Page 12 of Relentless Oath

“Funny. You don’t seem the type.”

“Why not?”

“Because most people who take care of children are open and unguarded. Yet you haven’t even told me your name. So, what are you really doing out here?”

She looked ready to argue, but the sound of her car coming in our direction, prevented that. I sighed inwardly.

Joseph was competent. Beyond competent. I needed more time with her, but I knew his presence meant he had accomplished what I asked of him.

“Take care, Dario.”

“You too.” I almost said her name.

I watched her leave, breathing in deeply since her scent lingered in the air. A moment later, Joseph came to stand next to me as we watched her drive away.

“Is it done?”

“She won’t be able to make a move without us knowing it. The tracking device is on her car and phone.”

“Good. Now we wait.”

Complete control…Mya was mine.

CHAPTER FIVE

Mya

I lookedat my reflection in the wall-to-wall glass mirrors that lined the hallway of the historical mansion that was hosting the evening’s charity event.

My long red dress was backless, so I was cold and slightly uncomfortable, but it was the only suitable dress I had found at the thrift store on short notice.

Luckily for me, I had decided to wear my hair down, so that kind of warmed me up. Kind of.

I had to admit, as I checked my reflection, that I looked good tonight. I was having a good hair day for sure. My hair had come out perfectly and the delicate waves fell down my back beautifully.

The YouTube makeup tutorial had given me exactly the kind of old-world elegance makeup job I had been going for. I totally looked like I fit in.

To complete the look, I had put on a pair of heels that were murder on my feet and slipped on a pair of earrings that my mother had given me before she died.

Costume jewelry, but it still counted as elegant jewelry in my head. Unless one looked closely, you couldn’t tell that they were very tastefully made cubic zirconium.

I felt like an imposter. Shit, I was an imposter. I was there to kill, not to make a donation to the cause.

The only reason I had been able to get invited to the charity event was because I used to do pro bono work for one of the foundations that was run by Nico’s family, the di Ceccos. In fact, rumor had it, his family was hosting the event.

The di Ceccos donated to causes all over the city, but outside of Nico and a few of his cousins, not much was known about the family at all. I’d done my own research and came up with zilch. They were a very private family, apparently. They were never photographed or in the media.

It would be in bad taste for Nico to show up, given that he had just gotten out of prison, but something told me he would.

He was a narcissistic piece of shit. I was willing to bet my life that he would show tonight.

I scanned the room, looking for him. As I looked around, I couldn’t help but notice the beauty around me. There were large stained-glass windows behind and in front of me.

Smooth arched columns lined exterior walls and women dressed to the nines gathered in small circles to gossip with one another. Gingerly, I approached the makeshift bar, thinking I needed a little liquid courage.

I felt out of my element. Gold accents were everywhere, from the light fixtures to the doorstops. Even the low-hanging lamps were gold in color, looking like small, hand-carved tree trunks spun from gold.

Large globe lights were placed strategically around the ceiling, adding just enough illumination to make the backdrop of the mansion seem mysterious and yet somehow magical.

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