Page 139 of Valentino

“Come and get the bait.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

“No.” I shake my head. “I’m not handing her over to him, I’m not risking it. Give it a few more days.”

“That’s a mistake.”

“That I’m willing to take.”

“Three days and we go ahead with the plan. In the meantime, do we have any news from the commissioner’s car?”

“No,” Romeo replies. “Just boring bullshit calls, nothing of any use so far.”

“Okay, how far away are we from getting something into his house?”

“She’s working on it,” I reply, distracted. “Mauro Sartori had better get his nose out of our business or he’s going to meet a grisly end.”

“Amen to that,” Giuliano mutters. “Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.”

“How are we going with that?”

“His transfer can’t be processed until he’s been there for twelve weeks,” Romeo replies. “Unfortunately at his stage it’s a waiting game.”

“If he lives that long,” I mutter. “I fucking hate that guy.”

They move on to the next subject, while my mind returns to her…always to her.

Anna.

Beautiful Anna, this last few days in her arms have meant more than they should.

I knew we could never be anything serious, or something more than we are now; she ruined any chance of a future between us when she got into bed with him.

But the thought of offering her to him on a silver platter.

I can’t even fathom it.

Fuck.

I stand at Romeo’s office door, leaning against it waiting for him to get off the phone.

“Ciao.” He ends the call and glances up. “Coffee time already.”

“Yeah.”

“Let me just send this email.”

“Have you ever had the same dream?” I ask him.

“What?” He keeps staring at his computer screen.

“I had this dream and it was so real.”

“Yeah well.” He keeps typing. “Dreams are supposed to feel real.”

“I’ve had it multiple times.”

He glances up. “The same dream?”