Page 114 of The Boss

He swallows. “Why do you have a picture of Sophie on your computer?” His voice rises with anger.

“Who’s Sophie?” I ask.

“Gino, I swear to God I’ll punch you if you don’t answer the question,” Ryan grits out.

“Jeez, okay.” I put my hands up in mock surrender. “She’s the girl who dropped off those flowers to Juliet months ago.”

“Why the fuck would my sister be delivering flowers to your house?” he yells.

“This is your sister?” I ask.

“Yeah,” he swallows.

“Holy shit,” Mateo says under his breath.

“Where does she live?” I ask.

“She lives with our dad and her mom not far from here. Maybe ten minutes,” Ryan says.

“Could you walk here from their house?” I ask.

“Probably, but it would be a long walk. And she wouldn’t walk it, believe me. I wouldn’t be surprised if she drove,” he adds.

“Maybe someone dropped her off when she brought the flowers?” Mateo asks.

“That son of a bitch,” Ryan yells.

“What?” Mateo and I both blurt out.

Before he answers, Ryan’s running out of my office.

FORTY-SIX

GINO

Both Mateo and I run after Ryan. We’re both nervous he’s going to go somewhere we can’t find him.

I see Ryan running to his car.

“Stay here,” I yell back to Mateo. I can see my sister and Juliet behind him, trying to figure out what’s going on.

Before Ryan peels out of the driveway, I jump in the passenger seat.

“What are you doing, Gino?” he grumbles.

“Going with you,” I tell him.

“Why? There’s the potential that my family has something to do with this,” he replies, the sound of hurt lacing his tone.

“All the more reason for me to come with you. I’ll have your back like you’ve had mine,” I reply.

He swallows. “Okay, but I’ll need to tell you something as we drive, about my sister.” Then we drive off.

After we get out of the driveway. I look at Ryan, waiting for him to say something, and I see him white-knuckling the steering wheel.

“She might have been paid to drop them off,” I say.

“No, it was probably my dad,” he replies.