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He’s right. Dad is fucking paranoid that Parker is going to find out that he killed her parents when she was six years old. Find out that he is the man who stood over her while she slept and watched her.
“I think you need to worry about your own shit when it comes to that,” I point out.
Wells flips me off but doesn’t say anything because he knows I’m right. Now, we have three things to talk about tonight.
One, how the fuck are we going to get those selfish assholes under control without killing any of them? Two, who sent that note and three, if Hendrick has discovered anything. Is it our cousins? Do they get to live another day, or do we pay them a visit?
Turning toward Hendrick, I decide to ask him about the surveillance, which is the main reason we’re meeting tonight. “What have you found out?” My gaze is focused on his.
Hendrick brings his glass to his lips and takes a sip, his gaze searching mine for a moment, then he lets out a sigh. “I got fucking nothing. Either they’re really good at what they’re doing, or they are just living their lives.”
“Do you have any correspondence?” I ask.
He reaches for his laptop on the coffee table and opens it. “I have text conversations between the cousins. They talk about their parents. Dad’s a traitor, and Mom’s an innocent victim. But nothing that implicates they are trying to do anything to the family.”
“They could all have burners,” Wells murmurs.
“They could,” I agree.
Hendrick smiles. “I broke into their cars, their offices, and their apartments. While they were there and when they were gone. If they have them, they’re hiding them really fucking well.”
I stare at him, unsure that he’s just said what he has. When I open my mouth to ask him, he shakes his head once as if he knows exactly what I’m going to say.
“You wanted information. The only way that I know how to do that is to dig deep and break in. Plus, these are members of the family. Am I really breaking any rules?”
He’s right. He’s not. But still, we shouldn’t have our privacy invaded that way. We’re supposed to be trusted. We’ve gone through all the steps to prove our loyalty, and that is supposed to be enough, but as with everything in life, sometimes it’s not.
“I still have some digging to do on these associates of Ray’s, but I don’t think it’s our cousins.”
I’m relieved. I didn’t want it to be them. I already feel guilty enough for taking care of my aunt. The last thing I want to do is the same to them. They are almost like brothers to me. We’re all the same ages. We grew up together and rose through the ranks of the family together. I don’t want to believe they betrayed the family and have to end them.
But if they did, they wouldn’t be the first in the family to betray, lie, steal, and be taken out.
CLAIRE
The woman standingin front of me is beautiful. She smiles and extends her hand, introducing herself as Parker. I’ve never heard of a girl named Parker before, but if it was going to fit anyone, it would be her. I don’t know why. It just does.
“What do you need for the wedding?” she asks.
Blinking, I shrug a shoulder. “I don’t know,” I admit. “I guess clothes for the dress rehearsals and things like that. I don’t know where all my things are that were shipped from Vegas ahead of time.”
Her eyes widen before her brows snap together. “You sent your things ahead of time?”
I wonder if I should tell her exactly what I am, but then again, isn’t she the same? If she’s marrying, or married to, the brother, wasn’t she bought and paid for as well? Isn’t she being used to erase some massive debt?
Instead of saying anything, I nod my head slowly twice, then clear my throat. “I have my wedding dress,” I murmur.
“Well,” she exhales, “thank goodness for that. We’ll go shopping for a few outfits, some dressy and casual clothes, then some lingerie, too. I know the perfect place for that. A friend of mine just opened up her own in-home store,” she rambles.
I don’t know what that means, in-home store, but I decide to let it go, mainly because I don’t know a lot about the world, and maybe that is a thing here. In-home lingerie shops, what the hell do I know?
Thankfully, Parker doesn’t ask a whole lot about me. It seems like she quite enjoys just chatting about nothing and everything all at once. She’s bubbly and happy. I like that. Even if I’m not the same way, I like that she is.
Then, she suddenly stops and turns toward a building. I watch as she tilts her head back, her eyes squinting for a moment before her gaze flicks down to meet mine. She tips her lips in a smile and nods her head once.
“This is a great store,” she says, then steps forward and reaches for the handle of the door.
I don’t know what I’m supposed to be doing with her, really, or how I’m going to pay for anything. I was told to get to know her, that she would be family, but I’m not sure how to do that.
