Risky: Torn Between Two Lovers by Jo Davis

phasing out your father’s illegal dealings. I truly believed there was no way you
could
break out of the mob, even if you wanted to.”
    “And what changed your mind?” he asked quietly.
    “I’ve been talking with Rio. Your brother showed me a bunch of interesting documents dating back at least five years. Records of sales of your father’s businesses, your decreasing revenue from those fronts, along with the increasing earnings from your casino and hotel, which I believe to be legit.”
    Joaquin glanced at his brother, who nodded. He turned his attention back to Sloane. “It is.”
    “The evidence is there. I didn’t choose a career in the FBI to put men like you in prison, but men like Santos. Men who will never stop pushing drugs, the sex trade, illegal imports, and anything else that could conceivably make them loads of money, fast. Men who kidnap and commit murder to get what they want.”
    “What are you saying?” God, he was afraid to hope. Maybe there was a way out after all.
    “I’m making an offer. Give us Santos on a platter, caught red-handed with proof of his criminal empire, and you walk away from all of it. The FBI won’t darken your door again.”
    Joaquin fought to keep his voice level as Rio gaped in shock. “You’re not serious.”
    “Completely. The businesses will be shut down, and you’ll be free of them, as you claim to want.”
    “The other families will know I rolled over on Santos to get Anna back.”
    Sloane flinched almost imperceptibly. Perhaps at the mention of Anna back with him, rather than Sloane. “We’ll try to minimize your participation, but yeah. They’ll probably figure it out. But he did harm to a woman, someone you care for. That will hold a lot of weight with the other families. Mess with the women and your life isn’t worth shit.”
    “True.” For the first time since waking up in the hospital just hours before, he felt real hope.
    “Are you in?”
    Joaquin studied both men, took a deep breath. “To have Anna returned safely, I’d give all that I own, every last dime. Of course I’m in.”
    Both the agents looked relieved. Sloane, however, wasn’t finished. “Good. But if this goes south and you doublecross us, get any of our men or Anna hurt, I’ll save the public a trial. We clear?”
    “Perfectly.” He gave Sloane a cold smile. “Same goes. Doublecross
me
or get Anna hurt, and there won’t be anywhere on the planet you can hide from me. Got that?”
    “Yeah. We understand each other.”
    “I’ll keep trying to contact Santos. He’s enjoying this, but he’ll get tired of waiting soon enough.”
    “Do that. And by the way, Simon and I will be your guests until this is over. This is the perfect place to lie low.”
    “Fine,” he said, barely hiding his annoyance. “Have Henry show you to a couple of rooms.”
    After the men left the office, Rio shut the door behind them and studied his brother in worry. “You shouldn’t have left the hospital. You look like death warmed over.”
    “I feel worse than that, believe me. But there’s no way I’d stay, not when Anna’s with those animals, probably terrified.” Lowering himself to a sofa, he stared absently at a painting on the wall. “Do you think he’s given her to Petrov? That the bastard is hurting her?”
    Moving over to him, Rio squeezed his shoulder. “No, I don’t think so. Not yet. She’s his leverage, as you said.”
    “I hope you’re right.”
God, Anna.
    “I am.”
    Slowly, he raised his gaze to his brother’s face. “The FBI is never going to get the chance to send Santos to prison. You know that, right?”
    Rio understood. “Yeah. I know, and I’ve got your back all the way.”
    Relief swamped him, along with a wave of sick fatigue. “It’s as good as done.”
    The train was in motion, rolling downhill, and not even Deno Santos would be able to stop it now. He was going to die.
    For taking Anna, the motherfucker was going to die
slowly
.
    And Joaquin’s face