Page 170 of Guarding Grace

“I don’t believe it. He doesn’t have the brains for something like this, or the balls to cross me.”

“Paulo recruited Elliot, but he was not the brains behind it.”

Tony shook his head. “I told you, I seen this a million times.”

I could tell I was losing him. “Paulo got paid a quarter mill the day after the case disappeared.”

“How do I know you ain’t jerking my chain? You have any proof?”

“Check his bank records and ask him where the money for his new Bentley came from,” I suggested. “Do you pay him enough to buy a Bentley?”

Tony perked up. “You’re saying Marku paid my guy a quarter mil?”

Lucas spoke up. “The money came from Victor.”

Tony’s jaw dropped, and he slumped back into his chair. “My Victor? No fuckin’ way.”

I pulled out the bank account records. “We didn’t want to say this in front of your men, in case Victor has a good explanation for it.”

He took the paper and studied it, blood draining from his face. “Get out of here.” He waved us dismissively from the room.

We were happy to comply.

It felt great when a plan came together. We’d left the meeting alive, Grace was safe, and I had five-hundred K stuffed in my pockets.

“You should call her,” Lucas suggested as we rounded the corner to our cars.

Leaning against the Cayenne, I dialed. Her voice was the sweet balm I needed right now.

CHAPTER 41

Grace

“I only see one,”Deb said. “I thought you had two cats.”

She, Serena, and Constance were upstairs at Terry’s place with me, holding a vigil while we waited to find out if Terry’s plan to save me was going to work.

Zane was out on the street, backing up Constance as my second guard.

Terry had said he thought he could get Russo to back off and I’d be able to go back to my normal life. I was looking forward to that, though I was still recovering from the news that Elliot had blown himself up in the process. I’d cried for a few hours after getting that report.

Terry had always said to stay clear of Elliot because he was a walking disaster, and his end had proved Terry right.

“Where is the other one?” Deb prodded.

“Bonnie is still scared of this place and hides pretty much all day.” I shifted in my seat, looking for her. The tingle between my legs reminded me of the strong man who’d said he’d do anything to keep me safe.

“Cats can be stubborn,” Serena commented. “But she’ll adapt.”

“I don’t know.” I hadn’t seen any evidence of that yet. “I’m afraid for her mental health. I need to get her back to my place, actually both of them. Being away from home has been stressful for them.”

Uninterested in my cats, Constance studied her phone. “The call should come anytime now.”

A confused look came over Serena’s face. “Say that again?”

“As soon as the danger is over, I’m going back to my apartment,” I explained. “I’m only supposed to be here until the danger is over.” I thought I’d made that clear to her before. Plus, that’s what Terry had told me the first day he brought me here. “And, I need underwear.”

“I know Terry has a washer and dryer,” Deb noted. “Just do some laundry.”