Page 121 of Crazed

"Didn't claim you didn't," I state.

She smirks then turns toward Katiya. "Can you finish, please?"

"You aren't buying this, are you?" Tristano utters, scrubbing his face in frustration.

Pina ignores him and nods to Katiya. "You were saying?"

My dolce takes a deep breath. "For a long time, I worked in the library, thinking he forgot about me. But Leo's always watching. He has eyes everywhere."

"Don't doubt that," Pina states.

"Right. So, besides Donato, I never had to deal with him. But then...well..." Katiya nervously locks eyes with me.

I interject, "I wouldn't stop going into the library to ask her out. Leo found out, and he wanted Katiya to learn about our jewelry contacts."

"And you were going to do it, weren't you?" Tristano accuses.

I tug Katiya closer to me and say the first lie that comes to my mind. "No. She told me right away. We've been playing Leo the entire time."

Her body stiffens against my frame.

I squeeze her hip. "Isn't that right, dolce?"

She squares her shoulders and lifts her chin. "Yes. Massimo is correct."

Tristano's eyes turn to slits. He studies us briefly then asks, "How exactly were you playing Leo?"

"It involves me killing him, not that it's any of your business. All you need to know is that I knew about her association with the Abruzzos all along. She was helping me. Now drop it."

"Why didn't you tell us?" he asks.

"Because I'm going to kill Leo, and you know how Papà is lately about making moves on high-ranking crime family members. I wasn't going to risk him saying no."

"You could have told us. We could have helped you," Tristano claims.

"And risk Dante going to Papà? No, thanks," I say, coming up with my story as I speak. I change the subject, adding, "But I do want to know how you knew I was here. The only possibility is you followed me," I claim, and my stomach flips.

Tristano's face once again reveals everything.

My gut drops like I'm on a roller coaster. "Are you serious? You followed me?" I glance at Pina, but she's got her poker face on.

No one speaks.

I demand, "You've been following me? And Dante knows about this?" His guilt grows. I hold Katiya tighter so I don't feed him to the next vicious fish that swims by us. I roar, "What the fuck, Tristano?"

"You've been making bad decisions," he claims.

New anger swells through my blood. "You put trackers on me? Do you have my plane bugged, too?"

"Seats five and eight, and the bedroom," Pina admits.

I gape at her. "You little—"

"You heard us in the bedroom?" Katiya frets.

"Nope! There was too much interference, but we did hear some rather interesting things in the main cabin," Pina smirks.

Katiya's cheeks turn red.

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