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She couldn’t shout out her adrenaline like she wanted to, not without bringing Montrell rushing inside. “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” she muttered under her breath, trying to figure out why Leandro Barone was calling her from Antonio’s phone. The only possible scenarios spiraling in her mind were all bad.
Her phone vibrated again.
Vespa accepted the call. “What?” she growled.
“Hang up on me again, and I’ll shoot Di Salvo in the face.”
Anticipating words like that had made her hang up in the first place, but she forced out a laugh and went with bluster. “So?”
“I’ve already listened to your voicemail. I think you’ll care if he’s dead, my dear, but should we make certain?”
Vespa grunted, letting her anger have rein since her thinking skills weren’t helping. “I’m no one’s fucking dear. Who the fuck do you think you are?”
Silence filled the receiver. At least it wasn’t a gunshot. “My apologies. This is Leandro Barone.”
“No shit?” Vespa’s laugh felt a little hysterical. “Am I supposed to be impressed or something?”
“Don’t test me. I hold the life of the person you love in my hands.”
Fury mixed with panic. “I never said I fucking loved him.”
His pause rang in her ears. “I suppose that’s true. You used a lot of words to not say it, though. That makes me think you might not want him to die for you.”
“No one fucking dies in my place.” Vespa gripped the phone tighter. “You got a problem with me? You bring it to me.”
“Exactly what I’m attempting to do. Make your way to my estate, and I’ll make certain he’s still alive to greet you.”
“Not good enough,” Vespa snapped.
The silence this time was deafening. “I don’t see where you have room to negotiate.”
“If I do this, I want a fair exchange. Di Salvo walks.”
“How altruistic of you. You must truly be in love.” He sounded so fucking amused.
“I’m not hearing a promise.”
He laughed. “Would you even accept my word?”
“We’ll see,” she said, her heart beginning to race in her chest. She didn’t see a way around this shit.
He sighed. “Very well. Come alone and unarmed, and I promise to allow him to live.”
“I’ll consider it,” she said and hung up on the asshole again.
The phone didn’t vibrate as she squeezed it and tried to breathe. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!” she hissed, crouching close to the floor, her mind racing.
No alternatives rose in her mind. She really was such an idiot; she was going to go.
She couldn’t tell Montrell, or her best friend would go with her. He wouldn’t try to talk her out of it. He’d storm the castle with her so she could rescue her damsel in distress.
She stared down at her phone. Maybe she’d change Antonio’s name to ‘Princess’ if they both walked out of this.
She shoved herself to her feet to pace. The hardest part was going to be slipping out of the Coronella estate; everyone on it was currently trying to defend her ass. Hell, Montrell would take one look at her face and not let her out of his sight. She wore her emotions on her sleeve and clomped everywhere; the total opposite of being subtle or sneaky.
She froze as she remembered exactly who was best at it. “Luka? You spying on me?”
For a moment, she thought she was wrong. Just because Antonio had sent the Di Salvos’ pet assassin to protect her before didn’t mean he had again.
