Page 69 of Wicked Tricks

I smirked, looking down before meeting her eyes, “yes,” I chuckled, “oh yes, I will.”

She clenched her jaw, narrowing her eyes before leaving the room in a huff.

Her men followed her out one by one, like minions, and closed the door behind them, leaving me alone with Diana.

The silence in the room felt like a scream, and the seconds of uncomfortable quiet felt like hours. I was too ashamed to meet her eyes. This woman, who I owed my life to, I had betrayed so badly. Lilith’s would suffer a huge blow from this.

But Vera was right, we were lucky that we weren’t dead.

People had died for much less when it came to cheating The Family. I looked around the room, inspecting the safes and hiding spots - all the cash, all the weapons, everything was gone.

Lilith’s as a legitimate club did okay financially - but it didn’t even compare to the money we were making on the side. It was foolish of us, and we were getting cocky - stealing the weapon shipment’s from the most feared crime family in the city. They had a complete monopoly over the weapons trafficking for decades - no one had ever dared to challenge them.

We had foolproof strategies that took us months of careful and detail-filled planning before each heist. We had gone unnoticed for so long. All that work, all that risk that we took, was for nothing.

Because of me.

I had broken my one rule, my one promise to my inner child - I had gone against it and life had treated me accordingly.

“What did you tell him, Rome?” Diana asked softly, her fingers pressed against her temple. She still wouldn’t look at me.

“I didn’t tell him anything!” I said, “I didn’t tell him about anything that The Family didn’t already know. Especially about the weapons.”

“Then how did they know, Rome? I’m just supposed to believe you?”

“Why- why wouldn’t you believe me?” I stuttered, feeling the disappointment hanging in Diana’s voice - like a hot knife to the chest.

“This guy’s obviously got some kind of effect on you,” she said.

I looked down.

How could I deny it to her face?

She sighed, giving up on the conversation, her eyes looking tired.

She stood, slowly retrieving her jacket and slipping it on.

“Diana,” I said, reaching out to her as she passed me on her way to the door. She stopped with her hand on the door handle, “I’m so sorry, I don’t know how-”

“Just… lock up when you leave, Rome.”

She shook her head and wouldn’t listen to another word, leaving me alone in her office. I was alone, surrounded by the chaos and mess left behind by Vera and her men.

Antoni’s men.

My head was spinning, and I felt the heat rise in my throat with rage towards myself, and him. No man would manipulate me like that. I would allow no man to hold that power over me. With a deep breath, I stormed to my office, sweeping the books off the fourth shelf off the bookcase, revealing a small metal box with my spare gun.

I had one, as always, tucked into the back of my jeans, but I wanted two - just for him.

I tucked a spare clip into the pocket of my jacket, and locked the door on my way out, just as Diana asked.

I would see Antoni again, that was not a lie.

Just once more.

17

Chapter 17

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