The Woman at the Docks (Grassi Framily)

"Why?"

"We need to keep an eye on you."

"I have a hotel room. And I am not going anywhere without finding my sister. I'll give you my cell number."

"I have orders, sweetheart. Just think of it like a different hotel."

"Where I'm surrounded by armed guards, and am not allowed to move freely?"

"The food will be better than that shitty continental breakfast you had back at your hotel."

"I don't know why you're trying to sell me on it when it is clear I don't have a choice," she grumbled, plowing into my shoulder as she passed, making her way to the SUV, climbing in.

"Trust me, I know," I told my men when they tried to hold back smiles. "Andy, you're coming with us right now. I need Michael to run to the all-night store. I will send you a list of what we need. Throw in some extra shit for you and Andy, since we are all going to be spending a lot of time there until we figure out what happened to her sister."

"I'll meet you back at the rental," Andy agreed, nodding, shuffling off.

"You could put your ego aside for a moment, and realize that this is good that we are taking over."

"She's my sister. I can't blindly trust someone I just met, someone who would kill me without blinking if that was what his boss told him."

I couldn't argue with that.

It was true.

Family over everything.

When they opened up the books and you got made, you swore it. That even if your grandmother was on her deathbed, if your boss needed you, you went. Case closed.

"I'm not saying you can't be involved in some of this. I am saying we have the experiences and resources to make sure this is done right. What were you going to do if you found yourself caught by these guys? You had no backup, no weapon. We are better equipped. But that doesn't mean you can't be involved."

"You just need to keep your thumb on me, so I don't screw up your plans for revenge."

"You don't want revenge? Even if you get your sister—and whoever else was in that container —out, you don't want them to pay for what they've done?"

I knew I had her there.

I didn't have a sister.

But if someone grabbed one of my aunts or little cousins? There would be a fuckuva lot of pain before they were granted the sweet release of death. I couldn't imagine Romy felt anything less than that.

"I figured I would call the police about it."

"Right. That's not the kind of revenge I'm talking about, and you know it."

"I don't think I could kill someone."

"You'd be surprised what you can do when you face up evil and realize it put its hand on someone you love. But no one is asking you to kill anyone. We're saying don't get in our way."

"I guess that makes sense," she conceded.

"What?" I asked when she let out a snort.

"If you'd told me a couple weeks ago that I would be making some sort of alliance with a member of the New Jersey mafia to try to find my sister abducted by human traffickers, I would have thought you were in need of serious mental help."

"We will fix this, Romy. Just give me some time."

"I can't imagine many people end up trusting the mob."