Page 50 of Beautiful Sinner

“We’ll just get him next time.”

“Dante, why do you look so freaked?”

“I almost had a knife jammed into my eye a moment ago.”

I hold out my hand and help pull him up. “But you never look afraid.”

“I have more to lose now, Matteo. Nadia and our future baby. I could have died and… it rattled me. I was being reckless. I just assumed we were more powerful than Connor. I never expected him to be so fucking scrappy.”

“He’s Irish. What do you expect?” I put my gun away. “I’m sorry I couldn’t catch him.”

“What was he talking about?”

“What?”

“About you and Julia. He kept making comments about you two. Why would Connor make comments about you and Viktor’s sister?”

I shrug, trying to play it cool even though my heart is fucking pounding. “I have no idea.”

“He seemed like he really knew you.”

“We met that day at Coney Island. But we didn’t really talk.”

“It just seemed like he really knew you.”

“Maybe he’s seen me around the club. I don’t know. I just know that I doubt Connor will be back to the club anytime soon.”

Dante huffs, running his hand down his face. “And we just lost our second fucking chance to put a dent in Viktor’s armor. We could have killed him if we were at the club the night he was there. I can’t believe I fucking missed it. All because you convinced me to stay home with Nadia.”

“It might have saved your life. Think of it like that. Connor got away but hopefully that will spook him and it will spook Viktor and they’ll mess up and we can take advantage of it.”

“I guess. I just don’t understand why he kept mentioning you and Julia in the same sentence together.”

“It’s nothing. I have no idea what he was talking about. He was probably trying to put a wedge between us.”

“You’re right.” Even though Dante drops the subject, he keeps looking at me like he’s waiting for me to confess something. But there is no way I am confessing to anything when it comes to Julia. She is my secret and she’ll stay my secret until I know things are safe for her.

Viktor

Connor storms into my home office after one of my guards lets him inside. “Matteo and Dante just tried to kill me.”

I sit up straighter. “What?”

“They just tried to kill me. I was at Dante’s club and -,”

I hold up my hand. “Why were you at Dante’s club?”

“To gain any information I could. They didn’t know we were working together. I thought it would be safe. It wasn’t.”

“Why would you assume they didn’t know we were working together? Didn’t you run into Erik and Matteo on your date with Julia?”

“We did but I didn’t think that they knew who I was. Matteo and I have met before but…”

I sigh. “Don’t be reckless and stupid, Connor. I don’t like that in a partner. If you’re going to act this way then…”

“Then what?”

“Then I’m not sure I want you marrying my sister. Not if you’re going to take risks like this.”

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