Page 41 of Laced With Secrets
“And he’s already your enemy,” I said, something cold settling in my chest. “You both cost him millions with the Vertex deal.”
“Yes,” Blake said simply. “Vicente has reason to dislike us.”
“Dislike?” Penny’s voice rose. “Blake, this is the mob! They kill people!”
“Allegedly,” Blake said, his lips curling in that infuriating dismissive half-smile.
“You’re being awfully calm about this.” I tapped my chopsticks against the ceramic plate, creating a soft staccato rhythm.
Blake’s blue eyes met mine, and for just a moment, I saw something cold and calculating beneath his usual mild demeanor. Something that reminded me exactly what he and Dominic were capable of.
“Panic is counterproductive,” he said. “Vicente is dangerous—that’s established.” He leaned back in his chair. “The question is how we manage it.”
My gaze drifted to the window as Margie’s words tumbled through my mind. Something didn’t quite add up?—
“What are you thinking?” Dominic’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. His gray eyes caught mine, anchoring me to the present.
I frowned, my chopsticks hovering midair as my intuition nagged at me. “I’m just not so certain Vicente killed Thomas.”
“What about Vicente?” Jake appeared in the kitchen doorway, his pale face and tense posture suggesting he’d heard at least some of our conversation.
Blake pulled out his phone, typing quickly. “I’m activating additional security protocols for the building—biometric access only, cameras on all entry points, direct alert to my phone for any unauthorized access attempts.”
“You have ‘additional security protocols’?” I asked.
“Marcus’ team does.” Blake’s smile was thin.
I watched his fingers move across the phone’s scene, his expression calm. It baffled me that he could discuss mob threats and murder investigations with the same detached precision he might use for quarterly profit margins.
Jake’s fingers curled over the back of the chair we’d saved for him until his knuckles blanched against the dark wood. “This is insane. Less than a year ago, my biggest worry was remembering to proof the sourdough overnight.”
“You’ve been braver than any of us,” Penny said softly, reaching up to squeeze Jake’s shoulder.
Blake pocketed his phone. “Marcus is locking the building down for tonight.”
Dominic’s hand found mine under the table, his fingers warm and steady against my palm.
“We’ll turn everything we’ve gathered on the Antonellis over to the authorities,” Dominic said firmly. “If there’s something that can be used against him, Katherine will find it.”
Blake picked up his wine glass. “Once there’s an official federal investigation, Vicente has to be much more careful.”
The casual competence with which he said it suddenly made me reassess exactly how dangerous Blake Harrington actually was. Not mob-dangerous. But dangerous in the way that very wealthy, very connected, very ruthless men could be.
“You’ve both done this before,” I said slowly. “Dealt with threats like this.”
“Different threats,” Blake corrected. “But yes. We’ve learned to be thorough. A solid shield means nothing when your blade cuts deeper than your enemy’s.”
I stared at Blake, my gaze tracing the expensive cut of his suit, the perfect windsor knot of his tie. “You say that like this is some sort of genteel game, but how exactly does that make you two different from Vicente?”
“We stay within the law,” Blake said simply. “That’s the difference.”
“You make it sound so clean,” I challenged.
“Far from it,” Blake corrected. His lips quirked. “Worked perfectly too… until you came along and Dominic caught feelings.”
“Hey now,” my alpha protested mildly. He raised his glass to his lips, the dark liquid swirling against crystal.
“It’s true,” Blake said with devastating bluntness. “Suddenly my perfectly ruthless operative developed a conscience.”