Page 73 of Doll's Eye

“Yes. Once I give you this information, the price for my head will double. So, I need your word first.” So, he’s done something to make the organization turn on him.

“And it’s about Alessia Bonetti.”

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t you go to the Bonetti’s with this information? Why me?” I casually lean back in my chair and study him.

“That I would like to keep to myself if you don’t mind.”

I wait for a minute to reply. “Tell me what you know, and I’ll let you know if I do mind or not.”

“You’ll help me out of the country.”

“Yes.” There’s no reason not to help him even if the information he gives me isn’t as valuable because he’s a well-respected and venerable marksman. Though, if it involves Alessia, it’s priceless.

“Do you know what your ex-fiancée has been up to these past few years?” I don’t answer because I don’t. If I kept an eye on her, I’d break down and go to her, or I’d hunt down every man she involved herself with. “I figured, and her familyobviously doesn’t either because I don’t see how they would let her, considering you all made the effort of removing her from danger.”

“Stop prattling. Just spit it out.”

He ignores my curt tone. “Just a few months after you guys banished her.” I don’t correct him because it isn’t essential. “She contacted me.” I swallow hard, afraid of where this might be going. “She wanted a job.” My fists clench. “After I checked into her new alias to ensure your tech guys did their job correctly, I didn’t have a reason to tell her no. Plus, you don’t tell Alessia Bonetti no,” he muses, but I’m not in the mood. “Anyways, I got her an interview, and she was in.”

“And that’s what you came to tell me? That she’s a contract killer?”

“Not exactly. She’s a big girl, so who am I to blab? No, I came to tell you that the people I worked for found out who she really is. I’m not sure how, but they know, and there’s now a hit on her.”

I jump up to my feet and roar, “Che cazzo!”What the fuck! “You wasted this whole time rambling when there’s a fucking hit on her head?!”

He’s awfully calm for a man who is about to fucking die. “There’s time. I was the one contracted for the kill, which obviously I’m not carrying out, but once they realize that, they’ll go to the next contact and put me on the chopping block for refusing the job. So, you see my dilemma here?”

I do. Refusing to kill her, he’s putting a hit on his own head. He’ll lose most of the connections he would typically use to get in and out of countries, so he needs some outside help, hence why he came to me.

“How much time do we have?”

“Enough to get there before someone else does. Even if someone does beat you to it, it’ll take a lot of time getting pastall her own security she has put up around her property.” He smirks, obviously amused by something about that.

“Why haven’t you told her?”

“It wouldn’t be safe to do so.”

“You’re saying if I call her to warn her, I’m endangering her.”

“Yes. I’m not positive, but it’s not worth the risk.”

“She needs some kind of heads up.”

“I’d say it would be safe to call her once you’re close.”

“Cazzo,” I spit. “Ready the plane. Get a team together,” I bark orders out to Vinny, and he swiftly leaves my office. “What I don’t understand, though, is why you didn’t carry out the hit.”

“If I killed Alessia Bonetti, I would have at least three prominent families who wouldn’t stop looking for me. Especially you now allied with the Abramovs.” He’s right about that. And how the fuck does he know about the Abramovs? That’ll have to wait till later. Right now, the exigent dilemma is getting to Alessia in time.

“I’ll get you out of the country.AfterI get Alessia home safely.”

And after I spank her ass black and blue for her senseless temerity.

Chapter thirty-nine

Alessia