Page 112 of Dangerous Intent

“Do you want me to shoot them?” I kissed her neck. “You already know I will kill for you.”

“You’re insane.” She giggled. “Let’s get out of here.”

“And you said I couldn’t be impulsive.” I scooted her out of my lap and stood. “Wait until you see what I do to you later.”

“I’ll definitely need this.” She swiped the bottle of prosecco off the table and took my hand.

“I’m going to pour that all over you and then lick every inch of you.”

“Let’s hurry.”

Her throaty laugh filled me with such joy. When had we ever had this kind of moment in public? Although, had we ever been like this—light, silly, and in love—in private? Just the two of us being ourselves, and not worrying about what came next.

This was the most burden-free I had ever felt, but just like that…

Four men in off-the-rack suits and dull shoes entered the dining area.

I pulled Lissia to my side, stopping her from moving.

Their haircuts were cheap, and their poorly grown facial hair needed to be manicured.

“Fuck,” I mumbled.

“What?” She followed my gaze. “Who are they?”

“Aggravation.”

“They don’t look like gangsters.”

“They’re worse.” I tightened my hold on her. “They’re cops.”

Lucas got up from the bar and hurried over as the four detectives crossed the dining room and headed right for me.

“Are they here for you?” Lissia looked up at me. “What should we do?”

“I’ll handle it.” I gently kissed her. “Whatever happens, it’s not a big deal. As long as you stay in control and keep quiet, you have nothing to worry about.”

“Marchello Accetti,” said the first one to reach me.

I nudged Lissia in Dom’s direction, paying more attention to her than I did to the men who were about to ruin my night. Once she was by Dom’s side, I turned my attention to the four nuisances standing in front of me.

“How can I help you gentlemen?” I asked.

“Turn around and put your hands behind your back,” one of them said, pulling out a pair of handcuffs while another trained their gun on me. “You’re under arrest.”

The cuffs snapped around my wrists, but the real weight came from Lissia’s wide-eyed stare. This wasn’t just about me anymore. Every move I made from here would ripple out to her, and I couldn’t afford to misstep.

TWENTY-SIX

Lissia

No.This was all happening too fast. They were going to rip Marchello from me. I couldn’t let that happen.

“Relax,” Dom whispered as he rubbed my shoulder. “You’re shaking.”

“They’re going to take him away.” I swallowed my fear and tried to formulate a plan. “Why are they doing this?”

“You have to let this play out,” he said. “Lucas is here. He’ll take care of Marchello.”