Page 25 of Dangerous Games of Trust
I glare at him. How dare he. “She’s not being forced to marry her cousin. I won’t let it happen.” He looks over his shoulder at his sister.
“Cousin?” he asks, confusion filling his words, and I know for sure he had no idea.
“It’s a long story. I’ll explain later, but for now tell me you can help them; they need to disappear, like yesterday. I’m serious, Geo.”
He nods. “Already done. I would never let anything happen to Elisa. They’re on a flight out of town tonight.”
Relief fills me for them. I didn’t have to do anything, he was already on top of it. Which means Carlo is a real threat to us all again. At least if we know they’re safe, we can work on the next big challenge. “I need to see the boys,” I push through clenched teeth. But if I’m going to help, I need to get them on board as well.
His gaze turns murderous. “Not a fucking chance.” His growl is filled with possessiveness, and I know I have just pushed him one step too far. But I don’t care. Fuck him, this isn’t just about his sick obsession with me. People’s lives are at risk, people Icare about more than I would like to admit. And I can’t stand by and let him dictate to me who I can and can’t see.
With a new surge of courage Elisa just gave me, I shove him in the chest, forcing my chin up defiantly. “I won’t take no for an answer, Geovani. If you don’t take me to see them safely with your protection, I will find a way to do it alone. We need them and you know it.” I hand him the family tree his sister has worked out and walk away from him, back to tell her the good news.
If these boys want to win this fight against their parents, they need to start listening to me. They have all been living this lie way too long, it’s fucked up their heads. But I’m here to dish out a cold hard dose of reality and hopefully keep the casualties to a minimum. Just Carlo and Enzo.
Chapter 13
Elisa landed in Icelandthis afternoon. Dani sorted out all the arrangements for her and Catherine, and they will stay there until it’s safe to come home. I breathed a sigh of relief as soon as I knew she and her friend were out of danger.
Geovani spent the day tirelessly pacing back and forth, wearing a hole in the carpet of the office taking phone call after phone call. Despite his relentless efforts, he has yet to track his pa down. We can see him entering Elisa’s apartment on her CCTV footage, and then he just vanishes into the night.
Frustration hung in the air, mingling with the scent of stale coffee. Dani did her best to help Geovani, but he’s like a ticking time bomb, so I stayed away, instead scrolling through whatever footage Dani handed me to try and locate him. I’m amazed by how effortlessly they access various surveillance footage from all over the city.
Geovani cut off all his pa’s accounts days ago and has taken over all his operations; the men who used to call him boss now all directly work for Geovani. And still we haven’t been able totrack him down. Someone is hiding him, and we’re all convinced it’s Enzo. It’s why I think we need to talk to the boys. As much as Geovani doesn’t like it, they could help us. Who knows Enzo better than anyone? His sons.
With a promise that he needs to put as much trust in me as I have in him, he succumbed to my nagging and let Marco set up a meeting with them for tonight. Regardless of his shitty mood, we couldn’t wait any longer to meet with the boys. We need to know what Enzo has been keeping from us. After Geovani reluctantly agreed, Marco secured a meeting spot on neutral ground—a dingy dive bar on the outskirts of Ravens Hollow called The Precinct.
I step out of Geovani’s car, uneasiness washing over me. I’m nervous about being out of the apartment, but more than anything, I’m anxious about seeing them again. I know we’re not safe here, but this is important, and he wouldn’t permit Alessandro to come to the apartment under any circumstances, so what other choice did we have? The same two guards who accompanied us last night to meet with Elisa have resurfaced and step in line with us, one walking in front and the other behind, watching our every move with an unsettling intensity. Geovani trusts them with his life, so I have to as well.
The dimly lit bar has a moody atmosphere, with traces of its former life as a police station still lingering. The blend of gritty history and modern decor give the place an unsettling charm. Its patrons don’t help, as it’s mostly bikers in their emblemed jackets that readIron Strykers.
I stay close to Geovani, and he wraps an arm around my shoulders protectively. “Why would Marco think this place is safe?” I mutter under my breath.
“The Precinct is run by Jagger Stryker, the leader of the Iron Strykers. If we cause trouble here, none of us will make it out of the place alive. The boys will have to behave. They also hatemy pa and will shoot first and ask questions later if he shows his head anywhere near the place.”
“That seems like a really bad choice. None of you know how to behave.” I roll my eyes just to piss him off. I’m serious, how do I keep them from killing each other, let alone causing trouble that could get us killed by the Strykers now as well?
He takes my hand as if he can feel my trepidation, and we head down the back of the establishment past the bar and into a roped-off section. A guy on the door tips his head in acknowledgment toward Geovani and lets us through. “Mr. D’Amico, Pia will be in shortly to take your order,” he explains. I have no idea who Pia is, but I could do with a small drink to take the edge off. Right now, my skin is crawling with anticipation.
Geovani leads me through to a private room in the back like he’s been in this place a million times before. It’s bland as hell, all white walls and black glass with just a meeting-style table in the center of the room. I lean against the table, too nervous to take a seat and make myself comfortable. I’m not sure what to expect when I see the boys. Are they going to hate me? Do I still hate them? I don’t even know anymore. After everything Elisa told me yesterday, I think I just feel sorry for them. Especially Maddox and Ricky. Alessandro is another story, and I’m really fucking keen to see how much of this family history stuff he knew about already.
A tiny waitress with short choppy black hair streaked with electric-blue highlights waltzes through the open door. She holds an iPad close to her chest. “The other half of your reservation have been held up. Can I get you a drink to bide the time?” She bats her long dark lashes in Geovani’s direction as she approaches us, and I glare at her, irritation crawling down my spine.
“Vodka. Lime and soda,” I mutter to the chick who looks like she should be in a rock band. She glances at me, tappingsomething into her iPad. She has more tattoos running up both her arms than Geovani and a piercing through the right eyebrow that’s now raised in my direction.
“Jameson, thanks, Pia.” Geovani grins at her like they’re old friends.
“Coming right up, Ian,” she purrs. “Who’s your friend?” she asks him, her attention landing back on him.
“Harley.” I fake a smile, not needing him to answer on my behalf. I have a mouth.
“Bitchy,” she mutters to him playfully, a stupid smirk on her painted red lips.
His attention travels to me, his dark gaze telling me to play nice. “She’s stressed.”
She giggles as if he’s funny and leaves the room. Lucky for her because I was about to test out the new moves I have learned from Geovani this week. Calling me bitchy. How rude.
I glare at him for flirting back. Gross. He moves to stand in front of me. “Stressed, hey?” I shove him in the chest, showing him just how sassy I can be.
