Page 68 of Wicked Tricks
“It’s OK, let her in,” a woman’s voice called from inside the office, but it wasn’t Diana.
I pushed past the guy and he moved to the side, letting me slide through.
I stopped and breath caught in my throat.
Diana sat behind her desk, her eyes not meeting mine.
All the safes and stash spots were open, the entire office was torn apart. There were four other men, taking our cash and weapons and putting them into large black duffle bags. Opposite Diana, sat another small woman with grey hair. She had a much plumper, and youthful face than Diana, and wore a lot of pink blush on her cheeks.
“What the fuck is going on? You can’t take this shit,” I spat, stepping forward and trying to snatch a bag from one of the mens’ hands.
“Actually,” the woman sighed as she stood, “we can. Because it belongs to us.”
I frowned at her, and one of her men shut the door, blocking any escape.
“I’m Vera Santino,” she said, like I should have already known that.
Antoni’s mother?
She pursed her lips at me, looking me up and down.
“Does Antoni know you’re here?”
She chuckled, “Antoni is Don and head of The Family. Nothing happens in this city without him knowing. There’s your first mistake, Rome, you underestimate him. You underestimate my family.”
“I noticed that you didn’t answer the question.”
Her lips pressed into a hard line and Diana put her head in her hands. She hadn’t looked at me, she hadn’t said a word.
Why wasn’t she fighting back?
Why wasn’t she standing up for Lilith’s and everything we had worked for?
Out of everything, Diana’s non-reaction was making me the most nervous. How did they find out about the weapons? Could Antoni really have found out through me, even though I hadn’t said a word? My mind flickered through a mental inventory of my apartment, scanning for any possible shred of evidence that might’ve been in the house.
Did Antoni take a call from Louis?
Did he see our messages?
Vera crossed the room to get close to me, and I watched her carefully, as did her men.
“We are taking what is ours,” she said in a menacing whisper, “just be grateful that you’re not dead.”
I didn’t respond, knowing better.
For once, even I could admit that it was time to keep my mouth shut. This was all my fault, and I could only be angry at myself. Not only had I lost a good portion of Lilith’s business and money - I had possibly ruined the club forever. I had lost sight of myself, and lost sight of the game.
I let this man manipulate me, I had let down my guard, like a fucking idiot.
No one was to blame but me.
“Goodbye, Diana,” Vera said, and Diana nodded once, not meeting her eyes.
One of her men opened the door for her like she was royalty.
But she didn’t leave.
Instead, she invaded my personal space once again and said, so softly that only I would be able to hear, “you will never see my son again.”
