Ruthless Heart

LILY

I’m usheredin a freight elevator up to a room on the fifth floor of a hotel. Just me and three super-conspicuous FBI agents in their black suits and earpieces.

The minute I’m led into a conference room, I whirl on Agent Greggs.

“Are you out of your fucking mind?” I demand. “What if Nero or even one of his men saw you take me? If he finds out that I’ve even spoken to the FBI, he’ll think I’m betraying him, and I’ll wind up dead! Did you even think of that?”

“Sit down, Lily,” he tries to calm me.

“I will not fucking sit!” I scream. I complied at the first meeting, but I’m not playing along now. I’m too angry. “This is my life on the line!"

Agent Greggs looks uneasy. “We know. That’s why we staged the grab. If anyone saw, it’s clear that you were taken against your will.”

“Like that will help me,” I snap back.

I start to pace, my nerves going haywire. One illicit meeting was bad enough, but this?

If Nero finds out, I’m dead for sure.

And my brother…

I shiver in fear. “What do you want? I told you, I have nothing to say to you.”

“And we both know, that’s a lie,” Agent Greggs replies. “You know exactly who it is you’re living with. Nero Barretti is no innocent—and neither are you. But whatever hold he has over you, we can help,” he urges. “Let us protect you.”

Protection.

“Out of the kindness of your heart?” I shoot back, my voice laden with scorn. I may not trust Nero, but I don’t trust the Feds, either.

“No,” Agent Greggs admits. “In exchange for testimony. Information that can put Nero behind bars—where he belongs. Like father, like son.”

“You mean, like father, like daughter,” I correct him, reminded of my own father’s choice to sell out the Barrettis. He may have thought he was doing what he needed to protect his family back then, but it didn’t exactly turn out the way he planned.

“Come on, Lily,” Greggs says to me, laying his hands flat on the conference table. “Work with me on this. Whatever you want, we can make it happen.”

I take a breath and try to get a grip on my emotions. I’m caught in the middle here, stuck between Nero and the Feds.

I need to play it smart if I’m going to make it through unscathed. Make Greggs think there’s at least the possibility of me playing ball.

I force myself to sit back in the chair, like I’m relaxing. “You want to know what I need? I’d like some water,” I say finally.

“Of course.” Greggs glances at one of the other suits, who quickly grabs one from the mini fridge.

“Thank you.” I take a slow sip, my mind racing. If Agent Greggs has gone through the trouble of staging that whole kidnap scene just to speak to me again, he must really need me—and whatever information he thinks I can provide.

That means I have value to him. Just like I found a way to have value to Nero.

“You wanted to talk?” I say, looking to him expectantly. “Talk.”

Agent Greggs looks relieved, like half the battle is won. “We want you to gather intel on Nero Barretti. You’re inside his apartment, you have access to his schedule and devices. You can pass important information back to us, help build our case against him.”

“You want me to narc,” I say flatly.

“Inform,” Greggs corrects me, like the word choice makes any difference. It’s all the same thing.

Betrayal.

“Your father worked for us, just like this.” Greggs adds. “He stepped up, he did the right thing, and I know he’d want you to do the same thing.”