Chapter 20
Twenty
ROME
“Do you believe her?” Julian asks after I explain everything I learned from Eloise this afternoon to the three of them.
“He can’t be impartial,” Mateo pipes up, and I glare at him.
“I believe her,” I reply. “I don’t think she knows much about what her father does. I think he’s an abusive fuck who either ignored her or hurt her. I don’t know who he was trying to marry her off to.”
“I still say it’s a crazy coincidence,” Carson says, shaking his head. “I’m not saying you’re not right, but it’s just so fucking unlikely, and I don’t trust it.”
“We need to get in contact with Rizzo,” I say. “I’d like to invite him here, but I won’t.”
“Why the hell not?”
“Because if Lulu got wind of it, it would terrify her. She’s been scared enough in her life, I won’t add to it. He doesn’t come here.”
“We don’t have to take him to the cell at Rapture,” Julian reminds me. “There are a dozen or more other locations to meet with the asshole.”
“We’re not going to his turf,” Julian growls. “Fuck that. He stole a couple of million dollars of my product, then sent his man to Vegas? Fuck him. He comes here.”
The others nod, and I realize that I’m outvoted.
“Not to Rapture,” I reiterate.
“Not a problem,” Mateo says, watching me steadily with hard, dark eyes. Energy is sparking off him, and I know he’s holding back.
“Just say what you have to say.”
He shrugs. “You’re sure about this girl?”
I shove my hands into my hair and lean back in my chair. “I can’t fucking explain to you why, but yes. I’m sure. And you three are the only ones who can question me like this and live to tell about it.”
“Quite a coincidence,” Carson says again, shaking his head. “But your gut hasn’t steered us wrong yet.”
“Now, how do we get Rizzo to Vegas?” Julian glances at me. “We could use her as bait.”
“Fuck no.”
“Just her name,” Julian clarifies. “Not her. She’ll be safe in your building.”
I don’t like it. But it might be the only way to get that asshole here.
“Just get him here.”