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"Good. Take the rest of the night off. Full pay." I look at Tomasso. "Make sure she gets home safely."
She hurries away, and I return my attention to the squirming man beneath me. "Now then. There seem to be some misconceptions about how things work in my establishment."
I lean down, speaking directly into his ear. "Every person who works for me is under my protection. Touch one of them again, and I'll send you back to Moscow in very small boxes." A slight twist of his arm produces a satisfying scream. "Nod if you understand."
He nods frantically. I release him, straightening my cuffs as he collapses to the floor.
Viktor, wisely silent until now, clears his throat. "Perhaps we should continue this discussion another time?"
"Perhaps." I retake my seat, gesturing for a fresh whiskey. "One shipment per month. Premium quality only. And you'll find new representation for our future meetings." I glance meaningfully at Dmitri, who's being helped to his feet. "I don't enjoy repeating myself."
They scramble out, just as my phone lights up, Angela's ringtone following. A smile tugs at my lips before I can stop it.
"Piccola, isn't it way past your bedtime? You should be resting."
"I'm fourteen, not four." Her laugh, though slightly breathless from her recent treatments, still sounds like sunshine. "And I've been resting all day. Besides, Violeta let me watch that new vampire show everyone's talking about and?—"
" Violeta?" I arch an eyebrow even though she can't see it. "The nurse I specifically instructed to maintain your sleep schedule?"
"Oh, don't be mad at her. You know I can be very persuasive." There's a smile in her voice that reminds me too much of myself. "Must run in the family."
I lean back in my seat, tension easing from my shoulders. "Angela..."
"And I was thinking," she continues, ignoring my warning tone, "Maybe I could come visit the club sometime? Just to see what it's like? I promise I'll stay in your office?—"
"Absolutely not." The words come out sharper than intended.
"But Stefano?—"
"No." I soften my voice. "The club isn't a place for you,tesoro. When you're feeling better, we'll go anywhere else you want."
She's quiet for a moment. "Promise?"
"Have I ever broken a promise to you?"
"No." Another pause. "Will you come see me tomorrow?”
My heart clenches. "Nothing would keep me away."
After we hang up, I gesture to Tomasso. "Get another nurse for Angela. Someone who won't cave to puppy dog eyes and Netflix requests."
"She convinced Violeta to do something that wasn’t allowedagain?" He tries to hide his amusement and fails.
"Sometimes I think she's more dangerous than all of us put?—"
The words die in my throat. Across the club, a woman moves through the crowd—long raven hair, athletic build, the same confident stride that's haunted my dreams for years.
Ava.
My body moves before my brain can catch up, stalking through the crowd that parts instinctively before me.
I catch her arm, perhaps too roughly, spinning her to face me. But the eyes that meet mine are green, not the deep brown I've been searching for.
Not her.
"Mr. Rega!" The woman's face lights up with recognition, her body language shifting to something more inviting. "I was hoping to run into you tonight. Maybe we could?—"
"No." I release her arm, already turning away, ignoring her disappointed pout.