Page 107 of The Bonventi Hitman

We enter his office, and as he shuts the door, whatever plan he has in mind, whatever we have to do, I have to do, I know without a doubt we'll be facing them together.

Like a modern-day Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow.

"Anna," he begins, his voice firm and serious. "From this moment forward, there can be no more lies between us. None. Not even the smallest omission or white lie. Absolute honesty is the only way this will work."

I nod. "I understand. No more lies, no more secrets."

"Since you know my, uh, history, I'll speak frankly," he says, his eyes never leaving mine. "Working for the Bonventi family isn't just my job. It's my life, my family. And now, it's going to be yours too. Every decision, every move we make, has to be calculated. One misstep could not just mean death for us, but for those we care about."

His words make me tense, and I sit up. I've always known the dangers of the world I was infiltrating, but hearing Gabriel lay it out makes it all the more real.

"I need to know that you're ready for this," he says, his voice softening slightly. "That you understand what you're getting into by choosing to be with me, by carrying my child."

I set my coffee down on the table next to his. "I do understand, Gabriel. I've seen enough in my time undercover to know the risks. But I also know that what we have, what we could build together, is worth fighting for."

"Good. Because from here on out, your loyalty has to be to me first, and the Bonventis second."

"It already is," I assure him, surprised by how easily the words come. "You, the baby, these are my priority now."

Gabriel smiles, seemingly satisfied.

"Since we're coming clean, I want you to know that I snuck into a bathroom during the meeting you had at the party the other day and overheard some information."

"Oh did you now?,” he says squinting at me.

"Yeah, it was about the Irish giving Enzo intel on Isabella and something about a blue warehouse."

Gabriel laughs.

“Here I was buying you a fancy painting and your ear was pressed against a bathroom wall in Enzo Bonventi’s home.”

“In my defense, this was before I realized everything, even before I knew about the baby.”

Gabriel stops laughing, but still smiling.

"Well, I'm impressed with your eavesdropping skills. And no one saw you?" he asks.

"No, not that I know of."

"Good. Alright, let's talk about what you need to do now."

"Okay, let's hear your plan."

"We're going to give them something they want more than you, the entire Morozkin syndicate on a silver platter," he says confidently.

My eyes widen. "The Russians? But how?"

"The blue warehouse. The hit you overheard, that's where it'll end. And you, Anna, are going to give the FBI every last detail they need."

My heart races at his words. "Everything? Like time, location, who's involved?"

He nods and smiles. "Absolutely everything. Ivan Morozkin himself will be there with his top men, along with enough stolen guns and drugs to bury the entire Russian family."

I mull over his suggestion. "This, this could be huge. The FBI would have no choice but to act on the information. This is big."

"Exactly," Gabriel says. "They'll be so focused on celebrating the takedown of the Morozkins, they won't even worry about one agent who's decided to give them the Russians and walk away."

"Jesus," I mutter, both impressed and a little terrified by how quickly he's thought this through.