Page 138 of Valentino

Don’t react.

“Send her home,” Enrico says.

“And then what?” I snap.

“We wait hidden and down the street for him to show.”

“We wait down the street and what?” I fume. “He turns up and takes her.”

“When he turns up, we take him.”

“And what if he kills her before we…” I air-quote, “‘…take him.’”

“He won’t.”

“You don’t fucking know that,” I fire back. “I’m not risking her for your fucking hunch.”

Romeo’s eyes hold mine for an extended beat before I snap them away.

Not now, fucker.

“This is the plan. This is why we did it,” Alex replies. “You knew that all along.”

“The plan has changed.”

“For fuck’s sake.” Giuliano drags his hand down his face. “You’re fucking her, aren’t you?”

“What?” I scoff guiltily. “No.”

Enrico rolls his lips as he glares at me.

“I’m not.” I shake my head. “I didn’t….”

“You had two jobs,” Giuliano spits. “Keep her safe. And stay out of her fucking bed.”

“I’m not in her fucking bed.”

“Keep it that way. The fastest way for Carlo to get to you is through her. He gets her to get under your skin, next thing you’re a sitting duck.”

“She’s not like that.”

They all glare at me, why did I say that out loud?

“She’s not with him,” I scoff.

“And yet, she lied to you when he called her.”

“But she told me about it later.”

“When she knew that you already knew.”

“Tell me you aren’t that stupid,” Enrico barks.

“I’m not fucking stupid. She’s a friend, that’s it.”

“Okay, so we offer her up.”

I drop my gaze to the table, unable to look them in the eye…because I’m just a liar, and I knew this was coming…and yet…my chest tightens.