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The cops look at me as if they’re debating not following my orders. Though I've cultivated a good relationship with law enforcement since initiating city improvements, they don't work for me.

"Do what he says," Ramirez directs them.

They drag him toward the exit.

"I'm shocked he’s not ranting and raving," Sienna remarks.

"That might have something to do with me crushing his throat for daring to touch you, piccola pittrice."

I pull her into my arms. She hugs me tightly.

"I'm so proud of you," I say, kissing her forehead.

I'm trying to be respectful in front of Ramirez and her colleagues, but when my perfect painter presses her lips against mine, propriety evaporates. She kisses me passionately, then laughs.

“Is something funny?"

"After all this time, I got justice for my mother. And I did it during a police sting. It hardly feels real."

"It's entirely real, beautiful," I assure her. "You did it. But I need to do the next phase alone."

"The next phase?"

I give her a meaningful look. We've discussed this privately: my intention to eliminate Viktor Barinov. We can’t address it now while Sienna is still wired. Ramirez may sense my plans regarding Viktor, but an explicit declaration would be reckless.

"No," Sienna insists. "I want to be there. I want to finish this. Together."

ChapterTwenty-Six

Sienna

When I first met Nico, I never would have believed him capable of being nervous. Yet now, the morning after the sting operation and questioning with Adrian, he shifts uncomfortably in his seat.

"Are you alright?" I inquire.

He takes my hand, squeezing it reassuringly. I love when he does that—the supportiveness, the warmth, the sense of solidarity. "You know what I’m thinking."

"You want me to stay here?

"You know I do. I could make you stay behind."

"Before this ends, I need to look him in the eye. I want him to realize he didn’t get away with killing my mom. Just give me that, please, then I'll leave. Then you... can do what’s necessary."

"I'm going to execute him,piccola pittrice, for what he did to you and for what he's done to so many others. He's a bad man, and I should've taken him out long ago."

"You wanted to keep the city safe and prevent a war."

"Yes, and now Viktor has miscalculated badly. Before, the best way to prevent another war was to work with him... Now, the most effective way is putting a bullet through his skull."

A shiver cascades through me. Fear? Anticipation? Perhaps it's a combination of the two. I adjust the bulletproof vest Nico insisted I wear – he's similarly protected beneath his tailored suit.

I look across the street at the Cattle and Vine, watching as a couple emerges into the crystalline morning sunlight.

“Want me to call Rachael for an update?"

"Excellent idea," he says.

I call my old employer. "Hey, hon."