Page 19 of Dangerous Vows

“Damn,” Matteo chuckles. “We’re just busting your balls.” He gestures to the laptop on his desk. “We just got off a call with Julia. She’s been monitoring Moretti’s private communications and found something interesting.”

Renalto’s smirk fades as he straightens in his chair. “Several Moretti warehouses have been torched. That’s not therealissue, though. The problem is, Stefano’s requesting a meeting with Miloš.”

I frown. “Petrovic doesn’t do casual meetings.”

“Exactly.” Matteo takes a slow sip from the Styrofoam cup that was sitting on his desk. He takes a sip of the coffee before he speaks. “Which means he wants something. Either Moretti has something valuable… or Petrovic thinks he does or wants something he knows he has.”

“Or,” Renalto interjects. “Moretti lost something, and Petrovicknows it.” He’s suddenly alive but must have a hangover as he grabs the water bottle at his feet and chugs it. His voice drops lower, “Whatever this is, it’s not about a friendly chat. Stefano wouldn’t meet with Miloš unless he’s desperate to make amends for something. Perhaps the botched deal on the women he was selling before Trey blew his cover. That must have hurt.”

I shrug. “It’s anyone’s guess. All we have are guesses and assumptions. I don’t like it,” I add, my mind working through the angles. “TheMoretti’s have taken hits before, but nothing like this with torched warehouses. It’s a desperate request for a sit-down. It all reeks of vulnerability. And we all know vulnerability is just another word for opportunity.”

Matteo’s face lights up. He likes my recap of the morning’s events even though I just arrived.

“Julia, got anything else?” I ask.

Matteo taps on the laptop, bringing up a transcript of the intercepted messages. “Just blips from our messenger app they’re using—encrypted, but Julia cracked enough to confirm that someone inside Moretti’s camp is panicking. Stefano is eager to meet, but there’s no mention of us. But we can’t assume we’re off his hit list. The Morettis have an axe to grind with us over their father, whom they believe we killed. Thank goodness Vincenzu’s wife killed him, or we’d be on the hook for that murder as well.”

Luckily for us, it took the attention off Santino’s recent death. Of which, we’re guilty of ‘disappearing’ him.

Niccolò rubs his square and determined jaw. “Which means Petrovic might be gunning for them. But why? The botched flesh trade is easy to restart.”

I let out a slow breath, waiting for the pieces to fall into place. “If Petrovic is circling Moretti’s camp, Stefano’s stuck between two problems. He’s either trying to cut a deal… or buying time. Possibly both.”

Matteo’s lips curl. “And Petrovic doesn’t do favors. Whatever he’s after, Moretti either doesn’t have it… or he’s not willing to part with it.”

Silence settles between us as the weight of the implications hangs in the air. If Petrovic is making a move, it is calculated. Men in his position don’t play games unless they already know the outcome.

I cross my arms. “So, what’s our move?”

I look at Renalto and Niccoló as the silence stretches.

Matteo chuckles and pushes his leather chair back. His fingers come together as the pensive look on his face changes to one of decisiveness. “First? We find out what Moretti’s hiding. If he’s weak, we take advantage. If Miloš Petrovic is sniffing around, we will try to track theconversation and the collateral damage Stefano incurs. Stefano will eventually bleed money.”

My brothers nod in agreement.

“I’ll have Julia continue digging. Maybe she can pinpoint what Moretti’s so eager to protect,” Matteo adds.

I exhale slowly. The morning’s dampness has passed, and it’s been replaced by the chill of strategy. I should have expected it—the transition from one battlefield to another.

But Matteo isn’t done. His head tilts slightly as he studies me. “Before we get too deep into business, I gotta ask… how was she?”

I narrow my eyes. “What?”

Niccoló grins. “Thespitfirewho had you out of commission for the past twelve hours.”

Matteo smirks, adding, “We bantered over scenarios at breakfast. It was quite entertaining.”

Great, I’ve become the amusement of my siblings.

Matteo leans back in his chair, and it protests with a squeak. “Come on, little brother. Indulge us. Was she worth the trouble?”

I clench my jaw. I could brush it off and keep it vague. But the truth is… I’m not sure how to sum it up.

She was unexpected. A woman with no fear, no hesitation, no games. I’d been with countless women before—flings, distractions, something to pass the time. But her? She had met me head-on, with sharp words and sharp eyes, unafraid to challenge me.

And I liked it.

More than I should.

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