Page 8 of Venom and Velvet

I crossed my arms over my chest, biting the inside of my cheek. “OK, that’s all really fantastic, Agent, but I don’t know them and have never seen them before.”

Delove leaned forward and clasped his hands together. “This crime syndicate is the biggest threat to the safety of this city. They control everything from street-corner drugs to the police and even government officials. The list of quote-unquote ‘accusations’ against them is miles long. Money laundering. Public corruption. Weapons smuggling. Tax fraud. Labor racketeering. You name it, they’re involved in some way.”

I crossed my legs, fighting the urge to bite my fingernails. “What does any of that have to do with me?” Why was he telling me all of this like it was helpful information? The only thing he was doing was freaking me out, and he still hadn’t gotten to the point. “Can’t you just arrest them?”

Delove chuckled. “I wish it was that easy, Nova. They are smart. Too smart. Every time we come close to getting solid evidence against them, someone either winds up dead or disappears.” His eyes drilled into me, and I didn’t like where this conversation was headed. “Ryzen Goodacre has been an associate of theirs for many years”—Delove nodded at Cian—“since Mr. Blackwood and him were partners.” He studied me for a moment, the room silent. “You don’t seem surprised by this news that your fiancé is involved with the Mafia.”

I sighed, my shoulders sagging slightly. “Agent, there’s a lot you don’t know about me and Ryzen Goodacre. But no, based on what Cian has told me, the shock has come and gone.”

Delove nodded and pushed a picture of Ryzen in front of me. “He is the key. He is how we take the Voledetti down.” He tapped his finger on Ryzen’s face and leaned back in his chair.

Dobbs came back into the room, slamming the door behind him. Great, the old coot hadn’t keeled over in the back of his sedan.

My mind was reeling with everything Delove had told me. “I already told you I don’t know these people. I know nothing about Ryzen and the Mafia. I was attacked, and it sounds like these men might be responsible. So arrest them.” I threw my hands up. “I’ll give a statement. So will Juliet and Cian.” I looked at him for help.

Cian squeezed my knee and nodded. “Tell us what you need.”

“The DA is on the warpath. She wants to take these sons of bitches down.” Dobbs huffed as he plopped back down into his chair. “And we can finally do that once we have Goodacre right where we want him. Which is where you come in.” He looked at me as if he had solved the riddle to the world’s hardest puzzle.

“I just told you I don’t know anything. Shouldn’t we be trying to find the people who tried to kidnap me? The ones who destroyed my warehouse?” I sputtered, my head pounding. “What do you want fromme?”

Delove and Dobbs looked at each other, the room filling with tension as Delove tapped his pen against the desk. “Your fiancé isn’t as smart as he thinks he is. We need you to collect evidence of his illegal business activities. Once we have the evidence, we can use that as a bargaining chip against the Voledetti family. Him or them. Knowing Ryzen Goodacre, he’ll choose himself.”

The room was completely still as we all looked at each other. A tickle in my throat exploded into full-blown laughter. Delove raised his eyebrows, and Dobbs puckered his lips. He looked like one of those pathetic fish you saw swimming in a dirty aquarium at one of those seafood restaurants, which only made me laugh even more. A tear streamed down my face, and I wiped it away.

“How about hell fucking no?” I slammed my hand on the table, heat rushing to the tips of my ears. “Are you out of your damn minds? You just sat here and told me these men are dangerous,murderers,and now you think, what, that I’m just going to put myself right in the middle of it? How would I even get this so-called evidence?”

Delove had the decency to look embarrassed. “You’re engaged to the man. He’ll have to explain himself and the situation with Voledetti, since he thinks they kidnapped you. Once he believes he can trust you, he’ll slip up. You’ll find what we need, and we can move forward.”

I shook my head, rubbing my temples. “No way, that is not even remotely possible.”

Dobbs threw his handkerchief on the table and leaned forward, the buttons on his shirt threatening to pop open at any moment. “Oh, it’s possible, honey. You either get the intel we need or you’ll be headed straight to prison for insurance fraud and conspiracy. Not to mention domestic terrorism if the DA chooses. There were three employees working the late-night shift in the building next door to your warehouse. You’re lucky they weren’t severely injured.”

My mouth fell open and Cian stood up, bringing me with him. “Get the fuck out. Now,” he boomed. “There’s no way in hell she’s going back to him.”

Delove stood and cracked his neck from side to side. “This is the only way out for you, Nova. The DA is ready to press charges with one phone call from us. Help us help you.”

My whole body was shaking as I glanced between the two agents. They were serious. Actually serious about this. My heart was beating so fast, I thought I was going to pass out. They couldn’t get away with this. There had to be another way. Conspiracy? Insurance fraud? This couldn’t be happening.

“Your plan is flawed, gentlemen.” I threw my head back, looking up at the ceiling. There was no way to hide it now. I blew my hair out of my face. “It was all a sham. The engagement to Ryzen? Not real. Not one bit of it. I can’t help you.”

The two of them looked at me like I had grown two heads. But not Cian. His eyes darkened, his whole body tensing up.

I guessed it was time to tell the truth.

Chapter Three

The room was silent when I finished telling them my story. Delove leaned back in his chair and breathed deep. I had told them almost everything, from meeting Ryzen in the elevator, to the contract, all the way up to the wedding. I’d left out the parts involving Cian and what had happened with Iva. They didn’t need to know about how I had fallen for Iva’s lies, which was what Ryzen had been counting on, and the way my world had crumbled around me.

I risked a glance at Cian, his lips set in a hard line. He wouldn’t even look at me, and hell, I didn’t blame him.

“Makes sense, actually.” Delove shook his head. “An empire like Covington Hotels? A money launderer’s dream.” He whistled.

“Look, I only told you so that you would understand why this plan of yours won’t work. Ryzen and I aren’t in love. It was all for show.” I bounced my leg up and down, the table shaking slightly as I did so. “And you can’t honestly believe that I would blow up my warehouse.” I scoffed. “I did everything in my power to get that building, and now it was all for nothing.” My shoulders sagged, reality sinking in that I had in fact lost everything.

“Excuse us for a moment.” Delove stood and motioned for Dobbs to follow him.

When the door shut behind them, I braced myself for Cian’s wrath. For him to yell and tell me how stupid I had been. But it didn’t come. He sat in silence, his fists clenched. I chewed on my bottom lip, and when I couldn’t take the silence anymore, I turned towards him. “Say something.”

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