Page 84 of The Carnage We Keep

I mean what the fuck, self?

Damiano’s hand loosens and drops from my throat. And no, this is not me being annoyed that it’s not there anymore. Really.

“I need my tools because I have a creep hanging in my kill room,” I mumble. “And I would like to do delightfully fucked-up things to him.”

The flash of possessive fury immediately dissipates. Damiano’s face melts back into its usual cool, calm, collected expression.

“Who?” he asks.

I frown. “None of your⁠—”

“I’m just asking. Christ.”

I exhale. “Fine… Gary Pritchard.”

Damiano frowns deeply. “Gary Pritchard who works for Carl Bigsby?”

I shrug. “Worked, past tense, but, yeah. So?”

He glances away.

Suddenly it clicks.

“Oh ho-ho-ho!” I cackle. “You weren’t just randomly going after Carl that night, were you?”

Damiano’s mouth thins to a line. It’s all I need.

“Holy shit!” I hiss, lowering my voice. “Are we both working our way up the chain to Kasper Sorel? And is that why you’re super huffy right now? Did I bag the next guy on your list before you got to him?”

Damiano exhales slowly and looks away. Then he clears his throat.

“I have a proposition.”

“Not even a little bit interested.”

Such a lie. I’d be down for some light choking and slapping. Maybe some handcuffs? I wonder if his knotting skills transfer beyond silk ties…

“Bella.”

I shake the filthy thoughts from my head. “What’s the proposition?”

“We team up.”

I snort loudly. Then I frown. “Oh, wait, you’re serious?”

He sighs. “Unfortunately, yes. Look, we can keep trying to one-up each other or we can work our way up to Sorel together.”

Hmm.

I suck on my teeth, tapping my finger to my lips.

“Define together.”

He smirks. “Is Lester DiPapas on your list?”

My pulse skips. “Yeah!” I blurt. “But he’s been impossible to track⁠—”

“He was in Boca the last two months,” Damiano shrugs. “But he’s back in New York as of this afternoon.”