Page 24 of Made for Sinners

I swallowed hard, my throat raw as I leaned in close, my pen poised like a weapon. In the blank space at the bottom of the page, I wrote:Noted. Will start looking into life insurance policies immediately.

The joke didn’t land. Not even for me.

I flipped to the final page, where my signature was supposed to go, and stared at the blank line.

My stomach twisted.

This wasn’t just a piece of paper. It was my freedom. My future.

And it was all being handed over to Dante Conti.

A lump rose in my throat. My fingers trembled as I set the pen down.

No.

I wasn’t going to let him win that easily.

Grabbing my phone, I scrolled through my contacts until I found his name. Just seeing it there—Dante Conti—made my blood boil. But beneath the anger, there was something else. Something raw. Something I didn’t want to name.

I pushed it down and typed out a message before I could overthink it.

Me:So, I’ve been reviewing your little masterpiece. Got a few questions.

The response came almost immediately.

Dante:I was wondering when you’d get the courage to text me.

I clenched my jaw.

Of course, he’d find a way to make this about him.

Me:Courage? Please. I just wanted to see how fast you’d respond. Guess I’m not the only one with too much time on their hands.

There was a pause.

For a brief moment, I let myself imagine him reading my message—his jaw tightening, his fingers curling around his phone. Did he feel anything when he saw my name pop up? Did he feel even a fraction of what I felt?

Or was I just another piece in his game?

His next message came through, sharp and to the point.

Dante:I’ll send a courier.

I frowned.

Me:A courier? What, are you delivering another contract for me to critique?

Dante:No. A photo album.

I blinked at the screen, my fingers hovering over the keyboard.

A photo album?

Me:You’ve officially lost me. Care to explain, or do you just enjoy being cryptic?

Dante:You said someone trained you. Look through the album. Find the cousin. Identify him.

My stomach twisted.

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