Page 12 of Dangerous Games

She’s fiery and mouthy, and her mouth may get her into trouble still, but for now I’m satisfied. I don’t need her to tell me what happened to her. Red got me all the information I needed and after his call before first light, I know a lot more than I did when Nanette drank that tea and fell asleep. I am impressed that Mika and her help actually got the room in top shape while not waking Nanette.

I watch her as she selects her outfit and puts it on, though I admit I am disappointed to see her creamy skin disappear beneath the clothing. She’s a spitfire; that’s for sure, but I need a woman who is on her game. And her loyalty to Jimmy is a good thing, even if I don’t yet understand it. It means if I make her mine, she will eventually be that loyal to me. A man like me needs that type of woman—secretive, faithful, and determined.

My phone rings, and I glance at it. It’s Leo. He’s supposed to be accepting the shipment of arms today, and he’s calling me. It’s not a good sign. I swipe to answer and hold the phone to my ear. “What.”

“Uh, boss, there may be an issue here. We did everything you said and we’re just not—”

“If you did everything I said, you would have no issues.” I clench my jaw and continue. “What is the actual problem?”

“It’s the guy… He’s hung up in security at the gate the same way he was last time. They don’t have their paperwork in order. We need you to come sign for the shipment or they’re going to search the truck.” Leo sounds agitated. I can’t tell if he’s anxious because of the potential for police involvement or if he’s nervous about interrupting my morning. He should be both.

“I’m not coming down there, Leo. You and Nick have been assigned to this. You have the position you have for a reason. Handle it.”

“But—”

“You heard me. Handle it.” I lock my phone and toss it on my desk, irritated by the interruption. I run my hands through my hair and take a deep breath, trying to relax. But I can feel my anger simmering just beneath the surface.

As I try to calm myself down, I can feel the tension in my body, making it hard to focus on anything else. It's always the same with Leo and Nick. They're supposed to be my right-hand men, but they're always coming up short. I know that I should replace them, but they're both too valuable to risk losing altogether. And yet, every time they slip up like this, I wonder if I'm making a mistake by keeping them on board.

I try to push those thoughts aside and focus on the problem at hand. If the shipment is searched, it could jeopardize everything we've worked so hard for. And if Leo and Nick can't handle a simple security check, then what does that say about their ability to handle more critical tasks?

After a few moments of consideration, I grab my jacket and leave the office. If I want something done right, I'll have to do it myself. As I drive towards the gate, my mind still racing with thoughts of Leo and Nick's incompetence, I realize that I may need to make some changes sooner rather than later. With this whole mole situation, I don't know who I can trust either, which further complicates things. I'm halfway to the yard when I get another call. This time it's from Jimmy. I take a deep breath before answering, bracing myself for the news he's about to deliver. “What?”

“Dom, the hit is going to go down at the yard—today. They're coming for you. They have their hitman undercover as a security guard. They're waiting for you to show up.”

My stomach churns at his words. This is it. The hit has finally come. I've been waiting for this moment for weeks, ever since I found out that someone had put a price on my head. I still don't know who hired the man though, and that's the real information I need.

"Who hired him, Jimmy?" I am enraged as I turn the car around, heading back home. "Because that is what I hired you to find out."

Jimmy stammers out a few nonsense words. I'd like to choke the man, though I try to keep tabs on my temper since he did just save my life.

"Dom, it's not that easy," he mumbles.

I grit my teeth, fighting back the urge to scream at him. "Make it easy, Jimmy. That's why I pay you."

"I know, boss, but it’s going to take some time to get that kind of information. Maybe a few weeks at least."

I swear under my breath, feeling trapped and vulnerable. I can't show up at the yard right now knowing that a hitman is waiting for me. And I can't stay away for too long because that would raise suspicions and put me in danger of being found by whoever wants me dead. "What do you mean it's not that easy? You've had weeks and yet you still don't know who put a hit on me?" I bark into the phone. "I paid you good money for this information, Jimmy. You better have something more concrete than 'it's not that easy'."

"I'm sorry, Dom, but I've hit a dead end. The guy who hired him is using an encrypted messaging service to communicate. I can't hack into it no matter what I try," Jimmy admits, his voice trembling with fear.

I take a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to keep my temper in check. "Alright, fine. Just keep trying. If you find anything else, call me immediately.” I hang up and toss the phone onto the passenger seat next to me.

Now, on top of everything else, I have to worry about losing my shipment. This damn mole is costing me dearly, and I don't even know who it could be. I grind my teeth in frustration but force myself to stay focused on the task at hand.

As I pull into my driveway, I reach for the Glock 19 tucked in my waistband. It's been a while since I've had to use it in self-defense, but better safe than sorry. With a deep breath, I steel myself for what's to come and step out of the car.

I make my way toward my study, sinking behind my desk again. To think I came this close to dying and someone within my organization is the one who set me up is infuriating. If I were a weaker man, it would make me cower, fall to my knees and hand over my throne. But I’m not a weak man. I’m a beast, trained to hunt down the bastards who think they are smarter than me. Is it Leo or Nick? They’re my right-hand men, but neither of them would get my spot being in charge of the family. And I just can’t believe one of my brothers would do something like this; we’re blood.

I lean back in my chair, deep in thought. The mole has to be someone I least suspect, someone I trusted completely. But who? I rack my brain, going through every possible scenario in my head. I need to find out who's responsible for hiring that hitman before they try again. My first thought is to interrogate Nick and Leo. If I do that, however, I'll play my hand too early. If one of them is the mole, they'll tip everyone off and we'll have a war. If I take out the hitman, a new snake will arise in his place and the mole will know we're on to him.

"Dammit!" I growl, slamming my fist down onto my desk. This is what I paid Jimmy for, and he better come through. My eyes catch a glimpse of Nanette on the closed-circuit TV again, leaving the room. This thing got a whole lot messier when I dragged her into it, but I’m not about to give her back. Not now. Not since I know how to make Jimmy do what he’s told.

8

NANETTE

Ifound my way to the kitchen without help, the scents of bacon and coffee luring me out of my room. Now I sit across the island from Mika, watching her plate a breakfast made for a king. I didn’t say anything when I came in, but she didn’t either. I like that we can have companionable silence. I’m not necessarily a morning person, so not having to talk to her is a good thing. She slides a plate of eggs and bacon in front of me then hands me a fork, after which comes the cup of coffee. She busies herself working on cleaning up and I dig in.

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