Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 96460 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 482(@200wpm)___ 386(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96460 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 482(@200wpm)___ 386(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
“Stop. Vries.” The command from him was loud and terrifying. “Fermatta.”
“Giovanni,” a voice in the darkness answered back, sounding uneasy.
“Renzo?” Gio placed a hand on Nathan’s back, signaling his bodyguard to lower his weapon.
With his attention firmly on this new person, his grip on me fell away, and inside I gasped with relief. Renzo stepped into view, and I recognized him instantly. Vitale’s assistant. He was close in age to Gio. Young, but his dark hair had already begun to thin, and patches of his scalp were visible. He had one of those faces that rested in an ugly sneer.
Even though I didn’t understand what they were saying, the tension between them was clear. Nathan holstered his gun, but he remained on alert, studying Renzo.
“Go inside,” he commanded me, not even turning his head to look my direction. “Lock your door.”
With pleasure, I wanted to fire back. This was an order I was happy to obey.
10
ETHAN
Trepidation washed through me. Why the fuck had Vitale sent Renzo Librizzi down to South Africa?
“What are you doing here?” Gio demanded while he bent and retrieved the bottle of vodka from the grass where I’d thrown it when pulling my SIG Sauer.
“I came to collect you.” Renzo’s gaze swept over me with suspicion before settling on Gio. “Where is your room?”
My employer cast a disappointed look at Olivia’s door, then gestured to the path. “This way.”
I followed them as they moved. I tried to stay focused on their conversation, and not the disaster that had been narrowly avoided on her doorstep, or the anger still rippling through me at Gio’s aggressive tactics with Olivia.
This possessiveness over her was unprecedented and unsettling.
“Your father needs you back immediately,” Renzo said.
“He could have called and saved you the trip.” Gio uncapped the vodka and drank straight from the bottle.
“I believe he did.” His tone was pointed. “Yesterday, and the day before.”
“I told him I’d be back in a few days—”
“He needs you home now,” Renzo said. “It’s urgent.”
Renzo Librizzi was a lapdog. He took orders from Vitale like they were directions from God himself, and it was no secret he hated Vitale’s disobedient son. I had that in common with him.
But it was a bad sign he was here.
“Will you be in for the rest of the evening?” I asked when Gio unlocked his door.
The son-of-a-bitch’s gaze went out across the lawn, down the path toward Olivia’s cabin, and that simple glance made my hand tighten on the doorframe.
“Yes,” Renzo replied for him. “Giovanni and I have a lot to talk about. You’re dismissed.”
I nodded and waited for the door to close before taking off for my cabin. Even in a hurry, I was sure to move carefully. My fingertip slid over the screen of my phone, tapping out the correct sequence to prepare the listening devices to broadcast.
“Catch the feed,” I said when I phoned Daniel, not bothering with a greeting. “Renzo Librizzi just showed up.”
I slipped in earbuds and paced the length of my room while listening to the Italians’ heated discussion. In a dreary conference room somewhere in Germany, there was a team of analysts listening as well. I’d been there once. Listening to field ops and itching to get out there myself.
Now, what I’d fucking give to trade places.
“I’ll head back to Rome,” Gio said, “in another day or—”
“Constantine’s dead,” Renzo spat out. “I’m sorry. Your father wanted to tell you himself, but you won’t come home.”
“Shit,” I said in my empty room.
There was a long pause before Gio spoke, probably digesting the information that his little brother was gone. “How?”
“Looks like a gunshot. It’s hard to know. The autopsy proves this happened months ago.”
The Abramos had the body? Who the fuck dropped the ball on that?
It had been nearly five months since Constantine had gone quiet, so Gio didn’t find this confirmation that surprising. His voice was flat and unemotional. “Who does my father suspect?”
I held my breath. Every cell in my body awaited the answer to this question, to know how deep the trouble was.
“He’s not sure, but it has to be connected with Juric. Are you going to come home and help your father, or stay here in Africa like a spoiled child?”
I was less concerned with the next bit as it devolved into shouting and what sounded like shoving between the Italians. Renzo and Gio were impulsive and a lot alike, which was part of the reason they didn’t get along.
When the scuffle ended and tempers finally calmed, Gio reluctantly agreed to leave in the morning. As Renzo was sent off to one of the vacant cabins, he wondered out loud if the other man would keep his promise. He didn’t trust Gio any more than I did.
The audio went quiet after that.
I discussed my position with Daniel and elected to hang tight unless things spiraled further out of control.