“Raven—”
“No, it’s fine.” I force a smile that feels like broken glass. “I’m your spy, right? So what do you need me to do?”
His jaw tightens at my tone. “This isn’t what you think.”
“Isn’t it?” I raise an eyebrow, channeling hurt into anger because it’s safer. “Let me guess, you just happened to bring me to this restaurant on the night your contact would be here? What an amazing coincidence.”
“It’s not—”
“Save it,” I cut him off, my voice low but sharp. “I’m not stupid, Matteo. Just tell me what you need me to do. That’s why I’m here, isn’t it?”
Something flickers across his face—frustration, maybe regret—but it’s gone before I can identify it. His expression hardens, shifting back to the Matteo who threatens and controls rather than the one who shared dessert and listened to stories about my family.
“Fine,” he says coolly. “I need you to go to the ladies’ room. My contact is waiting for you there. Take whatever Tony gives you and come straight back here.”
I slide out of the booth without another word, grabbing my clutch and straightening my skirt. The warm, intimate evening lies in shards around us, so I’m extra proud of myself for not asking what the hell Tony’s doing in the ladies’ room.
Stupid, stupid Raven. This isn’t a romance novel. There’s no beauty taming the beast here. There’s just a monster and his useful pet thief, playing whatever role she needs to stay alive.
I toss my hair and square my shoulders, ready to perform once more.
In the bathroom, I touch up my lipstick, dabbing at the corner of my mouth where a smudge threatens to ruin my carefully constructed image. And wouldn’t that just be the biggest travesty of the evening.
The door swings open behind me, and my eyes meet the newcomer’s in the mirror—hersdark and assessing, mine widening slightly in surprise. She’s tall and willowy with glossy chestnut hair falling in perfect waves to her mid-back, cheekbones that could cut glass, and lips painted the exact color of fresh blood.
“So you’re the new pussy,” she says, her voice honey-coated poison as she applies a fresh coat of lipstick. “I expected… more.”
I arch an eyebrow, feeling my hackles rise. “And you are?”
“Antonia. But you can call me Tony.” She says it like I should recognize the name, like it should mean something to me. WhenI don’t react, a smirk tugs at her perfect mouth. “Matteo didn’t tell you about me? Interesting.”
“Should he have?” I cap my lipstick with more force than necessary.
She steps closer, invading my space with a cloud of expensive perfume. “He’ll eat you alive and spit out the bones.”
I arch my eyebrow. “He ate me this morning, and if I ever let him do it again, I’ll make him fucking choke on my pussy.”
Her laugh is musical. “Meow.”
I meet her gaze again, refusing to step back even as she looms over me. “Sounds like someone’s projecting. Did he chew you up and spit you out,Tony?”
For one heart-stopping second, I think she might slap me. Her hand twitches at her side, fingers curling into a loose fist. I slide one hand into my clutch, palming the knife just in case.
Then she laughs—loud and genuine, the sound bouncing off marble walls. “You’ve got a spine after all.” Her posture relaxes, the predatory stance melting into something almost friendly. “Good.”
I blink, thrown completely off-balance by her sudden shift. “What the actual fuck?”
She digs into her clutch and pulls out a sealed envelope. “Give this to him.”
“What is it?” I ask, not reaching for the envelope.
“Above your pay grade, blondie.” She winks.
I finally take the envelope, not returning the wave she gives me as she leaves. When the bathroom door swings shut behind her, I turn back to the mirror and stare at my reflection, at the envelope in my hand.
The way she spoke about Matteo, the casual intimacy in her voice, the certainty in her assessment of him—they’ve been intimate. Okay, maybe they haven’t had sex. But sheknowshim. And he sent me to meet her. I’ll make him fucking pay for this.
When I’m almost back at the table, Matteo’s head turns in my direction as he watches me approach, his face a perfect mask that gives away nothing.
