“What the fuck is wrong with you? This is a perfect time. They won’t be expecting it,” Captain responds.

Grant is still staring at me like I’ve lost my mind. I mentally slap myself.

“Let’s do this then.” I clap my hands together, trying to hype myself up.

“Get it done, boys. No fuck-ups,” we’re told.

Grant clasps me on the shoulder as we walk out. “You okay, man?”

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

“Just checking where your head is right now.”

“I’m fine. Let’s get this warrant so we have something to stick them with,” I say, trying to be excited.

“I’m sorry about Mancini. I know you wanted to nail him and this seems like an easy way out.”

I nod. “The outcome is the same. We took down the boss; now, to get the people under him. They’ll be scrambling to figure out who will become the new boss.”

“Think Romeo Mancini will take the role?” Grant asks in a serious tone.

“Naw, man. His family put too much disgrace on the organization. I think Campisi will take over. Hugo will become the boss, and his son Coy will become one of the underbosses. There was a rumor of a struggle even before this. We’ll see soon enough.”

“The Rossis will use this to their advantage and take over their territories.”

“Not if we have anything to do with it.”

Grant smiles, liking my positivity. I should be ecstatic about this. Instead, a dark-haired girl with light-gray eyes keeps popping into my head. Aria Rossi is dangerous to my job, my life, and quite possibly my heart.

My heart ispounding underneath my bulletproof vest. Grant and I knock on the Rossi mansion door. Our men hang a few feet back, prepared to be backup or help search the house.

I recognize Katrina opening the door, the maid speaking in Italian to her with a scolding tone. Katrina’s eyes are having a hard time focusing. She’s high as hell right now.

I lift my badge. “We have a warrant to search the premises.”

Taking in the front room, I don’t see anyone. My heart drops when Aria doesn’t come down the stairs.

The maid yells at us, “I calling Nicoli! He won’t be happy,” in her broken English. I smile at her as Grant and I walk in like we own the house. I love this part of the job.

Grant calls the men behind us, and we all go searching their home. Grant’s already turning cushions over and off the couches, not bothering to clean up after himself. I want to head up the stairs, but I know that’s a bad idea in case I run into Aria. It’s better that I don’t know if she’s home or not.

I direct the men to go to the bedrooms. My heart pounds quicker once again. The idea of one of them in her room grates on me. I force myself to keep going down the stairs. Coming to the bottom, there’s another door I open, an unfinished room standing before me. There’s a treadmill, boxes, and the furnace. I’m taken aback by how it looks like a regular basement. I was expecting something flashier.

Stepping in farther, the door closes behind me. Glancing over my shoulder, I spot Aria in my peripheral vision. She’s wearing a long flowing skirt and a tank top. I smile, and she pushes me against the now locked door.

My hand goes to the small of her back as her shaking hand holds a knife under my chin, touching my throat. It scrapes against my skin. If I breathe too deeply, it will cut me.

“Do it.” I stare right into her eyes. Making her see me. This girl will be my downfall; might as well speed up the process.

The knife eases, allowing me to take a deeper breath.

Her lips look fuller when she doesn’t smile. Her hair isn’t tame like it normally is. It has a slight wave to it and spans the entire width of her shoulders. She doesn’t have any makeup on, and still, she’s a knockout. Her eyes hold mine.

“If I don’t kill you, my father will.”

Her words send a trickle of unease slithering down my spine. “Does it matter?” My hands go to her shoulders. Her knife pushes harder against me and scrapes against my skin each time I breathe.

Her body is flush with mine, the rise of her chest pushing against me. “In the end, it’ll be either you or your father who pushes the knife into my heart.” My voice is low, trying to have the blade miss my Adam’s apple.