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11
COLLINS
Ilistened to Miceli speak, and my stomach knotted and rolled. Brooke was a mole. Which meant she was telling someone about what happened in the house. Worse, she could’ve been telling someone about me.Shit. I need to get out of here.But go where? Miceli’s house was the safest place we’d been in almost a year. The minute I stepped off his property in my vehicle, alone, it would be game over, especially if Brooke was spilling info about Miceli’s business to someone within the business or, in this case, the families.
We were fucked.
“What do you think she said?” I licked my bottom lip, trying to hide the tremble in my hand by lifting the mug of coffee to my lips.
“I believe she told Mario Torino I would be at the gala so he wouldn’t go,” Miceli stated. The disdain in his tone sent a shiver of dread down my spine.
“You know who killed your wife,” I murmured, staring at him. “Like for real. That’s what you’ve been up to.”
“Among other things,” he shrugged. “I have something else I’ve been looking into as well.”
“Oh?” As soon as the single word left my lips, I knew I was in trouble. Miceli’s dark brown gaze landed on me, pinning me in place. Under that heated gaze of his, he could lay me bare without even trying.
“I have a working theory about something, but I know if I say anything, it’ll cause more harm than good. I am biding my time, hoping I don’t have to play that card.” He knows. He knows the truth, and now, if I don’t tell him, he’s going to, what? Fire me? Kick me out? Turn me in? Kill me and put an end to my misery?
“Miceli, I...”
His phone rang at that moment, and he cursed under his breath. Holding up one finger, he stood abruptly and exited the room.Saved by a call.I deflated in my seat, shaking like a leaf, so close to spilling my guts while also feeling like a caged animal. I needed to get out of there, but I doubted I’d be able to move without Miceli trying to stop me. I also needed to tell Kyle what I’d learned.
“What? Are you certain?” He exhaled roughly before cursing. “No. Touch nothing. I’ll call Soren, and he’ll send someone he trusts from the department. Yes, yes, I know. And, Frankie?” He visibly relaxed, but not by much. “Good. Tell him to stay there and not to leave until Soren arrives. I’ll be there shortly.” He ended the call, then gave me a sour look. “I’m sorry. Something has come up. I need to leave.”
“Think that’s wise?” The words left me before I had time to think about what I was saying. If what he’d told me was true about Brooke, whatever happened since he returned to the house could be a setup. “Seems a little too perfect after you’ve learned the truth, don’t you think? Whatever’s happened?” I finished my coffee, forcing myself to act like whatever was going on had been no big deal.
He frowned. “Your point has merit, but the person at the center of the issues has gone missing. Murdered, is my guess. I’m thinking her usefulness came to an abrupt end.”
I tensed. Murdered. Brooke was a lot of things, but death... No, she didn’t deserve it, no matter if she was a shitty person or not. “Shit.”
“Indeed.” Miceli blew out a breath. “I have to go. Soren and the police will arrive at the scene soon. Would you mind too terribly staying here tonight? I don’t want Rocca being alone. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone.”
I nodded, unable to look away from the man standing in front of me. This man who’d killed dozens. Rose through the ranks as the Families’ hired killer. Now, he was afraid for his daughter’s safety after a woman he’d slept with had been kidnapped or at least deemed missing. “Sure. I’ll have Lucas join me, and we’ll watch over her.”
“Thank you.” He stepped in front of me and bent down to where I sat. Miceli braced his arm against the couch before brushing his lips across mine. “There is still more I want to tell you. Until then, be on your guard.” He kissed me again, the bitterness of coffee mixed with bourbon, setting me on fire. I wrapped my arms around his neck, wanting more of this man. My muffled moan was met with a groan from him. “You are too tempting, Ms. Attwood.”
“Same could be said for you, Mr. Daidone.” I smirked.
He left without another word.
I don’t know how long I sat there staring at the tray of danishes and coffee after I called Kyle. He didn’t ask any questions when I told him Miceli had left, and I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. Were we getting in too deep here? I snorted. We were molded by the deep end. Even if my father was only an accountant for the families, this was our life. I was going to have to tell Miceli who I was. I knew after this crazy incident. The tap on my shoulder by Kyle brought me out of my thoughts. “Hey. Sorry if I woke you.”
He shrugged. “Couldn’t sleep.” He sat down beside me. “What’s going on?” Kyle scrubbed the back of his head. The bleach job and hair cut was exactly what he needed.
“I think Brooke is dead—kidnapped for sure,” I murmured, still unable to look away from the tray Miceli had been carrying.
He stared at me. “What? Are you serious? Wait, are you sure?”
“Pretty sure,” I said, swallowing around the anxious lump in my throat. “That’s where Miceli was off to.”
“So, he chose her over you then?” Kyle wasn’t trying to hurt me. Not one bit. It was a question. I hadn’t told him about the video or what Miceli said about the woman, other than things weren’t always as they appeared.
“No. He chose no one. However...” I lowered my voice to a whisper, almost afraid of who might listen in. “She was selling information to the Torino family about Miceli.”
Kyle’s head snapped back. “Are you serious?”
“As a fucking heart attack.”
