“I haven’t seen you around…” the billionaire says, still feasting on my otherworldly beauty. My clothes are courtesy of both Mong and Aran, and I have to say they’ve outdone themselves. “And what is thisthing?”
Speaking of Mong, he and Eleanor work for the Akiyama Group alongside Naomi and Matt. Our group of friends has grown and I couldn’t be happier. We get together once a week and it’s always so much fun.
“I’m new.” I tilt my head at the gallery’s owner, trying not to lose my shit because this asshat insulted his Royal Highness, Lord Timothee. The sheer audacity warrants putting a bullet through this man’s forehead right here and now, but I try to hold in that impulse. “Vasili is my cousin. I was in town and he invited me. We don’t see much of each other.”
The intrigued look this sleazy man gives me confirms I’ve got his attention. I’m sure the shiny jewelry that completes my outfit helps too, but it was mostly my brilliant acting. “You don’t live in Venice then? It’s a lovely city.”
Maybe I should chop off his balls before we off him. No one insults Timmy and gets away with it. “I don’t. I find it hard to stay in one city with so many places to explore.” I worry my bottom lip, making sure my tongue peeks out. “Where are you from?”
We slip into small talk. I grab two wine glasses from a server who passes by us, making sure I drink the one with slightly less liquid. Leo is part of this operation, and he’s posing as the catering supervisor, spiking drinks left and right so I can get my target buzzed ASAP.
Once the billionaire is properly slurring, I rest my hand against his chest and flutter my eyelashes at him. “Oh my, you look a little tipsy. How about you take me to your hotel so I can help you sober up?”
He tries to grope me, but I dodge him effortlessly. “You are a naughty little thing, aren’t you?” He leers, saliva dripping from the corners of his mouth. Oops, I think Leo’s overdone it a bit. “Just how I like them.”
“Oh yes, I am a real lion in bed,” I whisper, drawing out my words.
He nods and waves at his bodyguards. They escort us to a car with tinted windows, opening the door for us. I let the drunk billionaire get in first, then ever-so-subtly make the agreed hand signal before climbing into the car.
Twenty minutes later, we enter a tacky penthouse in one of Venice’s most expensive hotels. There is gold all over the space, from the ornamented walls and chandeliers to the carpets and even the cutlery.
“Come here, sweetie,” the man beckons me as he fumbles with his pants, half-passed out on the couch in the lounge.
I remain in the hallway and count backwards from sixty. The front door clicks and opens, two unconscious bodies falling forward with a thud.
“You are thirteen seconds late,” I tell Aran, kissing him on the cheek.
“There were two extra bodyguards.” He brushes off invisible dust from his black suit. “I had to take care of them first.” Patting me down, he kisses my cheek. “I am so proud you stuck to the plan even after what he said…”
He’s referring to Timmy, and he sounds proud that I didn’t go rogue. “I didn’t want to cause you trouble. And… maybe you are right, I shouldn’t bring Timmy. Next time, I’ll leave him in the hotel room.”
“That would be wisest.”
“Hey, little pet, where did you go?” the billionaire groans from next door.
A nerve in Aran’s jaw twitches. Uh-oh, good riddance. I don’t think I’ll get my turn to torture this man’s balls. He just crossed an invisible line he shouldn’t have.
We get what we need from the billionaire using a combination of interrogation, drugs and torture. I mostly watch—I’m not as proficient in effective questioning as Aran—but it is certainly something I’d like to pick up. I’m a man of many talents and I love to help him in any way I can.
We return to our hotel, a modern building across town with an amazing view of the nearby park. I use the information we extracted to hack into one of Dubai’s biggest banks, pinpointing the location of our next target, namely Sleazy Billionaire’s boss. He’s the real puppet master, while tonight’s guy was just a small fry.
An hour later, we’ve met up with Leo at the airport and are headed back to Nagoya. Chai couldn’t join us in Venice due to some business he had in Tokyo, but he’s come with the plane to pick us up. He and Leo are inseparable, but on rare occasions when it happens, Kieran, our ex-CIA agent and Leo’s right hand, handles Chai’s security.
“I, uh, need to brief Chai about our mission,” Leo informs us shortly after the plane reaches cruising speed.
I glance toward the back of the private jet, spotting the mafia heir watching us with crossed arms and a smirk on his face. Oh, they are definitely gonna bang.
“Okay! We won’t disturb. Make sure you areverythorough.”
Leo laughs so hard, he startles the cabin crew that’s preparing our snacks and coffee.
“I always do.” He winks at me and fucks off.
I sigh and prop my head on Aran’s shoulder, tired from the busy and exciting day. Timmy’s terrarium is secured on the table in front of us and he is already asleep, so taking his example, I snuggle into Aran and close my eyes, dreaming about the next adventure we are about to embark on together.
