Page 100 of Revere: A Legacy Novel

“Babe—”

“Cross, do you know the fit my mother and father would have if they knew what I do? They’ve always been pretty straightforward when it came to pushing me toward the legal side of business, never mind shutting me down every time I asked about my mother’s work. If they knew, they would have spoken up. Loudly and repeatedly.”

“You’re wrong,” Cross said quietly.

“You don’t know my parents.”

“I know that years ago, when I asked Andino to make you slow down after you were attacked at the street races, he told me about this. Back then, he made it clear your parents wanted you to do what you wanted to do, and when you were ready you would go to them and let them in on your secret. I was told to be kept quiet back then because it was your family, and their choice, so I did.”

“What?”

A quake quivered in Catherine’s voice.

Cross nodded, and passed her a look. “Yeah, babe. I keep thinking that if I made the choice not to tell you now, like I did back then, something might happen again. Something could happen to you because of what you’re doing. It’s the nature of this business. Shit, if you feel like you can’t even speak up to those around you about the stuff you’re dealing with, then that can’t be good for your health. Right? So, no, I couldn’t just … keep it a secret. I’m not up for that again. Look what happened the last time.”

Catherine sat in the passenger seat, still as stone. She clenched her hands into fists on her lap until her knuckles turned white from the pressure.

“They know,” she said softly.

“For a long time,” he confirmed.

“And you knew that they knew about me.”

Betrayal clung to her words.

Cross couldn’t miss it. “I thought back then that it wasn’t my place to step in, Catherine.”

“So you never thought to tell me now, either?”

“Now, I thought you already knew, or that you worked it out with your parents over the years,” Cross explained with a shrug. “We don’t talk about your business with Andino in any depth. It’s your business. You made that clear. I never thought to ask until this conversation came up today.”

“Why wouldn’t Andino tell me?”

Cross cleared his throat. “Well, on that, you should talk to—”

“I think you’ve kept enough from me,” Catherine interjected coldly. “Just tell me.”

Fine.

“Money.”

Catherine’s jaw tightened, and her gaze hardened. She turned in her seat to stare out the windshield, and not at Cross. “Money.”

“Yeah,” he confirmed. “He thought you would quit or maybe work for Catrina instead of him. You pull in a lot of cash all on your own, and he felt telling you would risk his bottom line.”

“Is that so?”

“Catherine …”

She looked at her diamond encrusted watch. “Do you know where Andino lives?”

“I do.”

“I would like you to take me there.”

“Are you even sure he’s home? A couple of hours ago, I was in a warehouse with him, and he was working.”

“He’s home. It’s twelve, and Snaps eats at twelve every night before Andino walks him around the block. That dog keeps a tight schedule. Please take me to his place. Now.”