Page 67 of A Dangerous Kind of Love

“Please, Mr. Amato. I got a wife and kids.”

So did Donnelly. That didn’t save him.

I glance at Marco, who’s hanging back with a smug grin. “You hear this prick?”

Marco nods, smirking wider. “Yeah, Boss. Got a family. Funny how that didn’t stop him from feeding shit to Rossi.”

“Not one bit,” Luca replies, crossing his arms.

I pull my gun from the holster and jam the barrel against his temple. His whole body goes rigid, sweat mixing with the blood dripping down his chin.

“Should I end this fucker right here?” I ask, looking between Marco and Luca.

Luca shifts, shrugs. “He did tip off Rossi about your last shipment, Boss.”

“You stupid fuck,” I growl, and smash the butt of the gun into his teeth. They crack like cheap porcelain, blood gushing out as he howls and grabs his busted mouth. I kick him forward with the heel of my shoe, sending him sprawling face-first into the floor.

“I beg you,” he sobs, blood pooling under him, words slurring through the mess.

I tap the gun barrel against my chin, thinking it over. “Alright, I’ll let you crawl out of here alive. One condition.”

“Anything,” he gasps, lifting his head pleading.

I drop down to a crouch, right in front of him, grabbing his chin to force his eyes on mine. “I own your ass now. I call, you come running. I need a favor, you fucking deliver. And if you ever open your mouth about anything—anything at all—you die. Your wife dies. Your kids die. Slow and messy. Got it?”

He nods frantically, tears cutting tracks through the blood on his face. “Y-yes, Mr. Amato. I swear.”

I stand up, holstering the gun. “Good. Now get the fuck out of my sight before I change my mind.”

He scrambles to his feet, hunched over, clutching his ribs as he stumbles toward the door. My phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out and glance down.

Katie: I hope you’re having a good morning. I’ll miss your huge ass in my bed keeping me warm tonight.

I chuckle. Then another text.

Katie: That’s the only reason I’m sad you won’t be there. It has nothing to do with the fact that I like you.

I look up and Marco and Luca are staring at me.

“What are you fuckers staring at? Clean this place up.”

“Yes, Boss.”

I look back down at my phone and text her back.

Me: I’ll miss you too, Doll.

Chapter 26

Katie

Iunlock my front door and step inside, letting it shut behind me as I drop my bag by the wall. The silence is immediate. There are no voices, no desks scraping, and no one yelling, “Ms. Miller!” from across the room. I stand there for a second, rolling my shoulders. I should feel more excited that it was the last day, but really I’m just exhausted.

I push off the door and head down the hall. I pull my hair free from it’s bun, and my curls fall around my shoulders in a frizzy mess. I don’t even care. I’ve got about an hour before Luca picks me up. It’s going back up for work anyway.

I throw my phone on the bed, change out of my school clothes, and into some jeans and the bar t-shirt. Then I fall back on my bed and stare at the ceiling. I’m fucking twenty-four years old. I shouldn’t be this tired.

Whatever. I grab my phone, and Michael’s name is still at the top. I open the thread, and his last message is sitting right there.