Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15

GIANNI

I leaned my shoulder against the wall and watched Leon eat his bowl of soup.

He stopped every now and again to dip in a chunk of bread, before stuffing it into his mouth. The whole time, he kept half an eye on us.

Unfortunately, his food wasn't poisoned. Not even with a handy laxative. I suggested it, but no one seemed to like the idea apart from me. I put it aside for potential future use on Caleb instead. It might help to get the stick out of his ass. Or on the twins, just for shits and giggles.

We all ate from the same pot of soup made by Terry. And the same loaf of freshly made bread. Personally, I would have given Leon stale bread and maybe a glass of dirty water. Between Terry's pride and Mina's insistence we treat him well, I held my peace.

For now.

I wouldn't have minded if he choked on that bread. We'd been too nice to him as far as I was concerned. We'd even stopped to treat the knife wound in his leg. And of course, slip in a tracking chip. Asshole wasn't getting off that easy.

"How long have you known Damon?" Mina asked Angelina. She was chewing on a piece of bread covered in a thin layer of butter. She still half closed her eyes while she ate, as though everything was pure heaven. Granted, Terry's bread was that good, but when you're virtually starved for so long, even substandard food would taste amazing.

I made a mental note to let Terry have a night off and make her my family's special carbonara recipe. I prepare it with a secret ingredient I don't share with anyone. If I did, I'd have to kill them. That's how secret it is.

Angelina shrugged and slurped her soup. "A few years, I guess. Ever since Reuben took over as head of the Brantley family. I used to have the biggest crush on him." She slid a sly glance toward Enzo and Damon.

Enzo glared at Damon like he might carve out his brother's heart out with the spoon in his hand.

"Me too," I said to break the tension.

Damon wouldn't have been interested in Angelina in that way anyway. Especially given her relation to Carlos. Carlos would have come after him instead. Nothing Damon couldn't handle, but a complication he neither needed nor wanted.

I got the impression he thought of her as something of a little sister. To be honest, I was starting to think of her in the same way myself. She had more balls than most of the men I knew. Enzo would certainly have his hands full with her. And vice versa. Their lives together wouldn't be boring.

Hopefully it wouldn't also be short.

Damon shot me a glance before returning to his meal.

"Who is Salvador?" Mina asked.

I'd been wondering the same thing myself. Damon worked closer with the Vipers than I did, which wasn't saying much. They were secretive when it came to outsiders. Just like we were. Let people in on your secrets, and they tend to use them against you. Or mess up perfectly good carbonara. That was a crime if there ever was one.

"Salvador Briggs is my brother's right hand," Angelina said. "At least, that's what he's angling for. He's about fifteen years older than me." She made a face like that made him incredibly old.

The age difference in age between Mina and I was about the same. And that between her and Damon and Reuben. Although, Mina was mature for her age.

I wouldn't wish for Angelina to grow up quicker, as she had. She had plenty of time. I hoped.

Reuben slid her a glance, suggesting he wasn't as engrossed in his own meal as he looked. Of course not, he was always paying attention. Nothing got past him.

People were more likely to let down their guard when they thought someone wasn't listening, even when that someone was him. It was a good way to learn any number of things.

'Observe, listen and absorb,' might be his motto. Along with 'anyone who got in his way was dead.' Or wished they were. Sometimes, he liked to bide his time, but he always fucked back sooner or later. Usually way worse than anything inflicted on him.

"He needs to keep his hands to himself before someone cuts them off," Enzo said. "If he touches Angie…"

Once again, he gripped his spoon like he'd use it as a knife.

"You're so hot when you get angry and possessive." She leaned over to kiss his cheek.

He melted immediately.

"Just then?" he asked, the dimple in his cheek showing. That dimple would have gotten him into a lot of trouble over the years. And probably got him out of just as much.

No one could resist guys like him. Guys who were much prettier than me. Luckily, I could get by on my charm and personality. And lack of remorse when people who pissed me off ended up dead.

"No, not just then." She socked him on the arm teasingly. "Other times too, but don't let it go to your fucking head."

He grinned more broadly. Clearly, he was head over heels for the woman.

I hoped they'd find a way to get their happy ending.

In the meantime, my attention returned to Leon. Like Reuben, he was pretending not to listen. He was probably taking in every word, but he'd learn nothing important from us. All he got so far was a couple of crushes, and the weather forecast for the rest of the week.

"This soup is really good," Leon said. "Much nicer than the food in the basement." He glanced at Mina, as though maybe he wasn't referring to our basement.

To her credit, she didn't stab him in the neck with a butter knife, or even look angry. She was completely composed and calm. Ready for him to try to provoke her. Ready, also, to pretend she wasn't ready to slice him into pieces for his part in her imprisonment.

"We take good care of our guests," I said. "You've been helpful to us, so there's no reason to be anything but nice. Right, Damon?"

Damon grunted and went on eating.

"That's Damon for, 'you're absolutely right, like always, Gianni.' With a little bit of, 'how did you get so wise?' As a matter of fact, I wonder that myself some days. But here we are."

Damon and Leon both snorted. Then glared at each other.

"See how well we're getting along?" I asked.

I briefly wondered if I could change everybody's mind and, instead, tie rocks to Leon's ankles and throw him off the cliff. The only person in the room who didn't want that was Leon. Frankly, if the rest of us did, then he didn't get a vote.

Unfortunately, right now, neither did I. I'd just inserted the tracking chip as ordered and hoped like hell the plan went the way it was supposed to.

"It's all rainbows and lollipops around here," Parker said from the other end of the table.

"And sunshine and bunny rabbits," Hunter agreed, sarcastically. "Are you almost finished?" He glanced at Leon's bowl. "Reuben wants us to drive you into the city. After that, you're on your own. If it was up to us, you'd walk there."

"True story," Parker said. "But thanks to you telling us how to get into your laptop, we're that much closer to pinning down Kurt."

Leon glanced at him, visibly worried we got into the heavily encrypted information he'd tried to hide.

Every single person sitting at this long dining table had perfected the art of the poker face a long time ago.

Parker had closed those files and assured us Leon would never know we were in there.

All we'd told Leon was that he was actually helpful, and we'd decided we got all we could from him, and couldn't be bothered to kill him.

We also all knew he wasn't that stupid. Of course we wouldn't just let him go and that was that. Leading us to Kurt was a faint hope at best. But with the tracking chip embedded in his leg, we could take him back anytime we wanted to. He'd get that one way trip off the cliff, soon enough.

"Yes, I'm finished," Leon said finally. "Let's go."

If I didn't know better, I'd think he was worried we'd change our minds. Okay, I'd be worried about that too, if I was him. People like us didn't show mercy. He knew we were up to something, if not what. He'd go to ground the second he could. And we'd be watching every move.

The twins leapt to their feet and Hunter hurried to grab the keys to the SUV.

"Drive safely," I called out behind them. "And Leon." I waited until he turned back to say, "Be good."

He looked as though he wanted to sneer, but instead he nodded and hurried after the twins.

"Is anyone counting down?" I asked.

"I am." Damon had his phone in his hand and was watching the app that tracked the SUV. "It won't be long."

Enzo and Angelina glanced at each other.

"Is there anything we can do?" Angelina asked. "I mean, you helped us, so it's only fair."

Enzo looked at her funny. "What the hell? We need to get the fuck out of here."

"You're not going anywhere," Damon said without looking up.

Enzo glared at him. "You can't?—"

"Yes, we can," Reuben said. "You can help by staying here. We'll need you. And anyone else we can get."

"What are you expecting?" Enzo asked.

"It's time," Damon said without answering his question. He rose to his feet "Enzo, Angie, stay here and listen to Caleb's orders. He should be down soon." He nodded towards the stairs. "If all goes well, we won't be long."

"What the fuck?" Enzo insisted.

Angelina actually looked excited. "You have enough weapons for us?"

"We have plenty." I placed my hands on the table, to either side of my empty bowl and pushed myself up before moving to stay beside Mina. "Are you sure you won't stay here, boss?"

"We've got this," Damon said, his worried gaze on Reuben.

"I'm coming," Reuben said simply, and that was that.

"Are you sure you don't need—" Enzo started.

"We've got this," Damon said again before unlocking and opening the door to the garage.

"If we don't come back in an hour, send help. And don't open the door to any strangers," I said.

"We won't," Caleb said as he hurried down the stairs. "Go." He actually looked concerned. Whether it was for his own safety, or for Reuben and the twins’, I didn't know.

He might have even been worried about me, which was sweet, but unnecessary. I had no intention of dying tonight.

No, my plans included Mina's pussy and Damon's cock.

I followed them and Reuben out the door and into the other SUV.

"Are you all right?" I asked Mina after she secured her seatbelt.

She glanced over at me and nodded. She was already in assassin mode. No smiles or laughs now, just stoic professionalism. She was never hotter than she was right then.

"I'll be better when this is done," she said.

"Everything is in place," Damon assured her, speaking over his shoulder. "It won't be much longer."

"I know," she said. "I've just been waiting a really long time for this."

I laced my fingers in hers. "You have. But everything ends tonight. By the time the sun rises again, Kurt Lasalle will either be dead or regretting every single one of his life choices."

"I can't fucking wait," she whispered.

"Neither can I," I agreed. "Neither can I."