Page 69 of Lethal Vengeance
I finish the garotte and begin on the knife.
Giovanni stays to watch me. “I should have this done for Aria and Samantha.”
“It’s always good for a woman to have more than one weapon at her disposal,” I point out.
He nods his head in agreement.
With one last snip, the sheath for the knife is finished. Testing it out, I make sure it fits snugly and is hidden by the boning. It’s perfect. I smile in satisfaction.
Giovanni softly claps his hands. “Thank you for letting me watch.” He smiles and stands. “I’m going to grab some sleep.”
After hanging the dress, I wander over to Sterling.
“Hello, beautiful. Still mad at me?” He flashes a worried smile.
I smooth his thick, gorgeous blond hair back. “They’ve been gone a couple of hours.”
The door opens, and Zane walks in alone. I grab Sterling’s hand.
“Where are Raider and Cruz?” I demand, unable to think the worst.
With a sigh, he drops into a nearby chair. “Raider is fine. They’re treating him well. He figured a way out but was waiting until after the evening and morning check-in calls with Armando. He didn’t want him to suspect anything. Cruz wanted him to leave immediately. Raider’s brother, Paulo, is furious. Not about Raider, but because the horses have been mistreated and starved. He wanted to burn the place down immediately.”
He pinches the bridge of his nose. “The three of them have settled on middle ground. There are about twenty men at the ranch. They’ve decided to stay and take them down tomorrow night when the attacks start.”
I blink. The three of them are going to take on twenty men? “Should we send them some back-up?”
Zane laughs. “They would only get in the way or get hurt. Those three don’t play by the rules. I hope they get it done quickly.”
“When we get back, I’m going to find a way to make our trackers smaller and less detectable. Maybe Mateo and Henley can help,” Sterling mutters, obviously angry at Raider for worrying him.
“Good idea,” Zane replies, squeezing Sterling’s shoulder. “Get some rest. We start early tomorrow.” He looks at me. “You, too. I want you rested and ready to take on that bastard.”
“What about you?” I blurt out. “You’ve been up planning for days.” I frown at Zane.
Sterling chokes on his water. “I’ll show you to our accommodations, Quinn.” He stands and holds out his elbow.
Threading my arm through, I murmur goodnight to Zane and let Sterling lead me over to the other corner of this tiny studio. I eye the mattress on the floor. What I wouldn’t give for a good, comfy couch.
Sterling waves a hand at my duffel on the floor.
“We’ve been sleeping over here to let Margot have some privacy,” he explains. “Plus, we’ve added Thomas and the man he brought with him. And the Luciano crew.”
With a tired nod, I grab my stuff and head to the bathroom to brush my teeth and pull on some leggings and a t-shirt. Minutes later, I’m lying on the mattress staring at the ceiling. The tiredness disappears, replaced by the questions swirling in my head.
What will I find in Armando’s house? Who is this family he wants me to meet? Is this the beginning of the end?
Sterling eases down beside me. “Can’t sleep?”
I shake my head.
“Me either,” he says with a sigh.
I look deep into his eyes. Even though he knows Raider is safe, the worry is still there. “Tell me about your dad.”
He shifts onto his back to stare at the ceiling. “Everyone kept telling me he died on his last mission, but I refused to believe it. He was too tough and smart. So, I kept searching for him. Everyone told me to give up. When I finally found proof he was alive, I wasn’t surprised. It took us two months and a lot of money to rescue him and the other hostage,” he explains, anguish in his voice. “When I saw him for the first time in two years, he didn’t even look the same. All his vitality and strength were gone. They stripped him to the bone.”
I entwine my fingers with his. “And yet, he never gave up. He fought hard to make it through and come home.” I pause. “What was he like before?”
