Page 104 of Till Death Do Us Part
My brother’s lips thinned as he pressed them together. “Precaution. Making sure our men are on the same page.” He began sending text messages.
I’d known him my entire life.
Dante might be damn good at lying to other people, but it didn’t work with me. He was being less than truthful.
After a few miles on the freeway, Giovanni pulled into a parking lot in front of a tall building. A quick look out the window reassured me that we were no longer in the middle of nowhere at an abandoned building. We were in the heart of San Diego. People were coming and going, and the parking lot was filled with cars.
Dante sent another text message.
It didn’t take a genius to realize the silent form of communication went to Giovanni in the front seat. He read from his phone, met Dante’s stare in the rearview mirror, and nodded.
“What’s going on?” I asked, my voice an octave higher.
Dante laid his hand on my thigh. “We’re staying in the car a minute while Giovanni checks something out.”
My palms grew clammy as the goose bumps returned. “Tell me.”
ChapterTwenty-Eight
Mia
Dante nonchalantly opened his suit coat. He removed his gun from the holster.
My mouth grew instantly dry as my heart rate accelerated. “No. There’s no danger.” My volume rose. “No one knows about this transaction.” Fidgeting, I twisted my wedding rings. My hands trembled and my knee bounced, wanting and needing to move.
Dante’s hand again came to my thigh. “Sit still, Mia. If we’re being watched, we need to appear calm.”
“I’m not calm,” I growled in a low whisper.
The click as Dante released the safety on his gun reverberated like thunder through the car, competing with the thumping in my ears.
“Where is Giovanni?”
“He went to check on something.”
“What if…?” I had too many questions to finish this one. What if someone shot Giovanni? “Should one of us get in the driver’s seat?”
“Probably, but I’d rather concentrate on my target if I need to shoot.”
“I can drive.”
Dante turned toward me for a millisecond and then back to the view ahead. “Since when?”
“Aléjandro’s been teaching me.”
“License?”
“No, but so what? You’re ready to shoot somebody. I think driving without a license is the least of our concerns.” As I spoke, I contemplated my ability to climb into the front seat. The skirt of my dress wouldn’t help, but if flashing my brother saved our lives, I’d worry about his therapy another day.
I slipped my feet from my pumps.
“Wait,” Dante said. “Giovanni is coming back.”
“How can you…?” I realized my brother was watching the mirrors, seeing in all directions.
Giovanni opened the driver’s door, bringing an acid scent with him as he laid his gun equipped with a silencer on the front seat, sat down, and closed the door. His eyes met Dante’s.
“Go,” Dante said.