Page 116 of When She Loves
Mistake after mistake. I look down at my hands. If I lift them off the wheel, they’ll shake.
Nero calls me back when I’m minutes away from the address Garzolo gave me.
I pick up. “Nero, Ferraro is sending some of his men. Watch out for them.”
“Rafe? Rafe, I can’t hear you.”
I pull my phone away from my ear and glance down at it. The signal’s shit, and the GPS says I’m right where I’m supposed to be.
“Damn it.” I hang up and park the car. I’m typing out a text to Nero, hoping that’ll go through, when there’s a loud knock on the window. I look up at a barrel pointed at me through the glass.
“Get out,” a voice orders. “Nice and slow.”
I put the phone down and get out of the car. The warehouse where Garzolo must be waiting looms a short distance away.
Three guys surround me, guns at the ready. “Move,” one of them barks, jerking his head in the direction of the entrance.
I have no idea what I’m about to face here. The parking lot is empty. Garzolo’s guys must have parked out the back. How many men does he have with him? I could take these three down—they haven’t even taken my weapons—but for all I know, Garzolo’s got another twenty inside with him. I start walking with them.
What the hell does Garzolo want? If he just wanted to kill me, one of his men could have done it by now. He must want to talk. Why? I pass through the entrance of the warehouse and glance around.
Ten more men. All armed.
Garzolo walks out from behind a shipping container, gun in one hand and a knife in the other. “Right on time.” He looks way too fucking pleased with himself.
“Where’s Cleo?”
He smiles. “First things first. Drop your weapons to the ground and kick them over.”
I take my guns from the holster strapped across my chest and slide them over.
“All of your weapons.”
I pull out three knives and slide those over too.
“Good,” Garzolo says, his gaze twinkling with premature triumph. His men keep their guns pointed at me.
I spread my arms. “I’m here. Let her go.”
He chuckles. “I have to admit, I’m a bit curious. My daughter isn’t someone who inspires much loyalty. What is it about that awful girl that made you show up? I wasn’t even convinced she’d be good enough bait.”
I bare my teeth. How fucking dare he talk that way about her? “She’s mine.”
“Ah, I understand.” He drags his palm over his white beard. “It’s a matter of pride then. What kind of a don would you be if you couldn’t even protect your wife?”
“Garzolo. Let. Her. Go.”
He smiles again. “I will, once you give me what I want.”
“Fucking get to it then.”
“You know, all of this could have been avoided if you’d just moved a little slower in that restaurant. Instead, you had to make my life difficult.”
That fucker. So it was he who hired those hit men. “What life? Your life is about to be over.”
“No, my life is just beginning.” He shakes his head. “I want to know what you have on the district attorney. Must be something big for him to drop the charges against me. Give me the leverage you’ve got, and then we can get this over with.”
Of course. He wants to know how I got him out of jail so that he can kill me and still have it as insurance. A guy like him doesn’t know how to stay out of hot water.
