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She leaned against the bed and plopped down on the edge. “Are you going to tell me why I’m doing this? I would never have pegged you for the type who has to pay for a girlfriend to take home to your parents.”
That’s not what this was. Not in the slightest, but I held my tongue. “Don’t worry. The entire arrangement is one hundred percent professional.”
Skylar pursed her lips and patted the bed beside her. “It doesn’t have to be.”
Was she testing me? Enzo would expect some level of intimacy if we were seen together, but I didn’t plan on that happening.
The truth was my plan was shitty at best. I needed Enzo to trust me, and he’d been offering me girls left and right, women who he intended to auction off and sell to the highest bidder.
It disgusted me.
He wouldn’t leave it alone, and I had lied to him, told him that I had a fiancé at home. Which meant I needed a girl who would have my back.
Emma was in prison.
There hadn’t been anyone else since her, and even then, she had been a means to an end.
Another job. One that had turned complicated.
I don’t usually sleep with my protégé, but with Emma, she’d been hot, fierce, and offered herself up to me.
I hadn’t been able to say no. She had bewitched me.
“Well?” Skylar asked. “What’s the gig? I strut around town showing off my flashy engagement ring?” She slid the diamond band onto her ring finger before she thrust out her cell phone.
I needed her to get close to Enzo. He still didn’t trust me, not completely.
“It’s more complicated than that. I need you to gather intel for me on Enzo Ricci.”
“Excuse me?” Skylar pushed herself off the mattress. “Isn’t that the shady billionaire who just moved into town?” Her voice raised an octave as she spoke. “Is he like a drug dealer or something? He kind of looks like he works for the mafia.”
Apparently, word traveled fast.
“He’s my boss. Already he believes that I don’t trust him. Which I don’t. But that’s beside the point. I need you to gather as much information from the girls that he’s holding. I’m looking for a girl named Lexa Clarke.”
“Gather information. How exactly and who is Lexa Clarke?” Skylar asked.
This wasn’t just a risky job. It was a lifestyle and not one that I wanted to commit myself to, but there’d been no other choice.
“You’re going to accompany me to a party that Enzo is hosting at his home. He’s already panicking because the shipment of girls that was due in was delayed.”
“Delayed?”
The girls weren’t exactly delayed. I had intercepted the shipment, having gained access to the manifest and released the girls into federal custody. Enzo didn’t know it was me who had betrayed him. If he had, I would have already been dead.
I didn’t want to worry Skylar or give her any intel that could be used against me later. The less she knew, the better.
“It doesn’t matter about the girls. What matters is that you’re going to join me at his home as my fiancé.”
“I’m not following on how I’ll be gathering information on the girls that he’s holding. Will they be at the party too?” Skylar asked.
“Doubtful. I’m sure he’s holding them someplace at the compound on his property. Probably a basement or cellar.”
“Let me guess. You want me to sneak around without getting caught?” Skylar asked.
“Yes. Dante will likely be guarding the access point, so you may need to flirt with Enzo’s second in command, Dante.”
“Second in command? What is he, Mafia?”
I didn’t answer. I wasn’t about to lie to her. But yes, Enzo was the head of the Italian mob who owned most of the west coast and had branched outward. They dealt in smuggling guns, drugs, and girls.
Skylar exhaled a heavy sigh. “Wonderful.”
“All you have to do is flirt with him if you get caught. He’s a sucker. Easy to manipulate. Don’t worry.”
“Flirt with him? You’re underselling the job.” Skylar wasn’t an idiot. Maybe I underestimated her.
“He’s in over his head right now with the shipment of girls who have gone missing. Dante needs help. If you seem eager to please, he’s desperate to keep Enzo happy. He’ll easily betray me to get on Enzo’s good side.”