Page 92 of Anti-Heroes in Love Duet

But I’d never railroaded a man so succinctly, leaned on him the way a mafioso might with threats of violence.

It should have made me sick.

Once, before all this, before I made that promise to my sister to protect the brother of her heart, it might have given me indigestion or a sleepless night.

But I only felt bone-deep satisfaction and a hint of acute relief as I pulled the papers out of my bag for Ottavio to sign in order for him to act as a witness for us in court and handed them over to him. With only a brief glance at his wife, than another longer one at the photos of Cosima, he accepted the Mont Blanc pen I handed him next and signed on the dotted line.

When I accepted the papers back, I did it with a grin like a wolf, a distant howl ringing through my blood.

“That was something else, Elena,” Ric said as we reached the Ferrari. “I’ve seen you in fighter mode before, but that shit was full-on gladiator.”

I laughed, a pleased flush in the cheeks that were pinned back by the force of my smile. “It felt good.”

“I love a ruthless woman. When you told him the size of Dante Salvatore’s hands…” Ric held his side as he laughed from his belly and then wiped a tear from his eye. “Bravissima, Elena.”

I blinked at Ric, then fisted my hands on my hips. “I’ve known you, what, four years? And you’ve never once let on you speak Italian.”

He winked at me. “And women are the only ones who can keep secrets? A man of mystery is a thing of beauty, no?”

I laughed at him, always put at ease by his self-confidence as if some of it rubbed off on me. “You have many talents.”

He shrugged with faux humility. “As do you. Yara will be pleased. Partnership, here you come.”

I hesitated for just a split second, my smile faltering.

Because honestly, I hadn’t been thinking of partnership in there.

There had only been one thing on my mind, and it was six foot five with thick black hair and the propensity to look at me as if I was the Mona Lisa, to be wondered at and admired.

Ric frowned at me, but I waved him off. “You’ll make sure he gets somewhere safe?”

There was no way in hell we would leave Ottavio to be picked off by the di Carlos or the prosecution. His testimony could mean the difference in winning or losing. Ric would transfer him to a safe house guarded by hired security until the trial. We still didn’t have a date, but the wheels were in motion, and we suspected a start time in the next few months.

The Salvatores’ bribes and Fields, Harding & Griffith influence made an expedited trial a reality even though it was usually unheard of for such notorious cases to go to court in under one year.

“I will,” Ric agreed, slotting his hands in the pockets of his jeans, and he rocked back on his heels. “I almost hate to mention it, but have you considered the possibility that Cosima might have been the one to kill Giuseppe.”

Every atom of my body stilled.

Of course, I had considered it. It was still one of my top theories.

I liked Ric, but I wasn’t sure I trusted him enough to divulge something that could put my sister at risk of arrest.

So, I slanted him my best cool look of incredulity.

He shrugged good-naturedly. “Just a thought. The autopsy and witnesses say di Carlo was killed before the drive-by shooting. It’s a fair assumption that someone in that deli could have murdered him. Going by the supposition that his own thug didn’t shoot him before dying himself, that leaves two people we know for sure were inOttavio’s. Cosima and Mason Matlock, who is missing.”

Presumed dead, he didn’t have to say.

It was safe to assume someone, maybe even the Salvatores or Mason’s own di Carlo family, had gotten to him before the cops could find him.

Of course, Ric had arrived at the same theory I had.

“My sister is a model, Ric,” I said in my best condescending voice, acting as if Cosima was nothing more than a bimbo when she was anything but. “I don’t think she would even know how to fire a gun if she wanted to.”

He nodded affably, but his brown eyes were keen on me from under his lashes. “Of course. It was only a theory.”

I nodded curtly at him, then threw up a bright smile, hoping to blind him from the truth. “It was good to do this with you.”