This might be the end of me if I can’t get out of her vise-like grip. I’ve known men that have died with the first leap if the person is learned in martial arts.
Strong thighs are clamped around my waist. Survival is all I care about. No use yelling. I grab her arm in an attempt to leverage it to throw her off enough as I attempt to get a hold on her. She’s no play toy to be tossed and I realize all too late that she’s trained. And trained well, as in a trained killer, but I can’t process anything other than sheer survival maneuvers.
“Tell me where Sofia is.” She gets her arm under my neck as if to snap it like a twig.
“Don’t know.” I gag with the little air I have left.
I use this as an opportunity to run backwards slamming her back up against the tiled wall in the urinal area.
The next think I know, the pressure on my neck is gone and I hear familiar voices as I crumble to the floor and gasp for air.
My breathing is irregular over coming my brush with death and I calm down to regain my composure now that help has arrived in the form of . . . Dante, who is standing over the woman he knocked off me and is now wrestled to the floor. Her face is down, and her arms are behind her as Dante kneels over her.
And here I always thought a bullet was the most lethal way to die in our world, not a cat-like martial arts aficionado that strikes in one of the most public events of the year. And who the hell would suspect a woman?
Fuck,she’s brilliant, is what I’m thinking. Well played indeed.
Dante lifts her to her feet and restrains her arms as she protests and kicks. Riccardo enters, blocking the door behind him so we aren’t disturbed. Using zip ties, he pulls them snugly around her locked hands, placing them behind her back, which I know from experience is more uncomfortable.
“You . . .” I gaze at her, looking so perfect, her hair is mussed a bit but other than that one would never know what transpired a minute ago. “You were in the club last night.” I stand and approach her to get a better look at her face.
Her luscious lips are full, but not with filler. Some tendrils have fallen out of her high society up-do and gives the impression that she had a hot make out session with the color in her cheeks and her elevated breathing.
She spits on my shoes.
I slap her face hard enough to make her head turn as far as it can go. Under normal circumstances I would never hit a woman. But she’s out of control, out of her league, and worse yet . . .
We don’t know who she is.
And she tried to kill me!
“Who sent you?” I demand.
She looks at the ground.
“The silent treatment, hmm?”
“Are you okay, Sal?” Dante asks, turning her over to Riccardo.
Voices are approaching the door. Dante reaches into his vest pocket and jabs the woman in the neck as Riccardo bears her weight to hold her upright as she slumps against him.
“What did you do that for?” I’m shocked. But he’s the don and this is the event of the year. The event where we conduct business under the noses of officials, lawyers and our friends. The masks cover more than our faces.
“She was going to scream.” Dante’s voice raises more than one would want in this situation. “People are coming. We need to move her now. And she’ll look drunk,” his voice lowers as his calm demeanor returns. He cocks his head as we prepare to roll out and it’s business as usual.
Only it’s a woman we’re carrying out.
Riccardo pulls out a pocketknife and cuts the zip ties on her wrists. I take one of her arms and put it over my broad shoulder where I hold it in place.
“We need to get her out of here without making a scene. Dante, you’ll be missed. Let Sal and I take her to the interrogation room,” Riccardo says.
“Yeah, I got this.” I give Dante a quick look. “Thank you, how did you know?”
“She’s been studying you all evening and when she headed this way, I followed her. I’m surprised you didn’t notice.”
“She was at the club last night.”
“Hmm, that’s not good, she’s been stalking you. But there are so few women assassins. No bother, we’ll get to the bottom of it, just not now. But do put her in four points because she’s as lethal as a tiger.”