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One foot outside the door, I wait until his soliloquy is done before I reply.

"You should know by now, 'Cello," I tilt my head, my tone serious, "that it's not me, nor Sisi, who is in danger. It's everyone who tries to harm her. You know me, and you know what I'm capable of," I tell him squarely.

"Rest assured thatno onewill make it out alive. Is it an inconvenience? Yes," I shrug, "but Sisi is safest with me, where I can see her, touch her, smell her. If not…" I trail off, turning to look at her and seeing the understanding in her eyes, "Thenno oneis safe."

Marcello continues to sputter, not that I thought he'd relent immediately, but Catalina is quick to pacify him.

Grabbing Sisi's hand, I leave the study, heading straight for his garage and grabbing one of his cars.

"You did better than I expected," she mentions when I'm behind the wheel, revving the engine. "And I'm confident they will come around. Eventually."

"They will," I agree, starting the car and gearing up for a long journey home.

It wouldn't be my preference to return to my place, but itisthe most secure now. The underground framework is unparalleled and for as much as it was built to keep me in, it will also keep other people out.

Sisi's quiet as she stares out the window, her eyes almost closing.

Intent on letting her get some rest, I focus on the road, mentally going over potential scenarios.

The undercover idea isn't bad, and as soon as we get to my computers I'll do an in-depth analysis of Sacre Coeur and comb through some of the recent footage to learn their patterns.

I already know their security is pretty tough, and while I'd gotten in before with somepersuasion,the tide's bound to change now that I'm not everyone's favorite person.

No doubt, Mother Superior, too, must have been alerted to my search for Miles, and she's bound to have some safety measures in place if I come calling.

My lip curls up in distaste as I think about that woman who's abused Sisi her entire life. I'd never particularly liked her, but she'd run Sacre Coeur with a tight fist, and I know a lot of the local mafiosi see that as an advantage when it comes to keeping their beloved daughters away from the temptations of the world.

Sisi and Catalina were not the only ones who'd been sent there. In fact, a lot of illegitimate daughters have been raised at Sacre Coeur for decades.

Why, I remember Benedicto Guerra himself has a sister who's taken her vows, with a few others in the same situation.

Still, everyone involved in Miles' scheme is bound to have been notified that I'm out for blood, so I don't expect Sacre Coeur to be any different. In any other scenario, it would have been infinitely easier to bust in, ransack Mother Superior's office and interrogate her and then be gone.

But in this case, Sisi's idea about going undercover has the most merit. And unbeknownst to her, I have another ulterior motive for wanting to infiltrate the convent. At last, her tormentors are going to learn what true hell is, right there in theirholyplace.

"Are we there?" she asks groggily, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Almost," I reply and I hear her stomach growling, an embarrassed look crossing her face. "We'll order some food too," I say and she regales me with a smile.

"I can't wait to have a good night of sleep," she yawns, suddenly looking so young and vulnerable.

"We both will, and then we'll tackle everything."

I speed through the city, making it home before it gets dark out.

The compound is completely empty as we make our way inside. We quickly settle inside the bedroom, and Sisi places all her things in my wardrobe before we go pick up the food and head to the kitchen.

"You need to call Sasha," she mentions as she takes a bite of her burger. "I don't think I did a good job with your wound, and I don't want you to have complications because of that."

"It doesn't hurt." I shrug.

"It might not hurtyou, but who knows what's going on inside your body?" She shakes her head. "I want aproperdoctor to look at you."

I want to protest and tell her this is nothing compared to some other injuries I'd gotten over the years, but one look at her and I know I can't argue. So I relent, calling Sasha and giving him a rundown of my wounds.

"It's not that deep," he notes when we're in the infirmary. "I'll just disinfect it and close it properly. You're lucky the bullet didn't tear the muscle. That would put you out of commission for a while," he comments and I grunt, noting the way Sisi's assessing everything like a shark, making sure Sasha takes good care of me.

"Done," he says, placing a bandage over my shoulder. "Call me if there's anything else." He nods as he exits the room.