For the Empire - Inganno

Chapter 46

"They know I've been talking to you, and they don't trust you...because they know Bobby Cardinale hired you to hurt me or kill me. I didn't get a chance to explain that you've only helped me and been honest with me since you learned who I was.

I was going to tell them about how you warned me not to go to the benefit tomorrow, but they said I'm naive, and they think that you might have been the one that killed my dad."

He reaches for my hand. "Stella, I didn't kill Dominic." He's wearing gloves again, and I look down at his hand over mine.

"I know," I tell him and mean it.

The waitress comes with our beverages, and he pulls his hand back.

I take a sip of the tea. "So, tell me, is there going to be another attempt to kill me tomorrow?"

"You say that like it's a normal thing." He looks amused.

I shrug, "It's starting to feel like it after the last few months."

"There's talk about the benefit and how Timo will be in attendance. I'd prefer if you didn't go, but if you do, try to stay in the crowd, don't go off alone at any point."

He removes his hat then runs a gloved hand through his hair." They're getting impatient. Usually, I don't take this long to finish my assignments, but I've been buying time by saying I'm studying you and Timo more thoroughly."

The sound of tires screeching outside catches my attention as I look up and see two black SUVs stopped in front of the cafe.

"Shit! I figured the tracker put on my old phone would have been affected when it broke."

"But your old phone is off, isn't it?"

"It is." I pull it out of my pocket to show him. "My uncle's IT guy put a tracker inside that works even if the phone is off."

"Smart." He says as we both look out the window. "But I'm sure your car has a tracker on it as well." He says as we watch JP, Tony, Tobias, and Joey get out of the cars. I didn't think about the tracker on my car.

I watch as JP walks towards my car and then back to the others, and they all turn and head towards the entrance of the cafe.

"Well, that's my cue. I'll look for you tomorrow, Stella. Please stay safe." He says and slips money out of his wallet onto the table as he scoots out of the booth, heading towards the back of the cafe quickly.

I sit and drink my tea, trying my best to appear calm. Even though my hands are sweating and my heart is beating rapidly.

"Charmaine." JP's deep voice sends a shiver through me, but I fight against it. Instead, I look up calmly and look at each of them before returning my attention to my new phone.

"Charmaine, you can't just leave on your own like that. You know how dangerous it is right now."

I look at him coldly. "Isn't it always dangerous? But if we are honest, the only danger I've encountered in the last few hours is being around you, John Paul."

JP stares back at me, clenching his jaw causing the muscles in his face to twitch. He looks at the cup of coffee and the hat across from me and narrows his eyes before looking back at me. "He was here, wasn't he?"

"Don't know what you're talking about." I take a long drink of my tea, and at that moment, I hear the loud rumbling of a motorcycle's engine. I look up as I see the man in black drive past the window.

"Son of a bitch!" JP yells, and they all run out of the cafe. I roll my eyes at their dramatics and head out after them.

The man in black is long gone by the time they make it outside, and I casually walk past them towards my car.