Meanwhile, two more of Ryuji’s patrons had overdosed on drugs purchased from his club on the other side of Manhattan,Mystic. He’d even come home one night in a rage because a Fed had interviewed the employees at the same property. If the Feds were able to track the drugs back to his club, he’d lose credibility with his legitimate sellers, and he’d lose a chunk of income.
Konstantin Makarov had hit the Italians twice more, and they’d hit him back at one of his warehouses. The war between them had been getting more and more vicious, with more than a dozen casualties on each side. Together, Ryuji and Makarov had found that the sellers at fault with the tainted drugs were indeed Italians, but the men had disappeared right beneath their noses. Not even Ciel could find them. It was like they’d been wiped off the map.
We assumed Volpe was hiding them, but with what Ciel saw that night in the warehouse, maybe he’d taken them out himself.
Makarov passed along intel that Volpe had requested a peace meeting with the Russians tomorrow night, and Makarov had demanded it be held in one of Ryuji’s other clubs, just outside the city. Club Thunder. Ryuji’s clubs were well-known to be in neutral territory. Volpe had agreed.
Leona’s eyes had flared with interest when she heard, the gears in her head turning on overdrive. It was the perfect place for Leona’s plan.
According to her, we’d “go in, fuck shit up, and get out.”
We’d cased the joint, watched and waited, and were ready. Volpe thought he could bait us back at the Vero mansion, but we would be laying the trap this time.
We’d finally found a few moments to relax in the living room ahead of tomorrow’s busy day.
All six of us sprawled around the room while some movie played in the background, but no one was paying attention. We’d been running through the plans.
Leona had insisted on playing decoy, which Caspian had vehemently disagreed with, until Ciel confirmed he could keep eyes and ears on her at all times, and Ryuji and I could help from only feet away.
Eventually, we all agreed: we were ready.
Leona’s legs sprawled over my lap as her back leaned against Caspian’s less-injured side. I squeezed her ankle and gently moved her so I could stand.
“I have something of yours. We need to decide what we want to do with it before tomorrow.” Quickly, I jogged to my room, grabbed it, and returned to the living room. Everyone stared as I hung the necklace from my fingers.
“That belongs to the Shadows.” She immediately turned to face the movie and took another bite of popcorn.
I glanced at Ciel, and he nodded slightly. “We confirmed the appraisal. $229,314.”
“Great,” she mumbled without turning around. “Sell it. Put it in your bank account. Obi, you want $229,314? It’s yours.”
Obi shook his head. “I think Wynn has an idea he would like you to hear.”
“I don’t care what you do with it, Wynn,” she said again. “I just never want to touch it again.”
“So you don’t want to wear it tomorrow night?” I wrapped the delicate chain around my finger. That had her finally paying attention. Caspian stiffened behind her.
“Absolutely not,” he grumbled, hand looping protectively around her waist. “If you want a new necklace, princess, I’ll buy you a new fucking necklace.”
“I don’t,” she insisted as she sat up. Finally, I had her full attention. “Get. Rid. Of. It.”
“Leona, I don’t think you should wear it,” I clarified. “But I do think we canuseit.”
Her eyebrow raised. “Use it?”
“I think Fallon might like to wear such a necklace, don’t you?” I could not hold back the slight smile on my face. I had learned enough about Leona so far to know that when she was curious, she had to find out.
“What do you mean?” she said cautiously as she leaned forward.
I filled her in on my idea, feeling extra pleased when she was grinning by the end of it.
“I love it, Wynn. Yes. Let’s do that. I never have to see that necklace again,andI get to rub it in Max’s face? Absolutely. I’ll call her in a few minutes and see what she says.” Leona stood and wrapped her arms around my neck. “Good idea. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” I dipped my head down to give her a quick peck.
In the last week, we all started becoming more open with our physical touches. Only Obi had yet to show any romantic interest in her. Though when Ciel found them sleeping together on the couch, he’d taken a picture and sent it to our group text. The next day, I caught a glimpse of the photo as Obi’s new lock screen. I had grinned but said nothing.
I had no idea how he resisted her because I could barely keep my hands off her for more than a few moments at a time. I had never felt like this before, and the more it grew, the more welcome the feelings were.
