Page 103 of Lord of the Dark

"Because unlike you, I still have a conscience. I can't just leave him here."

"He's definitely not getting in my car—I'll kill him if he pukes in it."

"Don't you have some ugly work car here? For jobs that get messy?" I asked provocatively.

His mouth twisted into a mocking grin. "Of course I have a work car here. Work follows me everywhere. But I didn't bring it this time."

"Then what did you bring?" I crossed my arms—no way was I backing down now.

"Something else." He mirrored me, arms folding. God, for the second time tonight, I felt like I was stuck in a schoolyard standoff.

"And what’s that?" He was really starting to piss me off. "What’s with the stupid act, Alessandro?"

"It’s a Ferrari, alright? A fucking Ferrari, and I’m sure as hell not hauling this asshole in it!" he snapped. Jesus Christ, what a fucking kindergarden.

"Okay, did I ask you to do this—" I jabbed a hand toward Carter’s limp form, "—in the first place? No. So you deal with the consequences of your brilliant idea!"

He rolled his eyes with an exasperated snort, pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed a number. "You still here? Come to lounge 7." He collapsed back onto the sofa with a loud exhale. "You need to stop trying to be Miss Congeniality. Pro tip: he doesn't deserve it."

"He's not one of your... drug lords you can just eliminate. What happens if we leave him here and he chokes on his own vomit? You gonna dissolve his body in acid later?"

He just shrugged indifferently. "Would bother me less than scrubbing puke out of leather seats."

I closed my eyes. The worst part was I believed every word.

Giovanni entered the lounge, his gaze darting between the four faces in varying states of consciousness scattered around the damned place. "What the hell happened to this one?" He pointed at Carter before looking to me questioningly.

I crossed my arms. "The maestro here has resorted to drugging people for the second time tonight to get his way."

Giovanni looked confused but turned to Alessandro, who remained utterly unperturbed on the couch.

"This idiot is testing my last fucking nerve. But his girlfriendhere still feels responsible and wants him safely returned to his hotel," Alessandro explained irritably.

"Who's his girlfriend?" Giovanni asked.

"She knows, Giovanni..." Alessandro made a dismissive hand gesture.

"Yeah, I know you're his trained attack dog who obediently sniffs wherever he points," I snapped at both of them.

"That's enough," Alessandro barked at me.

Giovanni adopted a wounded expression, shaking his head while staring at Alessandro. "You'll know best whether it's smart to tell this woman everything." His gaze slid back to Carter. "Though maybe you two deserve each other more than I thought."

Something about his tone suggested this was meant as an accusation. His eyes bored into mine, and I felt my stomach clench.

"You two fuck upstairs while her boyfriend—" Giovanni started, but Alessandro cut him off sharply before he could finish.

"That’s none of your damn concern!" he snapped. The usual calm around him had vanished, replaced by raw aggression in his gaze that even gave Giovanni pause. "One more word about it, and I’ll silence you myself."

"Sorry, Boss. So, where to? Usually, the bodies that fall under my jurisdiction are a lot... colder."

My breath hitched as the meaning of his words sank in. My eyes flicked to Alessandro, but his expression didn’t change—as if Giovanni had just commented on the weather. I swallowed hard. "It’d be nice if he could make it back to the hotel... warm."

Giovanni flashed me a smile.

"I assume you already know the hotel and our room number..." I said, already knowing the answer.

He nodded, his lips twitching with faint amusement. "Of course. I’ll handle it. Consider it done. Want a goodnight photoof him to sleep better?" he asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.