Page 64 of Vinny

“No way, Tony. You’re not using her for bait,” Vinny shouted, his face red with anger.

“Bro,” Gabe started.

“Man,” Jobe jumped in.

Tony eyed the large man, one of his best, who was not the calm, cool, collected marksman of the team. In front of him was an enraged man in love with a woman who was being threatened. He had to fight to keep the smile off of his face thinking of the big man who had fallen so hard.

“Not using her as bait,” Tony explained.

Placing her hand on Vinny’s arm to calm him, she turned to Tony asking, “Then what do you need from me?”

“Your harp.”

“Easnadh?” she asked, her voice cracking. “I’d rather you use me.”

“Goddamn it, Annalissa,” Vinny bit out. “We’re not using you.”

Jobe spoke up, “What’s the plan, Captain?”

Tony looked around the room, once more incommand. “Whoever put the drugs in your harp knew what they were doing and must have trained someone at the airport to retrieve them with no damage or consequences to the instrument. And, as far as we know, they think they’re still there.

“Whoever was responsible has got to be feeling some pressure from above to get their hands on it. No gang, no matter how wealthy, wants to take a hit for a half a million dollars worth of cocaine. We’ve protected the harp, but now this gala provides the perfect chance to get whoever targeted Annalissa.”

“But, I’m not scheduled to play at the gala. I wouldn’t have a reason to have her there.”

Tony nodded, “But would it be difficult to get a chance to play?”

She thought for a moment of all of the possibilities, then realized all eyes were on her, awaiting her response. Blushing, she admitted, “Sorry, I was thinking of the best way to go about it.”

“Never apologize for brainstorming a mission. That’s exactly what we do,” Tony assured.

“My teacher,” she stated. “Part of the gala is a tribute to his work in strings since he’s been in this country. He’s not only a brilliant musician and teacher, but restores antique string instruments. He was one of the first to encourage me to travel.”

Shrugging, she said, “I think if I approach him, he would agree with me doing a duet with him, and that would give me a chance to have Easnadh at the concert hall.”

“Not liking this,” Vinny admitted, his face no longerangry but full of concern. “Tony, I’ve never bucked a mission, but shit, boss.”

“Annalissa’s never going to be a target,” Tony added. “We need to make sure that it’s well known that she’ll be there playing her harp. That will be too great a temptation for whoever is smuggling the drugs.”

Sucking in a huge breath and letting it out slowly, she agreed. “I think it could work.”

Tony nodded as Jobe winked at her. Gabe smiled, but his gaze stayed on his twin, knowing that even the hint of danger to Annalissa was killing him.

“Then let’s start planning,” Tony announced as the group turned their attention to the concert hall’s floor plan that BJ pulled up on the screen.

“Mr. Feinstein?”

“My dear, he’s in the back,” announced Mrs. Baxter, appearing around the corner. “You can go on. He’s expecting you.”

Gifted with a hug, she sat down as he looked at her expectantly. “You have not brought your harp so am I to assume this is a social call?” he asked, a twinkle in his eyes.

Grinning, she said, “I wanted to see what you thought of an idea. Because of your work on Easnadh, I wondered if you would mind if I played a duet with you next weekend at the gala? Something simple. Something we’ve done before. I just thought it would be a lovely tribute to you as a teacher and as an instrument restorer.”While the words were true, the reason behind them made her feel like a liar. Worrying her bottom lip, she was not sure if she were more nervous at trying to get him to agree or if he would see through her ruse.

“Why, my dear Malyshka,” he exclaimed. “I’d be honored to have you perform with me. Oh, what shall we play?”

He immediately began to search his music for the right piece, but she was no longer paying attention. Sighing in relief, she inwardly gave a fist-pump.I did it. One down, more to go.

Later that evening, she called Todd. “Hey, I wanted to give you a heads up. I’m going to be playing with Maurice Feinstein at the gala this weekend. I thought you’d want to get some advertising and promotional materials together if you can. You know, famous String player, his student, and the harp that he restored?”

---