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My hands turned to fists as I bowed my head to the window. “You’re going to need to run this by me again. Use smaller fucking words, I don’t know. Because I’m not understanding.” Nothing made sense right now. Not a damn thing.
Jesse was quiet for a moment, and I lifted my head to catch him in the reflection. “Someone else killed your sister and hired this fucker to clean up the mess and provide him a bulletproof alibi, I just don’t know who the hell did it. He didn’t have any names of who paid him on his laptop. We’re trying to track the money trail, but it’s thirteen years old, and—”
“And you have another case more recent you’re working on, too.” I slowly lowered my hands and faced him.
Jesse shifted to the side. “It looks like you’re trying to start a new life, same as me, so the last thing I want is to come here and fuck all that up, but—”
“Your team is right. I’m not going to sit back and let someone else handle this.” The adrenaline shot through my body as I murmured, “You know exactly what I’m going to do.”
“Yeah, I figured you’d say that.”
“Any chance you were followed?” I looked around, hoping it was just the news that had me paranoid, feeling as though we were being watched.
Jesse peered back at me, his brows drawing tight. “No tail.” He reached into his pocket, producing a folded sheet of paper. “My number. It’s a secure line. Text me after you look at the USB and talk to your brothers.”
I accepted his number and shoved it into my pocket. “Thank you for breaking orders.”
He held his mouth for a moment as if guilty for being the one to share the news with me. “Is she your Ella?” He tipped his head toward the restaurant, and I searched my memory bank for the name, Ella, and then remembered she was Jesse’s “the one”—the woman he never thought he could have because of his past, because he’d believed he was too broken.
I forced a nod, then pointed to his hand. “You married Ella?”
Jesse fidgeted with his ring. “Yeah, I finally removed my head from my ass.” He held the back of his neck and met my eyes. “I’m guessing you’ve yet to remove yours?”
“No,” I said under my breath. Not yet.
I’d been slapped in the face by the fact someone else was responsible for my sister’s death, and at the same time ... Jesse had managed to deliver me hope. If he could change and marry the woman of his dreams, could I?
SEVEN
Maria
I paced Ryan and Natalia’s living room, checking my messages for the hundredth time that hour. Still no response from Enzo, which wasn’t like him. Of course, it wasn’t like him to leave the restaurant during the dinner rush, either. One text to Ryan with orders to bring me to their house instead of letting me go home. Radio silence in the last three hours.
“What do you think that guy told him? That’s all that makes sense as to why Enzo would just leave and ignore my calls and texts.” I faced my worried sister and her husband, who were on the couch, watching me. “I know you said you don’t personally know this Jesse guy, but—”
“If he’s who I think he is, yes, we have mutual friends. His sister is married to a SEAL. And his wife’s brother is a Team Guy as well,” Ryan finished for me, sharing the same sliver of information he’d given me earlier on our drive to their home in Waxhaw, our small hometown, not far from the restaurant. The paint was barely dry on the walls. They’d moved in only last month. It’d taken six months to build, but they’d wanted it finished before their son was born.
“Could you call one of those SEALs? See if they know anything?” The question felt crazy, but I’d already been ripped apart watching Chiara cry over FaceTime that evening being away from me, and now this.
Enzo had sent me to orgasm heaven, and one visit from an old friend of his and I felt firmly planted in hell. The not knowing was what I couldn’t handle. My overthinking brain was overheating from creating far too many what-if scenarios.
Ryan looked at his Apple Watch as if deciding whether calling up a SEAL at eleven at night was a shit idea or not. “Let’s give Enzo a chance to call us back and see what he—” He stopped midsentence when Natalia’s phone buzzed on her thigh, nearly falling to the floor.
“Is it Enzo?” I dropped onto the couch next to her to try and see the screen.
“I don’t recognize the number,” my sister responded. “Do I answer?”
“Speakerphone,” Ryan instructed.
“It’s Constantine Costa,” he said once she answered. “How are you?”
My stomach dropped, and my sister looked at me with wide eyes.
“Not so great, considering you’re calling me after eleven, and not only have you never called me before, I didn’t know you had my number,” Natalia quickly responded, and Ryan set his hand on her knee.
“This is about Enzo,” I rushed out. “Right?” My heart hammered in my chest. Thwacking hard. “Some guy came to the restaurant tonight; then Enzo up and left without a word. What’s happening? Is he okay?”
“Hi, Maria,” Constantine responded after a deep breath over the line. “Listen, I’m calling to let you know Alessandro and I plan to fly down tomorrow as soon as we can. Probably in the afternoon. We’re coming to get him. But in the meantime, I need someone I trust to keep an eye on him.”
