Page 9 of Complications

CHAPTER SIX

Connor

“Boss, your visitor is here,” Sam called through the closed door.

I heard his retreating footsteps down the hall and then the distant sounds of him returning downstairs. When I turned to wake Matteo, his eyes were already open and watching me warily.

“What’s wrong?”

He didn’t answer me.

“Who’s your visitor?”

Matteo scrubbed his hand across his face like someone did when trying to avoid answering a direct and clear question.

“Matteo, who is downstairs?”

“Are you sure you want to know?”

“Yes, that’s why I asked.” I knew my tone was clipped, but Matteo let it slide.

“I had Frankie look into your uncle.” Matteo stopped speaking and sat in silence. I knew there was more to the story.

“And?”

“What were you told about what happened to your mom?”

“She left. Her note said it was too hard to be a wife and mom. My dad looked for her, but she never came back.” Matteo’s expression was grim. “Did something happen to her?”

“Your Uncle Jasper took out a life insurance policy on her with an unusual clause that accounted for disappearances.”

“He murdered her? That was his sister.” Matteo nodded, but I could tell there was more to the story. I knew instinctively that whatever else my POS uncle had done would break something inside me, but I needed to hear the rest of it before I fell apart.

“And your dad?”

“He died in a car accident. The brakes failed in winter when he was driving home. It was icy that night. Uncle Jasper said there wasn’t any life insurance, and it cost him a lot of money to handle everything and pay off the bills. That’s why he said I had to work for him for free.” I paused before going on, “But that’s not what happened, is it?”

“Pup, I’m sorry, but it’s not.”

“He killed him too?”

Matteo nodded again.

“Is there anything else I should know about my life?”

“When we did the cleanup at Ralphie’s, the boys found the contract between him and your uncle.”

“He’s not my uncle,” I snapped. He was nothing to me.

“Okay, pup, between Ralphie and Jasper.” Matteo took a breath and squeezed my hands. “Are you sure you want to hear this too?”

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and stilled my shaking hands. When I answered, my voice was steady. “I want to know everything.”

“He claimed ownership of you. The terms state that Ralphie could keep and break you for six months. After six months, you’d be returned to Jasper and placed in a whore house. Ralphie would have access to anyone he wanted for the year that followed.”

“I see.” I knew Jasper was a bad person, but I hadn’t realized how awful. My control hung by a thread when I felt Matteo’s heavy hand against my cheek. I leaned into his warmth and strength. “Where is he now?”

“Here.”