Page 51 of The Wicked

“I am only asking because you shouldn’t just leave like that—at least let someone know your whereabouts, and it’s not a must if you have soldiers tailing you; they can stand back and only come to you when you need help.” Angelo sighed. “Also, if you would just get a phone, so maybe I can call next time you choose to disappear.”

“No.”

He cursed under his breath. “You need a phone—”

“No. I carry too much with me. There is no space for a phone.”

“Marino—”

I frowned in mock confusion. “I feel like I’m being repetitive. I feel this sense of déjà vu—like—like we have had thisconversation before, and my response was exactly the same as the one I’m giving you now. Do you feel it too?”

Angelo dropped his head, a small chuckle leaving him. “No phone… got it.”

“Excellent. Anything else?”

He stood straighter. “Yes”—he cleared his throat—“Street returned from the mission an hour ago.”

“That was today?”

“Yes,” he answered, his features suddenly tight.

“I take it we have what we need, then.”

“Yes, we do.”

I raised a brow. “But…”

“There was a little deviation from their original plan, and they—”

“Who died?” I asked, hoping it sounded like I cared as I dragged in a lungful of the smoke, leaving it in my body for a few seconds before letting it out. “One of the Street people?”

“No,” Angelo said.

“One of Dion’s people?”

Angelo cleared his throat again. “No. Dion Juan Pablo is the one who’s… dead.”

I paused and frowned. My gaze sharpened on him. “I beg your pardon?”

“She said it was a form of self-defense; he was pumped full of drugs and he tried to hurt her, so she protected herself.”

“Which girl? The pretty one with the beverage name?”

Angelo shook his head.

I raised both my brows, nodding. “Ah, the other one.” I mused aloud and sat up, pressing the cigar into the ashtray.Finally…

“Nobody knows they did it.”

“It doesn’t matter. Their mission was to steal. Not to kill. There is no excuse for carelessness. Have her brought here.”

“Marino, she was almost abused—”

“Have her brought to me. Where is Casmiro?”

“Handling it. Dion’s boss, Edoardo himself, will be seekinganswers. Casmiro is making sure those answers don’t lead back to us.”

“If it does lead back to us… a betrayal of this kind is unforgivable. This will most definitely give me a decent amount of inconvenience. Somebody has to pay for it.”