Chapter 4

A strong wind swept across the armory's street-level exit.

Marisa glanced at the empty street and gave me a friendly nod.

"Ms. Lombardi, need a ride back?"

"Thanks, but I'd rather go on my own."

I smiled.

I looked around. Just as I expected, the three of them hadn't left a single bodyguard behind for me.

In the past, I would've paced back and forth, calling them over and over, only to hear one dismissive excuse after another.

This time, I was perfectly calm.

I followed the hidden markers I'd left along the way, made it out of the district, and hailed an unlicensed cab back to the main house.

The moment I reached the compound, I went straight to the war room.

Carter looked surprised to see me back so soon and on my own.

I didn't explain. I slapped the top-level transfer order onto the table.

"I want my transfer to the Portopalo crew approved right now."

Carter frowned. "Has the Don approved sending a heavy-weapons unit with you?"

"He doesn't need to know."

My voice turned cold. "He doesn't get to rewrite the family's power structure, Carter. Victor is my father's adopted son. I'm a Lombardi by blood. Can't the council see that the Don is handing out the family's most important resources like toys just to compete for a woman's attention?"

Carter fell silent.

For some time, the council had been upset about how much Victor let Sofia get away with. The only reason no one had challenged him was that he was the Don.

"Even if you strip him of control over Portopalo," Carter said seriously, "you'll still be going into hostile territory alone. Someone could try to kill you every day. It's too dangerous."

"I've got an armed partner waiting for me there. Someone I trust completely."

The lie came easily.

Carter studied me for a long moment before finally signing the top-level transfer order.

That evening, I crouched beside the coffee table, packing my service pistol, spare magazines, and handover papers into a weapons case.

A sudden commotion came from outside.

The three of them were back from the armory.

Luca shouted orders at the bodyguards, "Careful! All three of those large cases are packed with Sofia's designer gowns. Load them into the helicopter with her makeup team!"

Within minutes, Sofia's luggage had taken up nearly all the space in the only heavily armored helicopter at the main house.

Victor walked in, adjusting his cufflinks.

He frowned when he saw me in the hall.

"Isabella, the helicopter's overloaded. Go down to the south port later and take the backup speedboat to meet us."

Behind him, Sofia exclaimed, "Oh no, this is all my fault for bringing so many dresses. We can unload some of them. What if Isabella catches a cold out on the water?"

"Nobody's unloading anything!"

Luca spun around and snapped at me, "Isabella, grow up! That banquet is about business. Do you want everyone looking down on us because we show up wearing the wrong clothes?"

I snapped the latches shut on my weapons case and rose to my feet.

Then I walked straight toward the three huge cases of dresses.

I gave the cases one cold look, raised my foot, and kicked one as hard as I could.

Bam!

The lock flew open, sending expensive lace gowns covered in tiny diamonds spilling across the floor.

Sofia shrieked, "My dresses!"

I looked Victor straight in the eye.

"You're filling our only armored helicopter with dresses? Tell me, Don, did you forget every security rule this family has?"

Luca's face went red with rage. He pointed at me and started yelling, "Drop the goddamn crazy act! You're a useless waste of space who can't even tell friend from enemy. If you come to that banquet, you'll only embarrass the family!"

My right hand wrapped around the grip of the gun at my hip as I walked toward him.

"Say that again?"

We were seconds away from drawing our guns when Victor stepped between us.

His voice took on the commanding tone he always used as Don. "Enough! Isabella, since you think you're so tough, you're staying at the main house tonight to think about what you've done. You won't set foot outside without my permission!"

Then Victor pulled the still-sobbing Sofia into his arms.

"We're leaving!"

The three of them stormed out with a small army of bodyguards. The door slammed shut behind them. Not one of them looked back.

By the time night fell, the house was quiet.

I calmly picked up my weapons case.

Then I slipped out the back door and headed alone for the helipad behind the house.

This time, I wasn't being left behind. I was leaving them.

I was done being the unwanted extra in their little world, where there was only room for the three of them.