Page 34 of Marked for Danger

“Is there a point you’re trying to make?”

“The guy she was talking with is a cop.” Tony finally got there.

Interesting.“You know this how?”

“The guy looked and moved like a pig, so I took a picture and sent it to your source for confirmation. The man is Detective Grady Thorne. He has an apartment on the north end of the city.”

“And the woman?”

“Dr. Isobel Garcia.”

“Garcia?”

Tony nodded. “Olly’s sister who also happens to be a forensic psychiatrist on the DPD’s payroll.”

So Olly had a sister who was in bed with the cops. Not only that, he’d lied to Tony about who she really was.

“Did you take care of the problem?”

“Tried to, but a damn stray cat came out of nowhere. Fucking thing rubbed up against my leg right as I pulled the trigger.”

“So you missed.” It wasn’t something that happened very often.

“Yeah, I fucking missed.” Tony ran a hand over his dark hair. “They took cover, but I saw the asshole get on his phone as they moved out of my line of sight. I knew he was probably reporting the shooting to his cop buddies, so I got the hell out of there.”

“Cutting your losses isn’t always an easy choice to make, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t sometimes necessary. You did the right thing by coming to me with this.”

“Thanks, Dante. If it weren’t for that damn cat—”

“It’s over and in the past.” Dante waved the man’s excuse away. “We need to focus on the future.”

“What are you thinking?”

“I think there are three rats in our house that need to be exterminated.” He stared into his man’s eyes to ensure he understood the unspoken order.

Tony’s jaw tightened, his loyalty to Dante etched in every line of his face. “Consider it done, Boss.”

Dante leaned back in his chair once more, his gaze focused on the world beyond the walls of his fortress. The weight of impending danger settled upon his shoulders. A burden he’d grown accustomed to bearing.

Peace came with the knowledge that Tony would take care of things. Just as he had every other time an infestation threatened what Dante had spent his life building.

Because no one messed with his livelihood and lived to tell about it.

Chapter 7

Izzy stood in her living room, the only light coming from a small table lamp in the far corner of the room. The moon hung low, casting a soft glow over the surrounding mountains, giving the scene an ethereal touch.

“You have a beautiful home.” Grady’s deep voice rumbled as he stepped up beside her.

The familiar scent of male spice and something uniquely his filled the air around her, creating a sense of security she only ever felt with him.

Only Grady.

“Thank you.” She took the offered cup of steaming hot tea he’d taken upon himself to brew.

Putting the porcelain mug to her lips, she sipped the amber liquid carefully to avoid getting burned. The action nearly made her laugh as she compared it to the way she’d been living her life.

Careful. Cautious. Never letting anyone too close for fear of being burned.

---