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Angela bit her bottom lip. She didn’t want to push Roman too far. He already compromised with her more than anyone else. And she had tested him a lot recently, asking for so much. “I know all that, Roman. But killing him isn’t enough. They should all pay for their sins. Their victims deserve justice. And help.”
Luca cleared his throat, drawing her attention. “We can’t save everyone, Angel,” he shocked her by saying. She thought he was going to back her up. “As a doctor, I know you know that.”
Her shoulders slumped. He was right. She was being idealistic and unrealistic. “I guess I do. You guys are right. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize, Angel. You’re compassionate and caring, I love that about you. Unfortunately, life isn’t fair, especially in the criminal underbelly.” Roman cupped her face. “I will interrogate Godfrey and get every ounce of information out of him before his heart stops beating. And then, we’ll see about following up, depending on the circumstances. How does that sound?”
“Very reasonable,” Angela replied readily, feeling guilty for underestimating his ability to compromise. His growth was impressive. “You’re the best.”
“Please don’t inflate his ego any further, Angel. His head barely fits through the door as it is,” Abel teased.
Roman started to advance on him but Angela tugged him back. “Don’t kill him. You need all the help you can get for Godfrey.”
Roman grumbled a bit, eventually jabbing a finger in Abel’s direction. “You’ll keep.”
“Now that’s all settled, how are we going to do this?” Sal asked, cracking his knuckles.
“I’ve been thinking about that,” Roman disclosed. He surprised her by pulling her into his arms and fitting her under his shoulder. He was grinning. “Since our last trap worked so well, what do you think about setting another one?”
She wasn’t sure what he had in mind, but his smile was contagious and she trusted him implicitly. “I say yes.”
* * *
Two hours later, Roman fingered the black card, waiting for Godfrey to pick up. The plan was hashed out and ready to implement. He wasn’t sure he was doing the right thing, and panic was a very real demon riding on his shoulder, just waiting to pounce. But it was the only way he could see to get justice for Angel: capture Godfrey, and also flush out the traitor in one fell swoop.
His smile was strained, but he did his best to reassure Angel, who was sandwiched between Luca and Abel on the sofa. This time, they would all be listening in. Including Morrigan, who was in the field and connected via an earpiece.
“Roman. This is a surprise,” was how Godfrey greeted him. “I thought we agreed I would be the one in contact.”
“I don’t remember agreeing to anything,” Roman replied. He watched Angel carefully, looking for signs of distress from hearing Godfrey’s voice. She looked a little pale but didn’t flinch. He wasn’t surprised. She wasn’t a flincher. Luca also appeared to be doing fine, with Sal wrapped around him like an octopus.
Godfrey sighed. “You still sound like you have a problem with me. I was hoping you would have given serious thought to my offer by now.”
“I have. But that doesn’t mean I’m happy about it,” he grumped, playing the role they had agreed on. “I don’t like to lose, Godfrey.”
“I would think less of you if you did,” Godfrey stated. “But don’t think of this as losing, Roman. This is a mutually beneficial deal, that’s all.”
Roman sighed. “Fine. I’m willing to stop chasing you and let you live if I have your word that you won’t touch Angela ever again. And that you won’t send anyone after her. There are no loopholes here, Godfrey,” he said, the warning clear in his tone.
“As long as you both stop your pursuit of me, I can guarantee her safety,” Godfrey vowed.
Roman didn’t believe him. He may not have tried to hurt Angela before, but those days were past. Angela was fair game. Roman couldn’t kill the guy fast enough. “Okay,” he agreed. “But I need to see you in person.”
Godfrey scoffed, wheezing out a laugh. “So you can kill me in person? I think not. What do you take me for, Roman?”
“I’m not going to kill you,” Roman lied through his teeth. “If I wanted to kill you, you would’ve woken up dead this morning. But as you’ve said, you’re well connected and have a big reach. I don’t need those kinds of complications.”
“Really? Is that the reason? Are you sure it’s not because you can’t find me?” Godfrey questioned smugly.
He got a series of nods and thumbs-up when he glanced in the direction of the sofa. It was time to play his ace card. “I know exactly where you are, Edward James Christoff. But that’s not all I know. You were a winter baby, born in the town of Bristol. You also go by Andrew Fenton, George Dodson, and Mark Montgomery, just to name a few of your aliases. You’re an attorney under most of those names, which leads me to believe you’re genuinely qualified. You specialize in import and export law. You’re quite the real estate mogul, and you also have an extensive military history, both here in the States and in the UK. As Mark Montgomery, you’re a professional gambler—and a very successful one at that. All of these professions must come in handy when you’re trafficking humans and blackmailing people.”
With every word Roman spoke, Godfrey’s breathing became heavier and faster. “Shall I go on?” Roman inquired rhetorically. “You don’t live full time in the United States, and you haven’t for years. Instead, you spend most of your time on a lovely tropical island just off the coast of Costa Rica. It’s owned by Chris Edwards.” Roman tsked disapprovingly. “An anagram of your birth name? Really? You got lazy there, Godfrey. And laziness is sloppy in our world.”
“Enough!” Godfrey yelled. “You’ve proved your point.”
“Have I? That’s good to know,” Roman said sarcastically. “But I haven’t gotten to the best part yet. Where you currently are.”
“That won’t be necessary. I agree to your terms, as I’ve already said,” Godfrey ground out. “This flexing of muscles isn’t needed.”
