She stood firmly by the window in the living room of her father’s penthouse, dressed in all black, like she was mourning something no one had dared yet to kill. One hand rested on the window, the other held a glass of whiskey. She was still six months away from being able to legally drink but had long since earned it.
“You sure you’re ready for this?” I asked, stepping further into the room.
There wereno guards around.
Just her and me.
Her eyes didn’t move from the skyline. “I’ve done this before, Dante. This won’t be any different.”
I studied her.
Everleigh Genovese.
Queen in her own right.
She was right. She’d done this plenty of times in the past. Her father knew a woman’s touch could get any man to talk if they had the right training. And she did.
She was trained her whole life in the art of deception and manipulation. But that didn’t seem to ease my worries when it comes to her. Not even with the skill set she had mastered over the years.
“It’s not just pretending this time, Leigh. This is bigger than you and I.” I said, voice lower than before.
Her lips curled faintly. “You think I don’t understand that?”
Of course she understood. It was probably just me trying to convince myself to go through with everything.
I couldn’t seem to convince myself of anything in regard to her possibly being put in a risky situation.
With that, I walked closer to her and took the glass from her fingers, setting it down on the end table behind us. “This isn’t a game.”
She turned to me slowly, the city lights casting a halo around her.
“Of course it is,” she assured me. “But it’s one we playbetter than anyone else.”
I stood there quietly, trying to decide on how to continue what I was saying.
I felt like she’d deflect. And then somehow convince me that she knew better.
She exhaled a breath and placed her hand lightly on my shoulder. “I’m not sure why you’re so up in arms over this.”
I stepped closer, causing her hand to drop, keeping my voice at the same quiet tone. “What if he gets too close?”
“That’s the plan, is it not?”
I flexed my jaw anxiously and stepped closer.
My hand reached out and my thumb brushed the curve of her lower lip as I murmured, “Okay, let me ask the question differently. What if you get too close?”
Her breath caught, just for a moment. Almost like she couldn’t believe what had just fallen out of my mouth.
“You know me better than that, Dante.”
My hand moved to her upper arm, gripping it firmly, so that I could pull her towards me. “What happens if-”
Her eyes harden as they met mine. “In that case, you shoot me first.”
I hated the way my pulse spiked at that.
I wouldn’t. I couldn’t ever do that. I didn’t want to.
