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I hated how tempted I was to just let Angelo have his way in this too, but I couldn’t borrow any more from him. “No, I’m not adding to my debt with you.”
Angelo shrugged. “Then get a business loan. Do whatever you need to, but Nick is going to do this fucking work for you.”
“Fine, but I will figure out how to pay for it myself.” I’d already applied for a loan, but I’d gotten far less than I’d hoped.
“Would you like me to lock up or wait until you return, sir?” Ralph asked.
I considered that for a moment. “Hang on.”
I went to the storeroom and opened the canister where my grandparents had always kept the spare key. I’d decided to hide it in the same place rather than trying to remember a new one. When I reached in, I realized there was something else in the can too. An envelope. My name was on the front in my father’s handwriting along with the words “Read this after my death.”
I ripped it open and a necklace fell out. I picked it up, then unfolded the letter that was also inside. The words I saw made me reach out for the wall to steady myself.
“Angelo!”
He rushed into the storeroom. “What’s wrong?”
“Your family didn’t kill Benny Romano.”
Angelo frowned. “Why are you—”
“My father did.”
18
Angelo
Benny Romano’s death had been one of the things that had made Cameron refuse to tutor me in high school. I would’ve thought I’d be thrilled to learn his father had been the one to kill the man. Maybe in the past I would have gloated and mocked him for daring to demean me for being part of a family of criminals, but now, looking at Cameron’s pale face, all I wanted to do was pull him into my arms again and comfort him.
When I said he was mine, I didn’t only mean his ass. He was mine to protect, mine to keep safe, and right now, he looked fucking terrified.
“What is this?” I asked, reaching for the paper in Cameron’s hand.
He let me take it from him, and his lack of resistance told me how shaken up he was. “It’s a letter. I found it in here.” He pointed to a battered canister sitting on a shelf in front of him. “It’s where we’ve always hidden the spare key. There was an envelope. I hadn’t noticed it before, but it was addressed to me. My… my father killed him. For money. He was working for some man named Damian. I don’t understand half of what he says, but he thought someone was trying to kill him. I don’t think my father died in a random mugging.”
I had never believed that. “Damian Ricci?”
He gave a shaky nod.
I straightened the paper where Cameron had crumpled it and began to read.
Dear Cameron,
It wasn’t my intention to involve you in any of this. Once you read this, you’ll find out why your mother left me and why I never tried to contact you. What I did has finally caught up with me. Damian Ricci ordered me to kill Benny Romano and blame the Marchesis. He chose me because I owed him gambling debts, and he needed someone outside his organization. He wanted Benny dead because Benny’s wife, Maryellen, was pregnant with Damian’s child.
So the man who’d come after Elena wasn’t lying after all.
Damian told me he’d kill me if I told anyone, and I never did. I knew he was watching me. After he died, I thought I was finally free. Then I started receiving threats. I’ve seen a man watching me. I think he’s Damian’s son. He says I have his mother’s money. All I have is this necklace.
I glanced at Cameron and saw the necklace dangling from his fingers.
I stole it the night I killed Benny. I was going to give it to your mother. After she left, I couldn’t part with it. I’m sorry I was a terrible father. I stayed away to keep you safe. I hope if you have kids one day, you do better than me.
Artie
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, no wonder Cameron looked so pale. The letter destroyed so much of what he’d thought was true all these years.
“Come on.” I took the letter from him and put it in my jacket pocket. Cameron knelt and put the necklace in the safe. “I need to get you out of here.”
“Is everything ok, boss?” Ralph asked.
“It will be.”
Cameron held out the spare key, and Ralph took it.
“I’ll lock up for you.”
“Th-thank you.”
When I had Cameron settled in my car, he dropped his head back on the seat and exhaled. “I can’t believe this. I… thought you… or your family… and all along it was…”
I took his hand. “Everything is going to be okay.”
“But… did you know?”
I shook my head. “We never figured out who killed Mr. Romano. I’ll give your father one thing; he really did take that secret to the grave.”
