Page 79 of Steal My Heart

Wanting to make sure this is real, I ask between the chattering of my teeth, “I didn’t drown?”

“No, ma’am.” The man wraps a blanket around me. “You’re lucky our light landed on you before you went under. Otherwise, we’d have never seen you. How’d you wind up in the water?”

Mr. Prenup fucking Bennett. That’s how.

My eyes feel slightly out of focus, but they land on the name of the vessel illuminated by the light.

Calvani Seafood Company

“Angelo Calvani owns this boat?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Could you call him and let him know you’ve found me. Tell him it’s his houseguest,” I say, my eyes fluttering closed. “He’ll know who I am. Whatever you do, don’t call the cops.”

“Ma’am, open your eyes. Stay with me.”

But it feels soooo much better keeping them closed.

Angelo

I pace the room like a caged jungle cat. How my brother has survived nearly ten years of incarceration is beyond me. Then again, Fabien might not survive it if I find out he was behind the attempted hit.

But one dumpster fire at a time.

A knock on the door, and a uniformed officer appears. “Mr. Calvani, you’re being released.”

“About damn time,” Mr. Bennett says dramatically.

I don’t comment as we’re escorted out by the officer, where my belongings are returned to me. Mr. Bennett and I step outside, and my convey pulls up to the curb. Maks hops out, opening my door for me.

“I want a meeting with the mayor. I don’t care how you have to make it happen; fucking make it happen,” I tell Bennett before disappearing inside the SUV.

Behind the wheel, Maks says as we take off, “Who needs to die first?”

“I’m still working out the order. Where’s Al?”

“Nic and I took her home after your arrest. He’s with her at the house.”

“Good. And Remi?”

“We aborted the plan from the get-go. After getting Al home, I returned to the extraction point before going to the hotel and waiting. No sign of her at either.”

My mind reels. Did she run? Get arrested herself? Snag the mayor’s attention a little too well?

My teeth grind back and forth as I power up my phone, getting ready to tear this fucking city apart to find her.

There are several missed calls from the captain of one of my fishing boats, which is an oddity. An incoming call lights up, and I see it’s him.

“Captain,” I answer on speakerphone.

“Mr. Calvani. We pulled a woman out of the Mississippi River. She said to call you, that she was your houseguest.”

It feels like all the air’s been knocked out of my lungs. “What?”

“I said, we pulled a woman?—”

“Where is she?”