Page 106 of Toxic

"I won't hide this from him," I insist.

She takes the SIM card. "Don't tell him yet. Promise me. I'll check this once a week. Let me think about how it could even be possible to escape."

"I can't hide—"

"Please. Give me some time. I don't want anyone to get hurt," she begs.

I consider her proposition for several moments as she begs me with her eyes. If I tell Finn, he'll be at the Abruzzo compound shooting it up tonight. She's right. He could die, and so could she. As much as I hate to keep this from Finn, I nod. "Okay. Are you here a lot?"

"Few times a month. Now I have to fix my makeup and get back, or Giulio's guy will be busting in here. You go first," she orders.

I hesitate.

"Go, Bridget. You never saw me."

It takes every ounce of courage I have to leave her. When I get out of the bathroom, I see a man who I assume is her bodyguard. I force myself to keep moving, catching a glance of Giulio in a suite. After I pass it, I pretend to overlook the dance floor. Sure enough, when Brenna steps out of the restroom, the man steers her into his suite.

My stomach flips, and I swallow bile, wondering how I can leave her here when I already failed her once before. I stare out at the dance floor then catch a glimpse of Dante and Gianni entering the club.

My anger resurfaces. I watch them maneuver through the busy first level. Then I move to a corner so Dante doesn't see me. The twins get off the elevator and go directly to a suite.

I move closer and position myself so that I can see them through the glass. Instead of Dante or Gianni having girls around them, they're aggressively speaking with several men. Several moments pass, and they move toward the door.

I step back and watch Dante and Gianni get into a heated conversation. Dante shakes his head and the two part ways. Gianni walks in my direction. Dante disappears into the elevator. I turn to face the wall, with my back toward Gianni, my heart racing and praying that he doesn't see me.

But Gianni's on a mission. He storms past me just as my phone buzzes.

I pull it out of my purse.

Dante:Dolcezza, is it too late to see you? I'm sorry about all the shit I've had to deal with the last two days. Can I come pick you up?

I close my eyes briefly, feeling like an idiot for being in this club and not trusting that Dante's genuine with me. It hits me that he's done nothing but try and show me he's changed.

I take a deep breath, thinking I need to stop assuming the worst of him.

I text quickly.

Me:I'm already out. Meet me at the Ritz?

Dante:I'll meet you in the lobby.

21

Dante

"Idiots,"I mutter, getting into the SUV and slamming the door.

Two of our top guys, Frankie and Al, screwed up one of our deliveries. While they were partying at the club, over a million dollars' worth of jewels crossed the border into Vermont instead of Pennsylvania. It shouldn't have happened, and it's pissed off our buyers. When deliveries are late, everyone takes a hit, including us.

Gianni and I told Frankie and Al any monetary loss, including an extra two hundred percent, is coming out of their paycheck. The two hundred percent might be excessive, but they could cost us our distributor relationship. They aren't happy about it, but they need to learn a lesson. This isn't a minor mistake. It's something you'd have to be extremely careless about to screw up. It's a problem that should have never happened, so it only irritates me.

Adding to my annoyance is my brother's obsession with Cara. It's going to be his downfall. No matter what I say, he's not listening. Plus, knowing their history and how Cara loves to disobey Gianni only adds more fuel to the fire. I'm still unsure if she's involved with the Abruzzos or only with Uberto, but either way, it's something Gianni should get over. He needs to move on with his life. Nothing good will come from his determination to get Cara to do what he wants. He's proven this repeatedly, but something about her drives him to make decisions he otherwise wouldn't.

"Ritz," I tell my driver, and he pulls out of the parking garage. I take several deep breaths, trying to calm myself. The last thing I want is to be angry around Bridget.

I text my contact at the Ritz.

Me:Have my suite ready. I'll be there in a few moments.

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