Page 58 of Merciless Oath

Rafael has gone to the city to negotiate a business deal for the Romano empire today, so we’ve taken over his space.

Alfonso has the phone glued to his ear, pacing the length of the room, as he explains the entire situation to my father. Igraciously excused myself fromthatconversation to help Enzo search through the files he’s pulled about Alexandra.

“It says here that she owns a townhouse in midtown,” I say, studying the address.

“I’ll have someone check it out.” He nods, shooting off a text on Rafael’s burner phone.

We still have no idea how Alexandra managed to track our burner phones and send that message this morning, but it’s worrying the crap out of me.

“You’re sure she can’t find our location through the phones?” I ask for the millionth time.

“Trust me.” He smiles, never annoyed with me, never harsh. “I scrambled the lines so she’ll end up at a dead end if she tries.”

It should make me feel better, but it doesn’t. In my mind, if she’s able to contact Enzo on his burner phone, she can do anything.

We spend hours poring over her files and information, chasing leads that take us nowhere. By the time the sun moves low in the sky, my eyes are burning and my head’s a mess.

Lux bustles into the office and forcefully drags us out to eat lunch. We sit down for a meal of soup and sandwiches, but I barely taste the food.

“You both look like someone stole your dog and peed on your lawn,” she finally says.Peed on my lawn?

“Ugh, we can’t find a way to get to her,” I groan, pushing away the remains of my soup. Enzo swoops up my bowl and downs it in seconds.

“We’ve got Romanos and Rossis combing the entire city,” Alfonso explains. “Nothing. Not one single sighting.”

“And I can’t trace anything back to an active phone number,” Enzo mumbles, shoving the rest of my sandwich in his mouth.

“What about the Russian guys you picked up?” Lux asks.

“They’re…” I pause, eyeing Matilda. She’s sipping on her soup, but I can tell she’s listening to our conversation. “No longer with us.”

“But they had phones, right?” Lux asks, suddenly excited. “I mean, they had to communicate with her somehow. Did anyone search the car? Or their pockets?”

“Fu—”

“Language, Enzo,” Lux threatens.

“—unky fresh fly boy,” he stutters, glancing at Matilda. I roll my eyes at him, but I’m suddenly excited, too.

Of course, how did no one think of this earlier? They must have a connection.

“We checked them before we left,” Alfonso confirms. “No phones on them.”

“The car, then,” I say, ready to run there if I have to. “How do we find it?”

“Give me a minute,” Enzo tells me, already digging out Rafael’s burner and walking out of the room.

“Funky fresh fly boy,” Matilda whispers under her breath, breaking into a fit of giggles. A moment later, Rosie joins her, not knowing what she’s laughing at but happy to be included.

Lux cracks up, and that gets me going. Even Alfonso chuckles along.

“What’s so funny?” Enzo demands, walking back into the kitchen with a paper in his hands. That sets us off again, and we’re crying with laughter at a bewildered Enzo.

If we weren’t on a manhunt for a psychopathic redhead right now, life would be perfect.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Enzo

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