Page 75 of Fatal Scheme

The second the door closes behind me, I dial back the number, expecting fireworks on the other side of the line, but instead, being met with the calm of a storm I never saw coming.

“Daddy, are you okay?” I ask the second he picks up, the other line barely ringing as he attempts to catch his breath.

“Are you in Manhattan, Duchess?” He says alarmingly, the volume of his voice nearly causing me to go deaf.

“Yes. I’m in a meeting. Why?” I reply, keeping my eyes trained on the door, hoping Jasper and Tyson are too caught up to notice my abrupt absence.

“One of the Corazza men called your uncle because he recognized you. He was West Coast for years, only recently moving East, and he’s been a loyal ally to us for decades,” he explains, and my blood turns to ice, the idea of my operation being over so quickly hitting me like a semi truck.

I’m not ready to be done.

I’m not ready to lose my boys.

I’m damn sure not ready to throw away everything we’ve worked for over the last few weeks, and I’ve already made up my mind to see this through with them until the end.

“Who is he? I can take care of him. This mission isn’t done yet,” I say calmly, attempting to get through to him, but judging by the exasperated sigh coming from his end of the line, I know he’s not going to listen.

“That’s not going to happen. We have an extraction team coming, they’ll be to you within two hours, and I expect you to fully cooperate,” he orders, and I can’t help but roll my eyes, hating that I’m being forced to choose between my boys, or my legacy.

I’ve come to terms with what I’m slated to lose, but this is happening too fast, and in ways that I cannot control.

If I’m not careful, everything is going to fall apart at my feet, which is the exact opposite of how this story should end.

“No. No, extraction. I can handle this, just tell me who called Uncle. I promise, it won’t be messy, and my cover is not blown, yet. We’re still in a meeting, meaning the guards haven’t spoken with anyone else, but I need to act fast,” I beg, my voice shaking even as I try to stay in character, bringing back the hardened mafia princess I was raised to be.

After a few beats, he clears his throat, coughing as the heart monitors beep in the background, and I’m holding my breath, the seconds passing like minutes while I wait for him to pass down judgement.

“Carter, it’s time to come home. I’ll let you finish this, but in three days we’re moving in, erasing all traces of these families off the map. You’ll be free to take the Cassini throne, and all of this will be behind you –” A loud knock interrupts our call, and I race to hang up, stashing the contraband back in my purse and fixing my hair and makeup in the mirror.

“Carter? Are you in here?” Jasper yells, fumbling with the door, as I had a little sense to lock it behind me.

“One second!” I call out, stealing one last glance at my phone, a picture coming in that confirms my target.

An idea quickly forms, a way to handle this as quietly as possible, but it’s risky as hell, and could ruin everything I’ve worked so hard for.

You can’t have the life you want without getting a little dirty, but luckily, that’s our specialty.

“Why is the door locked, Principessina? Are you alright?” He asks, a certain nervousness in his voice, but I switch back into girlfriend mode, batting my eyelashes at him as I swing the door open.

“I have a present for you,” I smile, biting my lower lip and kissing his neck, his hands wrapping around my waist.

“We’re in the middle of something, Carter. What the hell have you been doing in here?” He drops his voice low, a fire lit behind his icy silver eyes, but he knows that pretty face doesn’t scare me.

“My idiot bodyguards called. They’ve kept their distance like we asked, but for my safety, they ran facial software on everyone here,” I start, buttering him up before dropping the bomb I created, the one thing that’s going to get me out of this mess unscathed.

“Okay, and?”

“And, they recognized someone from the night I was drugged. They worked up a profile, and he’s a free agent. Goes where the money is being handed out, so it’s likely that Ellie didn’t know he was involved,” I explain, adding lies on top of lies to the mountainous list that I’ve racked up since I got to Emory.

I promised myself I’d stop, only giving them half-truths, hating how much it hurts to fabricate shit in order to further deceive them, but we’re so close to the end that I can withstand the guilt that’s going to follow this plan I’ve concocted.

“You’re saying someone who took orders from my father is here?” He doubles down, leaning against the door frame as he pulls me by the waist until our bodies are flush.

“Yes, and I’m going to get him for you. Like I said, a present,” I whisper against his neck, trailing my fingers along his collared shirt until I reach his exposed skin.

“You’re my dream girl, Carter,” he groans, tilting my chin until our eyes meet, his pupils blown out with darkness as a sinister smile breaks out across his face.

“Let me take care of you, Jasper. I promise, I’ll make it feel so good,” I tease, slipping my hand around his throat, pressing my thumb into his windpipe ever so slightly, feeling how hard he is against my thigh.