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“Is it true?Are Sloane and Hayden really dead?”I asked.
“Yes,” James affirmed with a solemn nod.“We also positively ID’d the guy, as well.His name was Fredrick Willis.He’s the same dude who was outside the club last night, and he’s got a rap sheet a mile long…specializing in explosives.”
“What about the guy that was following Tony last night?”Vito asked with concern.
“His name is Arthur Feeney.When he found out Willis was dead, he started singing like a canary.”
“Hold that thought.I want to know who the fuck is talking to the press,” Tony barked.
“That’s the same thing the chief, half the damn precinct, and I want to know,” James groused.
“So, what is this Feeney guy saying about Willis?Did Hayden hire them to kill me?”
“It wasn’t Hayden, it was Sloane,” James replied with a grim expression.
“Sloane?”I gasped.
“Yeah, she hired Willis to take you out.The story we got from Feeney is that Willis planted the C-4 in Leagh’s car, but when we interrupted him, he freaked.He called Feeney and told him to watch the club while he went to George’s house to get the rest of what Sloane owed him.Evidently, Willis didn’t trust her.I can’t imagine why,” James added sarcastically.“Anyway, he’d always planned to kill her after he got his money.The fire investigator found pieces of a homemade incendiary device.He must have planted the explosive in the basement.How or why it detonated with Willis inside the house, we’ll never know.”
“Did this Feeney guy say why he was following me?”Tony asked.
“Sort of.He’s not the sharpest crayon in the box.He was parked in back at the club and still on the phone with Willis when the cops showed up.Feeney said he was nervous and didn’t want to hang around.But Willis told him to stay put to watch for the girl, Leagh and her boyfriend.”James looked at Tony.“You’re the boyfriend.The two men had been watching you and Leagh for days.”
“Lovely,” Tony groused.
“Anyway,” James began again.“When they started to evacuate the club, Feeney said he tried to call Willis but couldn’t get an answer.It freaked him out even more, but instead of bugging out, he did what Willis told him to do—tail Tony.”
“What was he going to do to Tony after he finished following him?”Vito asked.
James shrugged.“Feeney said he didn’t know what he was supposed to do, other than try to find Leagh through Tony.Trust me.Willis was the brains between those two dip shits, and he obviously wasn’t very smart…dumb bastard got himself blown up.”
“Okay, we’ve got a bigger problem here,” Tony stated with a grim expression.“Leagh’s been trying to hide from someone for a number of years.Someone who might want to kill her.Now that the fire and deaths have made national news, Leagh’s face and location is being blasted to everyone in the country.
James snapped his head my way, concern lined his face.“Who’s after you?Is it an abusive boyfriend?Ex-husband?Who?”
“No.Nothing like that.I worked for a very bad man and witnessed something I shouldn’t have.There’s nothing you can do, James.It’s big.Bigger than any of us can handle,” I explained, trying to avoid spilling the whole sordid story.
A shiver of fear rippled through me.
“Dad, we need to contact Uncle Enzo,” Tony blurted with urgency.
Vito’s brows furrowed.He turned a startled glare at his son.“No.”
“Dad.He’s the only one who can help us.”
“No.He’s dead to me.You know what he’s involved in, Tony.I cut him out of my life twenty years ago in order to keep my family safe.”
“I know, Dad.But he’s the only chance I’ve got to keepLeaghsafe,” Tony implored.“I love her.”
Vito closed his eyes and issued a heavy sigh before staring back at his son.“Not a word of this to your mother, you understand me?”
“Yeah, I hear you, Dad.I swear.”
“If you’re talking about what I think you are, you two need to shut the fuck up,” James issued in a terse whisper.“I can’t know about this shit.”
“Then plug your ears,” Tony replied with a humorless chuckle.
“What do you want me to ask him to do?”Vito grumbled, disregarding James’ warning.
