But I must stay strong for my family. If anything goes wrong, my family won’t see the light of dawn.
“Please, Alessio, let’s go.” He’s not the kind of man to make empty threats, but I fear they’ll finish off my uncle. “Let them walk away. Better the devil you know.”
THIRTY
RELEASE YOUR INHIBITIONS
Lake
As soon as Hades and his daughter left, Alessio takes my hands in his and presses them together as if praying.
“Lake, I promised you dinner, but this meeting went as well as I expected, meaning not well at all. But with you here, at least nobody died, so that’s a good thing. The problem is that the security team upstairs set a trap for one of the men Hades sent, and there’s an ongoing situation. With my sister gone and my best friend romancing his fiancée over in Tennessee, I don’t trust anyone else to handle this sensitive situation for me.”
“What about Leo? Is he safe?”
Alessio kisses my hands. “He is safe. I’m asking you for a rain check.”
“Oh my God, Alessio. Of course. We can order in. Um, how urgent is the situation?”
“It is life-threatening, possibly on a global scale, or I wouldn’t cancel on you.”
“Let’s go.” I grab his hand and walk as quickly as I can in these six-inch heels. They’re stunning, with red soles, but I’m not one of those badass bitches who runs in heels and kicks ass in them.
Rushing to get back to the suite, I almost drag Alessio, whose speed resembles a brisk walk. Maybe he’s used to this type of situation, but I’m not, and if this man isn’t following through on what he promised me, it means something serious occurred to change his mind. I know this much about Alessio’s character.
The security personnel stationed outside our suite have cleared out, except for a few men. None of them speak as Alessio unlocks the door. Inside, we find at least a dozen men. All of them seem to be on duty. Some are guarding Leo’s room, others are speaking into earpieces, and two of them are at the desk, looking at the computer screens.
They stop what they’re doing when we walk in and stare at Alessio. I don’t think they expected him to cancel dinner, but now that he has, they seem to wait for instructions. Which Alessio gives, not in English. I hang back as the men pack up their equipment and file one by one out of the suite.
“I’ll check on Leo,” I say when Alessio walks out with the men.
* * *
Three hours later,after I showered and ate dinner, I finally worked out what Hades’s daughter gave me and what she wants me to do with it. At least, I think so. She gave me a small screwdriver and then talked about how my purse fits in her hand. She specifically said the wordgrip.
I believe the metal rod is a screwdriver that fits the screws of the golden gun’s grip, and if there’s ever been a time to get it, it would be the middle of the night when Leo is sleeping and Alessio is busy.
The golden gun’s up on the high shelf of the closet, and I’ll need something to climb on in order to reach it. I look around and figure I could use a suitcase. I’ve just grabbed the handle and am pulling when Alessio says, “Are you going somewhere?”
I jump away from the suitcase as if it burned me. “You have to stop sneaking around like that, Alessio.”
He’s leaning against the doorjamb. How long has he been there?
“I’m not sneaking around. I entered quietly because I thought you might be sleeping. We aren’t due to leave for a while, so why are you handling the suitcase?”
“I’m trying to move it to the other corner, is all.”
“I would understand if you wanted to leave us after tonight. I work long hours. I’m not boyfriend material.”
“That’s not the case at all.” I walk up to him and unknot his already loose tie. His hair is disheveled as if he spent the night running his fingers through it.
He grabs my hip and brings me closer. “You should work on being more aware of your surroundings.” Alessio kisses me on the lips. “I knew bringing you and Leo here was a risk, and that I didn’t have anyone I could trust with me, but I also knew I couldn’t work effectively if the two of you were at the house while I was miles and miles away.” He unties my robe, his breath hot on my neck before he bites me there and pushes the robe off my shoulders.
It falls at my feet.
Allessio grips my wrists, first one, then the other, places them at the small of my back, then pushes me face first against the wall. It’s sudden and a little forceful, and I gasp when he pins me.
My bare nipples press against the cold tapestry, cooling the heat rising in my body.
