us. We can’t afford to get on the wrong side of him just yet.”
“Or ever.”
“We need to play this very carefully, otherwise he might decide to add one of our own to his little business venture.”
My blood runs cold as I think of Rosa. She’s an innocent kid, and she doesn’t deserve to pay the price for me being stupid enough to call in a favor with one of the most sadistic crime bosses in the country.
I ball my hands into fists. “I’ll kill him before he ever gets close enough to even touch her.”
Andre clamps a hand on my shoulder, squeezing it hard.
“Let’s hope it doesn’t get to that.”
Chapter Fifteen
CLARA
The momentI step inside the house, I run straight upstairs to my sewing room to get to work.
After the conversation I just had with my brother, I’m grateful for the distraction this interview provides. Though I have no idea if it’s even possible to complete two looks before ten a.m. tomorrow.
All I do know is that I have no time to panic. No time to overthink. No time to question how in thehellMarco managed to score me an interview at the New York Institute of Fashion.
All I can do now is work.
I close the door to my sewing room behind me, and my internal clock starts to count down.
This amount of work would normally take me weeks to perfect, and I have only hours.
But I’m not about to let fear or doubt ruin this opportunity.
Marco has given me the chance of a lifetime, and I’ll be damned if I waste it.
