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“No, but I’d love it if you would stop talking.” I sighed.

His smirk twisted into a grimace. “What did you just say?”

“I didn’t come to settle Mia’s debt,” I told him, and his grimace turned to a sneer. “I came to give you this.”

I slid an envelope across the table and he snatched it up, tearing it open with disgust. I watched as his eyes shot back and forth across the document, and I tried my best to smother the grin threatening to break my mask.

“What the fuck is this?” he demanded, his voice wavering just a little.

“The latest warrant for your arrest,” I explained. “If you turn to the next page, you’ll find a list of your crimes as well as their punishments.”

His face fell and he flipped the page, his eyes bugging out of his head. “How did you-” he panted, his cheeks growing red with anger. “How the hell did you find any of this?”

“You already know how powerful money is,” I said. “Are you surprised that I was able to get that much on you? I did only have a few hours, and my team is preoccupied with people who actually matter in the world. But you…”

I smirked, leaning back in my seat. “You were a special case,” I said. “You threatened Mia. You threatened to ruin everything she’s worked for. That’s something I won’t allow. So now, I have something for you. Not a threat, but a promise. Are you listening?”

He clenched his jaw shut in defiance, but I went on anyway.

“If you’re ever caught in this city again,” I said, “you’ll be arrested on these alleged charges and put away for a very, very long time. And that’s just legally. But ifIever catch you anywhere near Mia, I’ll make sure you’re never able to walk again, nor will you be able to talk about it. I have eyes and ears everywhere. There’s nowhere you can go that I won’t find you. Do I make myself clear?”

He swallowed and nodded.

“Wonderful,” I said with a sweet smile. He backed away and I held my hand up. “One more thing, before you go running off.”

He didn’t speak, but he froze, waiting.

Mia’s frightened face slid to the front of my mind, her tears clinging to her lashes while every word she spoke sounded like it cost her everything to speak. There was just one more thing I needed from the sack of shit sitting across from me, his face a warped expression of anger and terror. One last thing to make sure Mia was able to get the closure she deserved.

“What happened to Carla?”

Chapter 33

Waiting

MIA

Ilaidahandon the gate outside my family home, staring up at the blue painted door. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake the fear-tinged anxiety that settled low in my gut. I couldn’t even remember the ride over from the hotel, much less how I’d gotten ready that morning.

Reid’s last text to me had me staring up at the ceiling for what felt like hours, trying to figure out what it might mean. What did she mean by “personal business”? And how is it that I knew nothing about it?

Did it have anything to do with her sudden detachment? I couldn’t help but remember how little she’d looked at me, even though she’d made me eat dinner in her hotel room. Maybe I’d been right about her not wanting anything to do with me.

Maybe she was out interviewing for another assistant.

I forced out a hard breath and pushed the gate open, walking inside.

“Oh, look who finally showed up,” Vitoria called from the open door. “It’s about time, I thought you’d forgotten about your family.”

“I could turn around and leave,” I offered, pointing over my shoulder at the private car waiting in the driveway. “There are other things I haven’t done yet.”

“No!” she yelped, her cheeks dark with embarrassment.

I chuckled. “Miss you too, Vitoria.”

I walked inside and hugged my little sister tightly, not realizing just how much I needed it until her arms squeezed me back.

“You okay?” she mumbled against my shoulder, her cheeks squished.