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I’d brainstormed with Dan before I left Virginia, and the pregnancy angle also fit with Kaylin dipping out of swimwear modelling. Or perhaps Cavallaro had put his foot down at the thought of other men ogling her? She’d run, her psycho of a boyfriend had caught up with her, and now she had the choice between staying in her gilded prison, being arrested for murder, or doing another runner with Satan’s little bro on her heels. I’d probably stick around too.
Actually, scratch that. I’d introduce Cesare Cavallaro’s skull to a frying pan, skewer his balls on an ice pick, and then get the hell out of Dodge. And if I got caught? Well, if I was going to go down for one murder, I might as well go down for two.
Nico rolled onto his back and groaned, the heels of his hands pressed against his eyes.
“If I’d only picked up that message sooner…”
“Can’t turn back time, dude. No point in wasting brainpower on what-ifs.”
“What would you do in my position?”
“Ah, now I get it. You dragged me all the way here so I could act as a really expensive agony aunt.”
“The other option was setting up a throwaway account on Reddit.”
“You just know that someone would suggest punching out the Mob boss.”
“Much as I’d enjoy doing that, I believe a subtle approach would be more appropriate.”
“Agreed.” I took a sip of my juice. “Would I go to the club tonight? Yeah, I would. It’s the quickest way to get answers. Even if Kaylin can’t talk, she can react. If she blanks you, or has one of Cavallaro’s foot soldiers throw you out, or, hell, if she invites you for drinks with her hubby afterward, it’s a fair bet that she’s happy where she is. But if she still needs help, she’s going to signal that somehow.”
“Makes sense.” Nico took one long breath. “If she does want to leave, I’m going to need assistance in getting her out of there.”
I’d thought as much. “It won’t be cheap, but my team can do it. No problem. But I’ll tell you now, we’ll have to bring the kid too, and probably the dog. If Cavallaro’s the bastard we think he is, she won’t let them stay with him.”
Nico nodded slowly. “You’re right. Of course you’re right. Does twenty-five thousand bucks get me company this evening?”
“As long as we’re talking company in a professional capacity.”
“Of course.”
“Just checking. You have a reputation, Mr. Belinsky.”
“And if you weren’t in a committed relationship, Mrs. Black, I’d be living up to it.”
I laughed. Nico was harmless; at least, he was when it came to flirting. A dark undercurrent still ran through his veins, but he was no Cesare Cavallaro. Nico had ethics, but if the need arose, he’d step from the grey side and into the black to protect the people he cared about. That included himself. Nico was a survivor—he’d had to be with a father like Lev Belinsky.
“What time does the show start?”
“Seven. Wear something slinky.”
“Does that mean you’ll be in a tux?”
“Sadly not. The dress code is actually casual to cocktail.”
“Guess they like to hoover up those all-important tourist bucks. Not everyone travels with a posh dress.”
“But you do?”
I gave him a mock salute. “Girl Scouts are always prepared.”
“Were you a Girl Scout? I can’t imagine you participating in that type of organised group activity.”
“Nah, I was too busy boosting cars and picking pockets.” I finished my juice and stood. Before we headed to the Starlight Lounge, I needed to do a bit of recon, check my weapons, and get a blowout. “See you at six.”
Just another day in the life of a globetrotting mercenary.
19
