Page 35 of Dark Desire

I shoved the phone in my pocket and waited. Vincenzo would not like what I was about to do, but it was the only way. He'd made his decision—now I was making mine. Staring at the dead form laying in the dark alley for what felt like hours, I jumped when someone spoke behind me.

“Riley.” Donny’s voice reverberated off the dumpster, snapping me from the trance I was in.

I bent down and picked up Vincenzo’s knife. “Donny.” He watched in shock as I wiped the blade handle off on my shirt.

“What are you doing?”

“What needs to be done?" I twirled the blade in my palm. "You need to get him out of here. He can’t be here when I call this in.”

Donnie looked at the knife, staring at it in confusion. “We can get rid of the body.”

“No. You can’t. Not this time. The Feds have been waiting to catch this man for a decade. If he vanishes, the suspicion will be back on Vincenzo. This must be called in.”

“He’ll go to jail, Riley.”

I shook my head. “No. He won’t. Just trust me, okay?”

The door opened to reveal Massimo and Antonio. They stared at my blood-stained shirt and crimson stained hands. “Riley?” Antonio stepped forward and reached out to take the knife.

“No.” I jerked my hand back. “It has to be this way.”

“Your prints are all over that blade. You’re going to implicate yourself. Just hand it over.”

“I can’t. You need to leave. All of you. If my plan is going to work, you can’t be here when they come. Please.” Hot tears fell freely as I pleaded with the men surrounding me.

Antonio glanced at Massimo. “He won't like this.”

“I don’t care. He did this because I asked him too—I won’t have him in jail. Please. Just go. Take him as far away as you can. I don’t need him fucking this up.”

“Are you sure about this, Riley?” Massimo's eyes held part respect and part worry as he spoke.

“Yes. Please go.”

“Brother.” Antonio held his hand out. “Vincenzo won't forgive us if we let her do what I think she's about to do.”

“It’s not our decision.” Massimo tipped his head. “We won't walk away from you, Riley. This makes you family. Come Antonio. We need to muscle Vin out of here. Donny, we will need you too. Let’s go.” He paused. "I'll text you when it's done."

I waited until they left me in the alley alone before slipping my phone out again. As soon as Massimo's text came in, my thumb hovered over the call button. Once I did this, there was no going back. I'd be turning my back on my oath, on the FBI. But the dead man at my feet left little room for options. He'd led me to this moment. He'd driven these people mad with vengeance—hell, he'd sent me crazy with it as well. I pressed my hand to my stomach and took a deep breath.

“Lawson. I didn’t expect to hear from you.”

My voice was cold as I spoke the words I knew I could never get back. “Something’s happened, Jackson. I need you to bring a crime scene van and the coroner to Bellissimo.”

“What the fuck? Vincenzo finally slipped up?”

“No. He didn’t." I swallowed the burning acid in my esophagus. "I did.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Look, just get here, okay? I haven’t called the Anastasi’s or Vincenzo. They don’t know what’s going on yet.”

“Don’t know what? You’re not making any sense, Riley. If Vincenzo didn’t do something, why do you need the crime unit and coroner?”

"Because." I took a deep breath. “I’ve killed Dmitri Ivanov.”

Twenty-One

Vincenzo

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