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“But the name didn’t fit.”
Agent Hayes looks at me like I’m out of my mind. “I just so happened to be hunting only a half hour away.” His eyes sparkle. “Pure luck.”
“I don’t believe in luck.” I rip off a piece of my pretzel. “So, Sal gave away what exactly?”
“Oh, sweetheart, I think the Bonanno family found the location of the lost Genovese family tree and sent in a mole.”
“But Sal didn’t change his name, not really,” I point out like someone feeding into this insane story. “He wasn’t hiding.”
“I agree.” Agent Hayes damn near jumps up in his seat.
“Sal said that he’d been good to the family.” His last words roll through my head. “Genovese?”
Agent Hayes claps his hands, startling me. “Yes, the family I’m speaking of is the daughter of the current boss. She just vanished one day with her son, leaving behind her brothers and the mystery father.”
I look away because my gut tells me there’s so much more to that story. Even from the tales I’ve heard, mostly in my romance books, women don’t just get away from the mafia. No one does, not really. They die trying.
She ran from that family and succeeded.
Guilt burns through me fast and hot, and I bite my inner lip. “I can’t help you,” I blurt out and stand so fast, dizziness causes black spots to dance in my vision. My blanket falls to the floor, and I sway a little, waiting for my body to catch up to the sudden movement.
Agent Hayes’ touch scorches my skin as his hands clasp my arms, a movement so swift, I almost miss it, but in my disoriented state, even the simplest gestures have an uncanny way of evading perception. His breath dances over me, a blend of everything bagel cream cheese and salt, an olfactory imprint that lingers even as my vision blurs, betraying me for a fleeting moment.
If I lick his skin, will it taste like salt?
Clearing my throat, I find my voice and blink a few times to focus on him. He isn’t tall, he’s built though, and I don’t have to strain to look up into his eyes. “I can’t help you.”
“Why?” His eyes look back and forth between mine. “You wanted answers, and I just gave them to you. Help me take them down.”
Licking my lips, I decide to embrace honesty. After all, I’ve ingrained the importance of truth in Milo, regardless of its difficulty. With a voice that trembles but grows firmer with each syllable, I entrust Agent Hayes with my revelation. “You mentioned that his daughter fled, and her family vanished.” I forge ahead, carrying a weight that anchors them. “Women don’t just run and disappear without cause, Agent Hayes. If you genuinely suspect the mafia’s involvement, perhaps it’s best to let her be.”
“Why?” he repeats, his face tortured and his eyes holding a slight sheen to them that wasn’t there before. “They aren’t good people, Charlotte. This is the mafia. They war with blood. They traffic in women and children and distribute drugs and guns. Why protect them?”
“Because at the end of the day, that’s speculation.” I reach for his hands and tug them off of me. “What isn’t speculation are the facts you gave me. A woman ran, hid, and disappeared with her son. Tell me, is her husband still alive?”
“She wasn’t married. She was betrothed.”
“An arranged marriage.” I huff. “How can you not see this is wrong?” I take a step away from him, feeling outrage rumble through me.
“How can you stand there and protect them?” He leans down, nearly touching me nose to nose. “People will die because of them.”
“You really think broadcasting her location won’t attract others?” I hiss, the words escaping like venom. It’s then, in that heated moment, that realization crashes into me like a tidal wave. “Oh my god!” I exclaim, staggering back, the weight of my epiphany almost a physical force.
“What? What is it?” Agent Hayes spins in a circle.
I put her in danger.
“Nothing.” I catch my breath, lying to Agent Hayes after saying I wouldn’t.
“You’re lying.” He steps back. “Charlotte, these aren’t good people here. You’re protecting the wrong side.”
“I can’t be certain of that,” I whisper.
He runs his hands through his hair and steps back, almost tripping over my coffee table. “All right, all right.” He backs away, choosing not to sit down. “If you are ever in danger, you’ll call, right?”
“Agent Hayes, leave it alone,” I beg of him.
“I can’t.” He shakes his head, his eyes looking everywhere but at me. “I know they are here. The missing family. I know they are here.”
