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“You don’t look any better,” I muttered. His face was a molten hue of reds, purples, and blues. His right eye was swollen shut, and the cut above his brow looked horribly painful. Of the both of us, he took the brunt of the attack.
“I got a few licks in before Benny and Robbie showed up.” He shrugged, handing me a mug of coffee. “How are your ribs?”
Tender. Very tender. I sat down at the table with a wince. “Better than yesterday.” I took a sip of my coffee and sighed. “Sore.” I needed to ask him. Ishouldask him. Instead, I sat there, quiet as a church mouse.
“We should talk about everything,” Kyle said, as though reading my mind.
“You’re right, we should.” I put the cup down and cleared the lump of anxiety from my throat. “Kyle, I—”
“Are you fucking Miceli?” The stern look on Kyle’s face shocked me. That was not the topic I wanted to jump into with him. It was private. My relationship wasn’t the issue. Whoever had been after us was.
“That’s neither here nor there,” I said, taken aback by the question. “I need to tell you about daddy.”
“I’ll take that as a yes. You should know,” he said, sitting across from me. “I don’t care if you are. After all the hell we’ve been through, you and I both deserve to have a little fun.” He folded his hands on the table in front of him and exhaled. “So, what’s this about father?”
I blew out a breath, completely deflated after being pumped up for a coming fight with him. Later, much, much later, I’d circle back around to his statement about Miceli. For now, I had to find out if there were any signs of who our father truly was. “While we’ve been here, Miceli has been investigating us. Wait, let me rephrase that. He’s been investigating Collins Attwood and Lucas Attwood because he knew we were hiding something. He had suspicions about our true identity the whole time.”
Kyle whistled. “Damn. So, that’s what made him say his piece to me yesterday.” The conversation with my brother, after I woke to find the room empty, had been short and to the point. I’d told Miceli the truth before passing out. Never giving us a chance to discuss the ramifications of doing so or if it would land us in hotter water. “I’m still a bit surprised he’s let us stay, even though he didn’t know for sure we were safe to be around.” He shook his head while his back thumped against the chair he’d been sitting in. “I don’t... I’m not sure what to say.”
“Same. Anyway, he’s had someone looking into the murder of our parents. Kyle...” I blew out a breath. “This is hard.”
“Well, it’s better out,” he said, “than holding it in. What’s the worst that can happen?”
True, although his question sounded a little ominous. “Our father was an FBI Agent. I guess he was undercover.” The minute the words left my mouth, I wanted to laugh. It still didn’t seem real or possible.
Kyle laughed for us both. “Nice one. Our father, the numbers nerd, FBI.” He continued to chuckle and rubbed his good eye. “Sure. FBI.”
“It’s not a joke,” I mumbled. “He was outed. It’s why mother and father were killed.”
Kyle grew serious. “You’re older than me, wouldn’t you have known?” He extended his arms across the table. “Come on, Steph, you’re not believing this, are you?”
His questions had merit. I’m the eldest. If father was FBI the whole time, that would mean for the past twenty, or twenty-two years of both of our lives, he was undercover in the Syndicate of Families. “Who else would want father killed if he wasn’t FBI? You and I both know that entire story about daddy embezzling money is a farce, right?” Plus, if it was only daddy taking the money, why did our mom have to die or why did they shoot Kyle?
“I don’t know.” He shook his head. The furrow between his brows became a wince of pain. “We were almost killed yesterday. We’re missing something huge here. I have a feeling it’s somewhere between stolen money and being ratted out.”
I could work with his assumption. What if he was right? What if what Miceli’s friend found was a plant by one of the other families? What if they were hoping to draw us out into the open, thinking Miceli would leave us with Witness Protection? “It could be a trap.” Fear twisted my stomach once more. “Whoever killed our parents could lay a bigger trap and if we continue to follow the trail, we’re next, including Miceli.”
“Now you’re thinking.” The good corner of Kyle’s mouth kicked up before dropping with a hiss. “So, what do you want to do about it?”
Miceli was gone for the day. He had to go back to the office and Rocca was taking the day off. If I called Miceli and told him what our suspicions were, he’d come home, which might be dodgy too. I glanced at the clock over the stove. It was only a little after ten. We still had the whole day in front of us. “We wait. I don’t think it’s safe to talk anywhere away from this property.”
“Agreed.” Kyle scratched the back of his head. “I need to go do some schoolwork, so it looks like I’m trying.”
I grunted. “Call me if you need help. I’m not sure doing it with one eye closed is the smart way to pass a class.”
“Oh, ha-ha,” Kyle muttered. “Asshole.”
“That’s loveable asshole to you, dick face.” I stuck my tongue out at him.
As he closed the door to his room, he flipped me off. His rough, pain-filled chuckle relaxed and disturbed me. I knew his injuries weren’t as bad as they seemed, but if he wasn’t better by morning, I’d make sure the doctor was brought out to see him.
Placing my cup in the sink, I went to grab a shower to untangle my thoughts. Before I got to my room, a knock came at the door. I wasn’t expecting anyone. Neither was Kyle. In fact, before Miceli left, he specifically said no one would bother us, and I should rest. Same for my brother. The knock came again, and Kyle popped out of his room, ready for whoever might step into our home.
“It’s Robbie,” Robbie said. “Miceli is back. He wants to see you both at the main house. Something has happened.”
I glanced at Kyle, who rolled his shoulders but didn’t move, nor would he allow me to pass him. With a slight shake of his head, he said loud enough for Robbie to hear, “How do we knowthisisn’t a trap?”
Robbie laughed. “Kid, you’ve got balls. I saved your ass yesterday when you left with your sister. I wouldn’t be bothering you if it wasn’t true. Look, text the boss. He’ll confirm.”
