“He has cameras all over the lower floor,” Mrs. Angelini said. “And we can’t be seen going upstairs. This is the only room where we can talk privately. If he checks the cameras, I can always tell him I wanted to show you his art.”
I heard the key in the lock, the thunk of a deadbolt sliding back. We dove under the desk, huddled together, knees and foreheads touching.
“Oh, here we are,” Cristian said loudly, his tone so forced, I was amazed Mrs. Angelini wasn’t suspicious. “In the office. Together.”
“Don’t worry,” she said. “We’re perfectly alone.”
The door clicked shut, bolt sliding into place. I jammed my hands into my armpits, my breath bursting in and out.
“I can book you in for a coaching session next week,” Cristian said.
I could see his feet as he walked around the room. He was looking for us. When he came to the desk, I tapped his shoe. He lifted his toe in acknowledgment.
“We can talk about your goals for the future—”
“Silly boy.” Mrs. Angelini laughed. “You know that’s not the kind of coaching I want.”
From my vantage point under the desk, I saw her shawl drop to the floor.
Cristian coughed, choked. “Why don’t we get a drink at the bar and we can discuss your needs—”
“Now. Sit.”
“Your husband . . . oof.”
I peered under the desk. Cristian was sitting on the couch with Mrs. Angelini straddling his lap, dress hiked up her thighs, back to the window.
“My husband doesn’t need to know,” she said.
Oh God. Oh God. The last thing I wanted was to listen to Cristian having sexy times with a Mafia boss’s wife.
Window, I mouthed.
Cover, Jack mouthed back.
I sent a text to Gage. I need your elephant.
* * *
◆ ◆ ◆
?To be perfectly honest, I did not have “crawl out of Mafia boss’s office window under cover of large elephant while friend sexes up boss’s wife” on my bingo card for the day of the wedding. But when you’re a wedding planner/heist crew organizer, you have to expect the unexpected.
Cristian kept Mrs. Angelini busy on his lap while Jack and I crawled across the floor.
“What’s that noise?” she said when we were halfway across the room.
“Focus on me, baby.” Cristian cupped her face, fingers covering her ears, and pulled her closer. “Just on me.”
Gage arrived with the elephant following behind him. He stopped when the elephant’s body blocked the outside crowd from the window and glared at us as she stroked his head with her trunk.
Jack went out the window first, then helped me over the ledge. Once we were down, we walked beside the elephant, using her massive body as a shield until we were clear of the house.
“You owe me big-time for this.” Gage pushed the elephant’s trunk off his shoulder. “Anil told me you didn’t get the necklace. What happened? I thought you saw it in the safe.”
“I saw a jewelry box. I assumed the necklace was in it. Apparently, I was wrong.”
“Fuck.”
The elephant slapped Gage lightly on the head. She clearly didn’t like bad language.
“Cristian is in there with Mr. Angelini’s wife,” I said. “Do you think he needs us to save him?”
We shared a look, laughed, and then returned to the wedding empty-handed.
Twenty-Seven
For the next few hours, we focused on the wedding. Dinner went off without a hitch in the huge tent, followed by speeches, toasts, the dreaded garter removal, the first dance, and the cake cutting. I’d turned Bella’s fairy-tale wedding dream into a reality with a classic, modern motif of glass, mirrors, and acrylic accents. Lavender softened the brilliance of the white orchids, hydrangeas, peonies, and roses Jack had selected to decorate the tent. After the young people hit the dance floor and the older people hit the bar, the catering staff set up a dessert trolley to tide people over until the second meal, which would be served after the happy couple bade their farewell.
As soon as the trolley rolled in, I gave Bella the signal to leave. She excused herself to get ready for her honeymoon departure, ran upstairs to change, and then slipped out of the house through the back stairs to the side exit. From there she skirted around the tent and through the trees to meet Chloe, Emma, and me at the beach.
“You made it!” Chloe gave her a hug. “Our crew didn’t spot anyone following you so you’re in the clear.”
I helped Bella into the motorboat Emma had moored at the far end of the beach and out of sight of the house.
“I can’t believe this is really happening.” She tightened the scarf around her neck. “It’s a dream come true.”
“What are your plans?” I handed over her small travel bag. We’d decided a suitcase might draw unwanted attention, so Ben had been tasked with buying everything she would need to travel.
“We decided to charter a private jet because my father has connections everywhere and the risk of being caught at one of the main airports is too high.” She set her bag down and settled in her seat. “We’ll fly from a private airstrip to Miami and then down to Rio. After that . . . who knows.”
Even if we pulled off the heist, I wouldn’t have enough money to charter a private jet on a whim. Either Ben was very wealthy, or Bella had some money stashed away to finance her life on the run.
“I’m so happy for you,” I said. I know what it’s like to be overlooked by your family and how it feels to meet someone who actually sees you. “You’re very brave to follow your heart, especially because your dad is a . . .” I bit back the words on the tip of my tongue. “Formidable man.”
“The irony is that I’m more like him than my brother,” Bella said. “He just refused to accept it because I’m a woman. If he’d given me a chance, I could have made him proud.”
“We need to get going.” Emma dipped her oars. She was going to row until they were far enough away that the sound of the motor wouldn’t attract any attention.
We said our final farewells and watched Emma row until they disappeared into the darkness.
“I’m sorry, babe.” I sank down on the sand, dropping my head between my hands.
Chloe sat beside me and put her arm around my shoulders. “It’s okay. You went above and beyond. I couldn’t have asked for a better friend. And on a positive note, we saved Bella from a terrible marriage.”
“We still have our lawyers,” I said. “They’re from one of the top criminal law firms in the city. If anyone can get you off—”
“My lawyer told me to prepare for the worst.” Chloe pulled out her phone and tapped the screen. “I’ve just sent you all the legal documents the firm prepared for Olivia’s custody. I know I had originally named Kyle’s parents as her legal guardians, but I can’t take the risk that they’ll let Kyle back into their life.”
“You won’t go—” My throat thickened, and the night sky blurred.
“I might and this is important to me,” she said. “I don’t trust anyone else to look after her, and I know no one will fight for her the way you will. It has to be you.”