The Monster In Us

19- it's whAt partNers Do

The week passes by so slowly that it becomes absolutely agonizing as I'm practically counting down the seconds until Dante comes back from Arizona. I know that it's pathetic that he's all that I can think about, I know that it's probably slowing down my work both at Berardi and at Pantera but it's driving me insane, him being so far away.

He said that he'd be gone for a week but I don't know if he meant a business week or if he'll be gone for the weekend too. It's Saturday now though and I haven't heard a word from him. Denise thinks that I should call him first but my pride won't allow that. Because although I am thinking about him non-stop, I don't want him to know that.

Today, since I'll be back at Pantera, hopefully this new mission will help me get my mind off of Dante. Dante and his taught arms, his tattoos, his dry sense of humor, his hot tongue, his mysterious aura. Hopefully, I'll be able to stop thinking about all of it just for the day because it's seriously driving me crazy.

Driving over to the Renegade Casino, I keep both my burner phone and my cell phone that I use as Elisa on the passenger side seat just in case anybody calls me while I'm on the road. Dante, specifically because I'm hoping that he'll call me when he gets back to Vegas. Maybe he won't though, and I'll just see him at work on Monday.

Back at the Renegade, I find my father's office to let him know that I've made it back so that I can help out with whatever mission it is that they need help with. I haven't been briefed on it very well but I was told that I'm not needed for my tech expertise, they are just spread thin right now and need more bodies. Which makes me think that I'll be doing a lot of fighting. It'll be strange for me since I've spent the past few weeks behind a desk but I'm ready for it.

"Hey, Boss," I enter his office. "When are we leaving?"

"Soon. Gear up, it's going to be a long day," He tells me.

"Do I get to know what's going on?" I raise my eyebrows at him, leaning in the doorway of his office. Now that I've been in Giovanni's office a few times, I'm noticing how similar their offices look. Obsessed with money and their own status.

"Shipment of machines coming in," He explains to me. Machines are machine guns that are illegal in America. Obviously, not all machine guns are illegal but the ones that we move and sell are. "We've been tipped that they're going to try to cheat us so we need as many people there as possible in case it gets ugly."

"That's the big deal that you had me come back for?" I wonder. "You could have handled this without me."

He looks up at me, away from his computer, "I would like an update on your current mission."

"Hasn't Sergei been keeping you updated?"

"I want to hear it from you," He decides. "I want to make sure that you're doing alright."

"Well, I'm still alive," I state the obvious. "And I've been making a lot of progress on their security system with Coleman working here. If I have time, I'll look at it from this side and I think it's looking really good."

"So you'll be home soon? Good. You have a lot of work to do here," My father says.

"Is there anything that you are looking for specifically?" I ask him curiously. "Maybe it can be over sooner if I have a specific target or something. I'm just kind of grasping here and I don't know if I'm going down the right path."

"There is something specific," He confirms with a nod. "We're looking for a name."

"I need more information, Boss," I walk farther into the room and take a seat across from him at his desk. "What name?'

He looks unsure of it, if he should tell me or not, which is ridiculous to me considering the fact that he is completely dependent on me to get this mission finished so I can obviously do my best work if I know everything about the case. "Alma Berardi."