“That’s the point. Do we have a deal?”
“If you can hand over Francesco”—Renzo side-eyed me with a smirk—“we do.”
“Good. Enjoy your delivery. Pleasure doing business with you.” The mysterious Raffaele Giambrone disconnected.
“So, Iannelli. We even?” Alizé asked.
“As long as Francesco is trussed up like a pig and in my driveway in the next thirty minutes, we’ll count your debt paid.”
“Great.” She smiled wide, which lit up her entire face and made her intriguing blue-gray eyes pop. There were beautiful women in the world, and then there were gorgeous women that the rest of us couldn’t help but envy. Alizé was one of the latter. “Lovely seeing you both again. Take care, and enjoy…whatever you were doing.”
The video call died out, and immediately, Renzo called Vinny.
“We might have a delivery in the next half hour.”
There was a squeal of tires on the other side of the line, then some shouting. Vinny breathed hard through the line, his clothes shuffling. “Bring it in.”
“Vinny?”
Vinny panted. “Well, your delivery is already here, boss.” Something rustled. “Holy shit. It’s Francesco Giambrone.”
My wide-eyed gaze anchored to Renzo’s. Jesus, that was quick. Alizé didn’t mess around.
“Dead?”
“Tied up, but very much alive.”
Renzo smirked. “Good. Call everyone in. Every friend of ours who wants their pound of flesh, let them paint the house with our guest. Just leave him alive. He and I have a long score to settle.”
“Will do. I just…How’d you manage this?” Poor Vinny sounded so lost and overwhelmed.
“You’ll never guess.”
Renzo hung up and took my hand. As we walked back to his car, there was a lightness to his steps.
“Looks like Raffaele Giambrone cares more about peace than family,” I stated.
“If that was Raffaele Giambrone, I’ll eat my own gun.”
“What do you mean?”
“Wouldn’t need to hide his face or voice if he is who he says he is. And as far as I know, he and Michaela were close. I doubt he’d side so easily with his sister’s killer.”
“You don’t believe Alizé?”
He twisted me around against his car door. “I trust only four people in this world: Vinny, Tore, myself, and you.”
“Me, huh?”
“Always.” He kissed the tip of my nose. “As for Alizé, this was simply the perfect opportunity for her to pay off her favor.”
The car beeped unlocked, and we each took our seats.
“Want to fill me in?” I asked. “What favor?”
“Remember when you had Alizé visit me in prison?” I nodded for him to continue as he slowly veered down the turns in the parking structure. “She asked that we set her up with a fake identity to trick her husband into divorcing her.”
“But…I thought they were still married.”
