Page 140 of Devil's Azalea

When he gets back, he picks up his jacket and shrugs it on. “Well, it’s time to call it a night.”

“Who could possibly be calling you this late? Surely not a client?” Gianna eyes Romero, whose lips tighten noticeably.

“What are you doing tomorrow, Rome? I have a friend I would love to introduce you to and?—”

“Elira, he’s clearly going to meet a girl,” Michael interrupts with a deep chuckle as he takes another sip of his water. After his first tumbler of whiskey, he’d switched to water. He has to stay alert to protect his family, he’d said.

“It’s okay, man.” Maximo gets to his feet. “We’re leaving now too, so you can go see your lady friend.”

Romero’s jaw tightens. “It’s not a girl. Not like that.”

“Then it’s like what?” Michael presses, getting to his feet as well. I guess they’re also going home now.

I chuckle as I get off the lounge chair. “You guys should leave him alone. Don’t let them tease you to reveal a name, Rome.”

Romero’s gaze snags mine, and his expression softens just the slightest bit. “It’s fine. It’s not like it’s some big secret anyway.” He inhales sharply. “I think I might have gotten a lead on your friend Katie’s whereabouts.”

My heart lurches into my throat, and hope—sweet, desperate hope—floods through me.

Without another word, Romero turns around and leaves.

BONUS EPILOGUE

ROMERO

Going to meet a girl.

Perhaps I should check my phonebook and call a woman up since that’s what they all think of me anyway—the fucking playboy who can’t keep it in his pants for longer than a heartbeat.

It was lighthearted teasing, I know. My brothers love to bust my balls about my reputation. But fuck, what the hell am I actually doing out here on this chilly February night?

My breath forms crystalline clouds in front of my face as I walk down the boardwalk towards the little garden cafe where my intel asked me to meet him.

Senator Julian DeMarco.

The name alone leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. When my right-hand man, Sandro, texted me earlier that he’d received a call from the senator’s secretary requesting a meeting—tonight—I nearly laughed out loud.I’ve dealt with enough politicians to know their type: arrogant, deceitful parasites who think the world revolves around their schedule.

I told him to inform the secretary that I was having dinner with family and that his boss could make an appointmentduring business hours like everyone else if he wanted to meet me.

But apparently, the senator has never heard the word ‘no’ in his privileged life. The persistent fuck somehow got my number from Sandro and spent the entire evening blowing up my phone. Call after call after call, relentless as some fucking desperate ex-girlfriend, until I finally cracked and answered.

I heard you’ve been looking for a certain blonde-haired, blue-eyed FBI agent?

He’d gone straight to the point, as if he knew my patience with him was running on fumes. Those words were enough to grab my attention and convince me to ditch the dinner—not that anyone was expecting deep conversations by that point. We’d already toasted the new year, celebrated Rafael and Emily’s marriage, and heard the incredible news about a new addition to the family—Elira and Maximo expecting their first child.

By then, the night had settled into quiet contentment, and I’m sure the other guys left soon after I did. I’m the life of the party, after all.

I tug my coat collar higher as another freezing gust slices across the back of my neck and slips beneath my thick jacket. The cold is starting to piss me off almost as much as this mysterious meeting. The glass door of the restaurant is only a few steps away now, but I slow as I reach it, studying the scene inside.

Brick walls. Mahogany floors. Empty—except for three men.

One sits alone at a corner table, and I recognize him easily: the senator himself. Dark hair greying at the temples, a square face with an aristocratic nose that looks like it has never been broken, and thin lips set in a severe line. The kind of face that screams ‘I’ve never been told no’.

A face only a mother could love.

I can’t help but smirk at that thought as I do a quick sweep behind me. To anyone watching, I’m completely alone out here. So if this is an ambush one of my enemies cooked up with the senator’s help, they’ll have quite the fucking surprise waiting for them.

Because I’m never truly alone.