Page 76 of Wounded King

The man comes back from the restroom, and I widen my eyes at Pippa and nod in his direction.

"Oh," she stares after him.

"Pippa!"

"What, he looks dangerous and… wow." She reads my expression correctly and changes her approach. "So, what do we do now?"

"Wearen't doing anything," I tell her, nervously folding my napkin in my lap. He's coming. He. Is. Coming. "It might be better if you leave, I?—"

"Fucking hell, Vi. I'm not leaving you."

"Oh shit," I see four more men exiting a car through the window. The man who used the bathroom points in Pippa's and my direction.

"What?"

"We need to get out of here," I dig through my purse and throw a hundred on the table. Grabbing Pippa's hand, I drag her with me.

"Where to?" She wants to know, looking for all intents and purposes like a woman having the time of her life, as if she's about to get on a cruise or a rollercoaster. Unfortunately, she's not misreading the situation. She's excited that something is happening.

"Tell me again why you didn't join the army?" I ask as I lead her first toward the bathroom and then change direction toward a door with a giant, greenExitsign above it.

"Because I would have never made it through the psych eval," she replies, looking back. "They're coming in."

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit," I mumble.

"Miss, you can't go this way." A waiter steps in our way, and Pippa pushes him aside.

"National security emergency," she barks, opening the door. Despite the situation—a situation where I can already feel my body being peppered with lead—I can't suppress a grin. Pippa would have been excellent in the army or the CIA. Then again, she's right; her homicidal tendencies would probably have disqualified her.

The number of people on herkill listis unbelievable. I don't think she would ever follow through with any of her threats. Then again, this is Pippa. My best friend, the psychopath. The only person I know who would run over a puppy and not bat an eye.

So what does that say about me? Falling for a mafia boss and having a female version ofDexteras a best friend?

"Did you put a detail on Violet?" Luciano asks me.

I look up from the papers I'm signing, and a deep chill runs down my spine. "No. Why?"

"Someone's following her."

"Shit," I grab my phone and hit her speed dial number. I'm already out of my chair, moving toward the door while swearing at her.Answer it, dammit. Meanwhile, I'm barking, "Find out where she is," at Luciano.

She picks up after the second ring. I don't give her a chance to say anything. "Ping me your location. Stay where you are. I'll be right there."

My jacket hangs behind my chair, and I grab it. Luciano closes in, and we head out the door.

"I don't like this boss." He mutters.

"Neither do I. Call a team in to meet us there." I order, while my mind races a hundred miles an hour. This is exactly why she ended things with me. She was worried someone would come after her because of me. It's only been four days since she broke up with me, and they might not have realized what she did. Or they think—not incorrectly—I still have feelings for her. Whoever has been following her must have been doing so from the beginning. Alejandro, the driver and guard I assigned to her, didn't pick anything up on it, but that has to have been the case. So why did they start showing themselves now?

"It's a trap." Luciano and I say simultaneously.

"You should stay back," Luciano advises. The fucking elevator is taking forever to take us down to the street.

"The hell I will, double the team and let's get some answers." If this is Margarita's attempt to punish me for her lover's death, she's going to be in a world of hurt. I haven't heard anything from or about her since the body was delivered. This is one of the times I miss my sister the most. She would know what's going on with Margarita. I still haven't heard from or about Sophia, either, and it's driving me insane.

Luciano looks pissed, but he nods. As my second-in-command, it's his job to keep me safe, and I appreciate that he isn't pressing the point now. We both know I won't stay back.

No matter what I've been telling Luciano these past couple of days, I have feelings for that stubborn woman. Why else would I have allowed him to keep in contact with her?