Run To Rome

“Not good.” Tony shook his head, helpless frustration evident. “You stupid son-of-a-bitch.”

Blood from Nino’s wounds spread in ever-widening stains on his shirt. Gurgling noises came from between his red-stained lips.

“Drive us to shore if you can’t do anything for him,” Eva ordered.

Clearly she didn’t intend to leave Ben’s side again. Unease over his second unanswered call collided with a sudden spurt of anger inside Trent.

“How the hell did we get to this with three undercover cops in the mix?”

“We were one shipment away from an arrest when Lorenzo Roselli was shot,” Eva said. “Your video would have put Lapaglia away for life, but the only way to make sure it didn’t fall into the wrong hands in the system and disappear was to go through with this exchange.”

Trent caught Tony’s eye when he glanced back. He appeared mostly recovered from the espresso incident. “She didn’t know about you,” he said to the blond man. “Where do you fit in?”

“I’m with Europol. I was investigating two Lenno officers in the smuggling case when Nino and Eva showed up about a year ago. Nino’s activities and a few questionable ties to the mafia required further scrutiny, so they left me in place.”

Eva combed the fingers of her free hand through Ben’s hair as she asked Tony, “Got any idea why my partner tried to kill me?”

Nino’s bloody hand grasped the side rail in an attempt to pull himself up. Trent just barely made out the Italian’s words as he tried to speak.

“Sorry…the money…Roselli…”

Trent’s brows drew together. What did Lorenzo have to do with the money?

Beside him, Eva drew in a sudden breath. Trent turned to see her staring down at Ben.

“Roselli’s not dead,” she murmured.

“Not dead,” Nino confirmed.

Trent looked back to Nino. A cough spewed red droplets from his mouth, further staining his shirt and arms. Tony leaned back to avoid the spray of blood.

Disbelief rippled through Trent. “Of course he’s dead. I saw him get shot—it’s on the video. His body was found in my pool!”

“Alrigo has connections to get that story out without it being true,” Tony reminded. “He wanted to put more pressure on you with all the police looking for you, not just the ones on his payroll.”

“He was shot three times,” Trent insisted, even as Simone’s numerous calls slammed into his conscious.

“I saw it, too,” Tony said.

“Bullet pr-proof vest.” Nino choked and coughed. “Wants…money.”

A bullet proof vest? Trent’s mind whirled. Lorenzo had showed up to their meeting that morning already wired. They’d discussed the plan and Lorenzo went in, so it was possible he’d worn a vest under his shirt and jacket.

Rachel told Halli Simone looked like she’d seen a ghost.

Simone was sorry…“should’ve told you earlier”…

Lorenzo’s not dead.

Amazed relief came and went in a flash. The money didn’t make sense. The ransom demand hadn’t factored in until after Lorenzo had been shot. He couldn’t have known Halli would video the shooting, or that Alrigo would hold her family hostage and demand cash for their release.

Unless… A whisper of his earlier suspicions tried to make itself heard through the confusion.

Blindly, Trent replaced his hand on Ben’s chest with Eva’s. He surged to his feet and moved to shoulder Tony aside.

“How did Lorenzo know about the money before he was shot?” he asked Nino. “Was he working with Lapaglia?”

Were they all?