Page 24 of The Bonventi Hitman

"Uh, yes, yes. Bill got me in the room, and when the shooting started, I dropped to the ground. Gabriel killed the Russian hitmen and then took me."

"Okay, and have you seen him since?" Agent Russell asks.

"Only briefly."

"He's been busy," Agent Harris says with a smile.

"What do you mean?" I ask without hesitation.

"Found a bunch of dead Russians in an abandoned warehouse outside the city. Looks like his handiwork. Of course, nothing to go on, but you know."

His words catch me off guard, and I'm not sure why. Gabriel is a hitman; that's exactly the kind of monstrous stuff he does, but it feels different reading about it in FBI files versus now, since interacting with him.

"Look, Anna," Harris starts, his voice calm yet stern. "We understand that this is a difficult situation for you, but you're in a unique position to gather valuable intel on the Bonventis. You've already proven yourself a capable asset, and quite frankly, we can't afford to abandon this operation now."

I nod. “I understand.”

"Good," Agent Harris says, his expression serious. "And look, we can't provide you with any type of secure communication device because the Bonventis are paranoid about being watched, so they don't take any unnecessary risks. If Luca, Gabriel, or anyone else finds a phone or something they feel is tampered with, you won't make it out of this."

"What Agent Harris is implying is that if you need to speak with us, you'll have to initiate it. Coming here, another safe house. We are in the process of putting an informant down the street from the Capstone in a coffee shop; he should be in place in a few days. You're in the big leagues now. Just rely on your training."

Theory and what actually happens out in the field are two completely different things, and these two middle-aged men know that. Just standard morale boosts that don't amount to shit.

I nod because what else is there left for me to do? I can't back out. I can't leave. "I understand. I'll be careful."

"One more thing," Agent Russell adds. "Keep an eye on Gabriel. He's a valuable asset to the Bonventis, but hitmen tend to take the fall for things well before a captain like Luca would—and they are a wealth of intel if you can get them to flip. So, get close to him, find out anything that might be useful to us."

Gabriel. The mention of his name again, and I start to feel a bit warm. He's dangerous, there's no denying that, but there's something else about him, something that draws me in.

Despite my better judgment, he almost makes me feel like the closest thing to comfort since Bill died, but that’s just a false belief, right?

"I will," I say, trying to sound confident and shake off any other emotion.

"Look, and I don't mean to be out of line here, but use your looks, charm, and, you know, things to your advantage," Agent Harris says, and his eyes drop to focus on my chest.

Fucking prick.

"I'll do whatever it takes to get the job done," I reply, looking away, not allowing myself to show frustration. “I should probably get back.”

The men nod and stand. “Remember, in a few days, the coffee shop down the street from the hotel. Our informant will know you. When you order a coffee, he'll sprinkle a dash of cinnamon on the lid. You'll then know you can speak with him, give him a message, anything," Agent Russell says to me.

I leave the room, grab a dress to satisfy any questions from Luca, and make my way back to the hotel.

When I arrive, one of Luca's guards escorts me up to the Starlight. As we pass through the lobby, I find myself searching for someone, but he's nowhere to be found.

Luca is sitting behind a desk when I enter. He looks up and smiles.

"Ah, Sofia. I was starting to worry about you. Find what you were looking for?"

"Yes," I say, holding up the bag. "Got something special just for you."

As I settle in, one of Luca's guards whispers something to him, causing Luca to stand abruptly.

"Sofia, darling, I must leave. Business. But I'll be back in a few hours' time." He pauses. "Oh, my key card."

I pull it from my bag. "Here."

He nods and leaves without another word.