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“No, they aren’t,” Lea admits. “But the Morandi family gets most of their tech from defense contractors, rather than developing it themselves. The tech guys are mainly just there to show people how to use it.”

“More work for me, but more than I can handle right now. I hope Massimo takes my advice and hires the group I told him about. I’m good, but I’m not Solitude good,” Cadence laughs, taking another drink of her vodka.

“Sarah, what are you working on right now? I’ve been so busy I haven’t been able to listen to any of your recent podcasts. ”

“Nothing much,” I sigh. “Honestly, my heart isn’t in it like I used to be. If Boyd wasn’t pushing me to keep recording new episodes, I probably wouldn’t even bother.”

“Really?” Lea’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “You told me once you’d rather cut off your arm than give up your podcast.”

“Priorities change, I suppose,” I say. “Maybe I’m just finally growing up. Had to happen eventually, right?”

“I guess so,” Lea says.

We continue talking. Catching up. Lea shows me the latest ultrasounds of the baby, but they still don’t want to know if it’s a boy or girl, so I have no idea if I’ve got a godson or goddaughter on the way.

Lea and I put a dent in the snacks while Cadence puts a dent in the vodka.

I love spending time with Boyd, but I’ve needed this more than I realized.

“Okay, Mama has to pee,” Lea sighs, leaning forward and getting up. “The baby did not like the pepperoni. Keeps kicking my bladder. After that, I need to head back to Salvalagio, though.”

I shake my head and laugh as Lea walks to the restroom. Cadence refills her glass of vodka. I guess she’s hoping to stay long enough to finish it, even if Lea is ready to go.

“If you really want to see what I’m working on for my podcast, I’ve got it on the wall in here,” I offer, gesturing to the second bedroom.

“More old stories about the Mafia or something different?” Cadence asks.

“A little different,” I answer, walking into the bedroom and gesturing to the wall. “Missing tourists in Las Vegas! Thrilling content, right?”

“Hmm,” Cadence says, sipping her vodka and putting the glass down. “And you think there’s a connection.”

I lower my voice and lean closer. “I was at Rafferty’s with Boyd. It’s a cigar bar, so I wouldn’t recommend the atmosphere, but I heard three names. Valerie, Catherine, and Sadie. I don’t think it’s a coincidence; there are three missing tourists with those names.”

“Okay, I’m more interested now,” Cadence laughs, examining the wall. “Most were last seen near the strip. You got a map?”

“Hold on, yeah,” I mutter, digging through my stuff. “I printed one out, but never got around to adding it to the wall. Here it is.”

Cadence takes the map and holds it up, marking the location each tourist was last seen. “Could be nothing, but it’s the same general area. Wonder if there are any bars around there. Maybe they met someone—the same someone.”

“They were all single so it’s possible,” I admit, looking at the map. “Wait a minute. There is a bar near there. Fucking hell. It’s Fletcher’s!”

“Am I supposed to know that name?” Cadence asks.

“I do,” Lea says, joining us. “That’s where you called from that night you got drunk and needed a ride.”

“You’re going to be really pissed that I didn’t tell you this, but… I didn’t get too drunk that night. The bartender put something in my drink,” I admit apprehensively, watching as Lea’s eyes flash with anger.

“Are you serious? What the hell, Sarah?” Lea snaps. “Massimo would have had one of his guys handle that!”

“I know, I know. I screwed up,” I groan. “Trust me, I already got in trouble when Boyd found out. And he put the fear of every deity imaginable into that asshole, so I don’t think he’s responsible for this. He was way too scared.”

“Big Boyd would scare most people.” Lea shakes her head.

“Alright, so maybe it’s not the same guy, but it can’t be a coincidence, right?” she asks. “Could be someone else that frequents the bar. Shit, what if it’s another serial killer? We should check it out.”

“I’m sure Billy the bartender hasn’t forgotten me,” I say, pondering it. “Or Boyd. Billy will tell us anything he knows to keep from seeing him again.”

“I don’t know about this.” Lea winces. “I promised Rowan we’d go right back to Salvalagio after this. I’m lucky Massimo even let me leave to begin with. He’s a little protective… because of what happened with his first wife.”

“Understandable,” I admit. “Especially now that he knows the Bratva is involved in the Mafia prince stuff.”

“Nobody has me on a leash, so I can go,” Cadence says, a slight slur to her words. “I’m not ready to go back to Salvalagio yet. I’ve been staring at my laptop for days.”

“You okay if Cadence and I go without you?” I ask, glancing at Lea.

“Yeah, that’s fine,” she replies. “But if there’s any trouble, you better call Big Boyd.”

“I will, don’t worry,” I say.

I hurry to Boyd’s bedroom, get changed, and grab my things. I’m glad Boyd finally gave me a key, because I don’t think he’d be happy if I left the front door unlocked.

“Want some pepperoni for the road?” I joke, giving Lea a nudge as we walk past the kitchen area.

“No,” she groans, shaking her head.

We ride the elevator to the lobby and when the doors open, I see Lea’s entourage. Rowan approaches immediately, gesturing toward Lea.

“Come on, boss lady. Time to go,” he growls. “You didn’t get my text?”

“What? No, I didn’t…” She reaches into her purse and removes her phone. She quickly reads the message and shakes her head. “Sorry, I didn’t see it. Guess Massimo isn’t happy I’ve been gone so long.”

“He’s just protective, lass,” Rowan says. “But we need to go before he actually gets pissed.”

Lea turns to me and shrugs. I give her a hug and say a few words to the baby, promising to be the best godmother since Cinderella got her glass slippers. Lea doesn’t find it as adorable as she usually does, probably because that baby is still moving around. He or she really isn’t fond of pepperoni.

Then I look up and feel a twinge of concern when I see someone standing at the entrance of the Waldorf Astoria, dressed in all black, including a tinted mask that is covering their face. I barely have time to process what I’m seeing before he raises the gun in his right hand.

“He’s got a gun!” I yell, ducking and yanking Lea toward the floor. “Get down!”

Rowan and the rest of Lea’s entourage are looking at us. They spin around, but a couple of muffled shots ring out. Cadence drops to her knees beside me, and I peek past her to see there’s more than one masked man now.

The Morandi family springs into action. Rowan pulls a Glock from the back of his kilt and fires off a couple of shots that are much louder than the ones coming from the guys in black.

There are no guests in the lobby, but the woman behind the front desk goes running toward the back.

She doesn’t make it before she gets hit in the back and goes down.

“Move, come on,” I say, half-pulling, half-dragging Lea toward the front desk. A black dart hits the counter in front of me and my eyes get wide. “It’s Solitude… or the Bratva! Oh, god, where’s my phone? I dropped my purse.”

“I got mine,” Cadence says, pulling it out of her pocket. “No signal! They’re using a jammer!”

It’s an ambush. Rowan and the rest of Lea’s entourage put up a fight, but I hear the loud gunfire dying out.

Every time I dare peek around the counter, more of Massimo’s guys are on the floor.

They’ve taken a few of the other guys down, but not enough.

My heart nearly stops when I see Rowan get hit in the neck.

He reaches toward Lea before collapsing in front of us.

“Shit, shit, shit,” I mutter, realizing this isn’t going to end well for us.

A few voices echo, but they’re muffled by the masks, and it sounds like Russian. But one voice stands out, because he doesn’t have an accent.

“Find Lea Morandi,” he calls out.

“She’s over here,” a voice answers in a thick Russian accent.

Lea scampers around the desk, and I put myself in front of her. Cadence does the same. We look at each other, silently conveying fear, but determined enough to do what is necessary to protect our friend. I see a gun on the floor, so I reach out for it, but a boot slams into my arm, pinning it down.

“Ow!” I squeal, grimacing when the man grinds his sole into my skin.

I’m trapped. The other guys in black go around the desk. They drag Cadence and Lea out, both kicking and screaming as they’re manhandled and shoved in front of the guy pinning my arm to the floor.

“Profiles on everyone,” the man says. “Now.”

The guy pinning me down is the one who doesn’t sound Russian.

He appears to be in charge. One of his guys pulls a device from his pocket that looks like a phone, but it’s a lot thicker.

He holds it up to Lea’s face. When she turns away, he grabs her chin and holds it in place, tight enough for me to see blood on her lips.

“Leave her alone!” I yell, hitting the leg pinning my arm down with my free hand, but it’s like slamming my fist into a tree trunk.

“Lea Morandi. Confirmed. Take her,” the man says, turning the scanner to Cadence.

She twists and tries to reach for Lea as the man holding my best friend drags her away.

Cadence gets punched in the back of the head and it dazes her, then the man with the device scans her face.

“Freelancer. She’s not part with the Morandi family. Not one of their girls, either.”

“Then she’s not important,” the leader says, raising his gun.

“No!” I scream, but he fires anyway, and a dart imbeds into Cadence’s neck. Then he looks down at me. “What about this one?”

I turn my face away, watching in horror as Lea is dragged out the front door.

She’s slumped in the man’s arms now. I don’t know if she was drugged with a dart or knocked out, but she’s unresponsive.

The man pinning my arm grinds his boot into it until I cry out, and they finally get a scan of my face.

“Sarah Parker. She’s with Boyd Sagona. Podcaster. Erica Morandi’s ex-bodyguard,” he says.

“Bring her.” The man pinning my arm pulls his boot away and kicks me in the face so hard I see stars.

I’m stunned from the kick and unable to put up much of a fight as two men snatch me off the floor. They pull me toward the door.

“I got a Capo over here,” another man calls out in a Russian accent. “Massimo Morandi’s bodyguard. Rest of them are low-ranking members.”

“Kill the members of the Morandi family. Leave the Capo,” the leader orders. “We need him to tell his boss what happened here.”

The others say something in Russian, then they start pulling knives. I feel something cold against my neck, then it jams in. Dart? Needle? I’m not sure.

But it’s only a matter of seconds before my world collapses into darkness.