The blood drained from my face so fast I got dizzy. No. No, no, no, fecking no. I figured we’d have more time, that Steve wouldn’t have remembered everything in such detail. Instead, he’d blown Charles’s timeline to smithereens. Nine-thirty instead of nine. Leaving at ten-fifteen instead of leaving immediately. Every detail Charles had used to construct his lie had been contradicted by someone with no reason to lie and no understanding of the danger he’d created.
An unreasonable, irrational anger at Steve filled me. It wasn’t his fault. Rationally, I knew that. But Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I wanted to wring his bloody neck anyway. Carlo would not only know Charles had been there to overhear the conversation, but he’d also come to the conclusion Charles had lied. It would be an easy jump to figuring out he’d done that because he’d known what Carlo had really been asking about.
Carlo’s smile widened, showing too many teeth. “Ten-fifteen, you said? You’re certain about that?”
“Yes, very certain. I remember because I was impressed that he was still there, making sure everything was perfect. Most vendors just drop stuff off and leave, but Charles really cares about his work.”
“He certainly does,” Carlo agreed, and the satisfaction in his voice made me want to put my fist through the screen. “Well, thank you for your time, Steve. You’ve been very helpful.”
“I hope you find your cufflink!” Steve called after him as Carlo headed for the door.
Carlo paused, looking back over his shoulder with a cold, calculating expression that made my blood stall in my veins. “Oh, I think I’ve found exactly what I was looking for.”
The footage ended there, leaving me staring at a black screen and fighting the urge to vomit.
We were fucked. Completely, utterly, catastrophically fucked.
Carlo knew Charles had lied, which meant he knew Charles was the one who’d overheard his conversation with Chan. It was only a matter of time before he put together the rest—that Charles had contacted the police, that the cop’s disappearance wasn’t a coincidence, that Charles was the reason his carefully planned murder had fallen apart.
I pulled out my phone and dialed Gabriel’s direct number, not caring if he was in a meeting with the Archangel Council or getting a bloody pedicure.
He answered on the first ring. “I was wondering when you’d call.”
“You saw the footage,” I said, not bothering with pleasantries.
“Yes. Carlo knows.”
“Then you need to get the NYPD to arrest him. Tonight. Before he makes his move.”
While I was pretending to work for the NYPD, Gabriel had others working with the real detectives, influencing them and aiding them as they investigated Carlo.
Gabriel’s sigh came through the phone like a cold wind. “It’s not that simple, Eamon.”
“The hell it isn’t. You’ve got access to every criminal database on the planet. Manufacture some evidence if you have to. Plant something on him. I don’t care?—”
“We can’t fabricate evidence. That’s not how this works. We operate within clear parameters.”
“Parameters?” I could feel my temper rising like steam from a kettle. “Charles is about to be murdered by a mob boss, and you’re worried about following the fecking rules?”
“We’re working on it,” Gabriel said with forced patience. “The NYPD has been building a case against Carlo for months. They’re close to having enough for an arrest, but they need him to make another move first. Something that will stick in court.”
My blood turned to ice water. “Another move? You mean they’re using Charles as bait?”
“Carlo’s organization has been very careful to avoid leaving evidence. If he comes after your protectee, he’ll have to get his hands dirty. That gives us the opening we need.”
“Absolutely not.” I was practically snarling into the phone. “I will not let you use Charles as some kind of sacrificial lamb to catch this bastard.”
“No one’s asking you to.” Gabriel’s voice softened slightly. “That’s why I’m suggesting you take him somewhere safe. Tonight. Get him out of Charming until we can neutralize the threat.”
I ran a hand through my hair, trying to think. “How long do we need?”
“A few days, maybe a week. The NYPD has an undercover officer in Carlo’s organization. Once they have enough evidence of his criminal activities, they can move.”
“And if Carlo figures out the undercover cop is a plant?”
“Then we have bigger problems than your protectee.” Gabriel paused. “Eamon, I know this isn’t ideal, but it’s the best option we have. Take Charles somewhere Carlo can’t find him. Somewhere off the grid.”
I stared through the kitchen window at Charles, who was now chopping vegetables with mechanical precision, his movements sharp and controlled like he was trying to keep his hands from shaking. The thought of uprooting him from everything familiar, of telling him we had to run, made my chest tight with guilt.
