Angelo shook his head and ran his hand down his mouth as his mind went in a hundred different directions. “Suddenly, I’m not sure I want to know more.”
Egypt stood and laid her hand on his arm. “Whatever Wiz comes back with, just listen to him before making any judgments. Take it from a person who’s lived a double life. Sometimes secrets are kept to protect. Maybe Zenobia hasn’t shared her whole truth because of protecting herself or someone else.”
Angelo nodded. Egypt had kept major secrets from all of them, but she’d had a good reason. It had been a matter of life or death, but in the end, everything had worked out.
But was that the case with Zenobia? Was she keeping secrets to protect herself?
Angelo shook the thought free. That couldn’t be it. She had told him about the Cameeso Cartel. Granted, he had to force it out of her, but surely by now she knew she could trust him with anything. That meant she was protecting someone else.
“What did you find on Sofia Cardenas?” he asked.
“Nothing that I haven’t already given you. Maybe when we hear back from—” Her office phone rang and she leaned over the desk. “It’s him,” she said before answering. “Hey, Wiz. I’m putting you on speaker. Angelo’s here.”
“Angelo, I’m glad you’re there. I’m not sure how much you already know about Zenobia, but we found some interesting information. Actually, you might want to sit down for this if you’re not already sitting.”
Dread seeped into Angelo’s body. He dropped down in one of the guest chairs in front of Egypt’s desk. “Let’s hear it,” he said, and Wiz started in on some of the information that Egypt had already told him.
“Egypt was right about Zenobia living off the grid for a few years. It looks like she and Sofia traveled around Europe during that time. Not sure how they managed to do most of it under the radar, but I’m working on that.”
“Did Zenobia’s mother have a life insurance policy?” Angelo asked, but then remember that Zenobia had been working in a café, barely making ends meet when she met Leo. If she’d had insurance money, she probably wouldn’t have gotten caught up with Leo.
“I haven’t found anything about an insurance policy, but I guess you’re wondering how she could afford moving around.”
“Yeah, she never mentioned how she’d managed to get from New York to Miami. Which is where she met her housekeeper, Sofia. How were they able to get to Europe?”
“If you’re still referring to Sofia as the housekeeper, that means you don’t know who she really is. Zenobia is a product of an affair.”
“Wait. What? I’m not following you.”
“Sofia’s late husband cheated on her with Zenobia’s mother. Technically, Sofia is Zenobia’s stepmother.”
Angelo’s heart slammed against his chest and his mouth dropped open. He wouldn’t have ever put that together. Why hadn’t Zenobia just told him? She called Sofia mamita, but he thought she used it as a term of endearment.
“Sofia’s late husband died from some type of lung disease. On his death bed, he confessed to the affair and told her that he had a daughter. It looks like that was around the same time Zenobia’s mother died. Now here’s where it gets a little interesting.”
“Are you kidding me? How could it possibly get more interesting than that?”
“Are you familiar with Monty ‘Rock’ Rockwell?”
Hearing Rock’s name had Angelo’s blood boiling. He gritted his teeth and balled his fists at his sides. If that asshole had hurt Zenobia in any way, there wouldn’t be anywhere the guy could hide. Angelo would hunt him down and deal with him once and for all.
“Yeah, I’ve heard of him. What’s he got to do with Zenobia?”
*
Sitting in the back seat, Zenobia glanced out the window of the SUV as Myles expertly maneuvered through Atlanta’s traffic. She was finally starting to get used to having security and being chauffeured around. Past experiences might’ve clouded her judgment about having a bodyguard, but Supreme had changed her frame of thinking. For the first time in a long time, she felt completely safe.
“Zen, did you need to go anyplace else before you head home?” Kenton asked from the passenger seat.
“Nope, that’s it unless you guys need to make a stop.”
They had taken her to the studio to finish her album, the salon to get her hair and nails done, and had even escorted her to Lenox Mall to pick up Kira’s birthday gift. That wasn’t a place Zenobia frequented because of being mobbed by fans. This trip hadn’t been as bad. She gave plenty of autographs, but having Myles and Kenton guarding her made it more bearable.
The only thing—or person—missing from the day was Angelo. Since he was no longer on her security detail, he was working more at the office. Having him by her side all day for the past couple of weeks had spoiled her. Now she had to settle for seeing him whenever one of them wasn’t working.
A smile played at the corners of her lips. It had been comical when she walked into the studio without him. The first thing Kevin had asked was “Where is Angelo?” Kevin had been concerned that she wouldn’t be able to finish the album without her inspiration. Little had he known that Angelo had given her plenty of inspiration that morning before heading to work.
Twenty minutes later, they were pulling into her long driveway. She was a little surprised to see Kira and Elijah climbing out of his truck. Zenobia was throwing Kira a small, intimate dinner party to celebrate her birthday. But that wasn’t for another few hours.
“I’ll take care of the bags,” Kenton said when he opened the back door for Zenobia and helped her out of the SUV.
“Thank you.”
She walked the short distance to Elijah’s truck, wondering at what point the night before did he realize he had lost his cell phone.
“Hey, you guys. I’m surprised you’re here already. Happy birthday, cuz.” Zenobia gave Kira a one-armed hug and said hello to Elijah, who was holding a birthday cake. They all headed to the front door. “What are you doing here so early? Your dinner party doesn’t start for another couple of hours.”
“I came a little early because Sofia’s going to teach me how to make mole poblano.”
They chatted about other items on the menu as they strolled into the house. By the wonderful scents, it was safe to say Sofia had already started cooking for the dinner.
“Hey, mamita.” Zenobia walked over to Sofia at the stove and kissed her on the cheek. “You’ve been busy. I thought you were going to—”
“Necesitamos hablar. We need to talk,” Sofia said, only loud enough for Zenobia to hear.
“Zen, did you finish the album today?” Kira washed her hands in the sink, then grabbed a beer from the refrigerator. She handed it to Elijah, who took a seat at the breakfast bar.
“I’m happy to say the album is done. At least my part is complete,” Zenobia explained, glancing at Sofia. Something must have happened. Sofia’s brows were furrowed and she was moving nervously around the kitchen.
“Where is she?” Angelo’s voice suddenly boomed through the house. “Zenobia! Where is she?” he yelled.
“What in the world…” She started toward the kitchen entrance, but pulled up short when Angelo came into view.
He always seemed larger than life when he entered a room, but right now, he looked like an imposing giant. His fair complexion was tinted with crimson as his eyes shot daggers at her. Only thing missing was smoke billowing from his ears.
She approached him. “What’s wrong?”
“We need to talk,” he growled. Before she could ask another question, he grabbed her hand and pulled her through the house and out the back door.
Zenobia jogged alongside of him in her three-inch heels, struggling to keep up as he tugged her across the lawn. They passed Parker and Connor, another security specialist, who were outside doing their scheduled walk around the property. Even they looked puzzled, seeing Angelo pulling her along like some misbehaving child.
“Can you please sl
ow down?” she huffed as they skirted around the large swimming pool and headed toward the guest house. “Or at least tell me what’s wrong. What happened?”
He didn’t speak. He didn’t slow down. If anything, he started walking faster. The moment they were inside the house, he slammed the door behind them and whirled on her.
“When were you going to tell me?” he roared.
“Tell you what? And stop yelling at me!” Zenobia jammed her fists on her hips. She had never seen him this angry, but she wasn’t going to stand there and let him talk to her any kind of way. “What haven’t I told you, Angelo? What has got you so riled up that you had to embarrass me in front of everyone?”
He narrowed his eyes and slowly approached her. With anyone else Zenobia would’ve feared for her life, but not with him. She knew in her heart that Angelo would never hurt her, no matter how angry he was.
“Why didn’t you tell me that your birth name was Amanda Rockwell? You told me about the Cameeso Cartel and what you went through with them. Yet, you didn’t trust me enough to tell me your real name. Or to tell me that Sofia is not just a housekeeper, but your stepmother.”
Alarm bells blasted inside of Zenobia. How had he found out? No one was to ever know. She’d been careful. They’d been careful. That information was buried so deep, there was no way he could have found it.
Oh, God. If he knew about Sofia, then he probably knew…
“The other thing I just cannot wrap my brain around…” Angelo said through gritted teeth, but stopped. He wiped his hands down his face and visibly trembled. “Why didn’t you tell me you were related to one of the most ruthless drug dealers in the country? You didn’t think it important that I know that Monty ‘Rock’ Rockwell was your brother?”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Zenobia was sure her heart had stopped beating. She didn’t know how Angelo found out, but the hurt in his eyes and the anguish on his face was almost her undoing. She had fallen in love with him, and the last thing she wanted to do was hurt or cause him any pain. She hadn’t lied. She just hadn’t told him everything.
“How could you not tell me?” he roared, then punched the air with so much force it was a wonder he didn’t throw his shoulder out. “That man killed my coworkers and could’ve killed me!”
“Angelo, I di—didn’t say any—anything,” she stammered, trying to get her words and thoughts to line up so that she could form a complete sentence. “You have to understand. It wasn’t just about me. I promised to never tell anyone. I—”
“You know what?” He lifted his hands in surrender. “You want to keep secrets? Keep them. I’m done.” He turned to leave, but Zenobia jumped in front of him and gripped his arms.
He snatched out of her hold. “Don’t. Just don’t touch me.” He put several feet of distance between them.
“Then give me a chance to explain.”
“You’ve had plenty of chances to explain. Why’d I have to find out all of this from someone else? Why couldn’t you tell me? Why couldn’t you trust me enough—”
“It wasn’t about trust! If I didn’t trust you, I wouldn’t have told you about Leo and Lance. Trusting you has nothing to do with this. I love you, Angelo, and I trust you.”
“Then why?” he begged, the fight seeming to go out of him as he dropped into one of the upholstered chairs and scrubbed his hands down his face.
“Because I made a promise.” Zenobia fell down on her knees in front of him. She had to make him understand. “Sofia was devastated by her husband’s infidelity, but when she and Monty learned about me, and about my mother’s death, they searched for me. They found out I was in foster care.”
Zenobia took a breath as she sifted through the memories.
“Monty couldn’t claim to be my next of kin because of being a drug dealer, so they helped me run away from the group home.”
Sofia had shown up one day at Zenobia’s high school and told her who she was and talked about Monty. At first Zenobia didn’t know what to think or believe, but the next day Sofia returned with pictures. The resemblance between Zenobia, Monty and their father had been uncanny. Knowing she had a family gave her hope, even if she had to move to Miami to be with them.
It would take her forever to give Angelo every single detail, but she had to make him understand the reasons for the secrets. The reason why she and Monty had gone to great lengths to keep their family ties private.
“I was young and naïve when I moved to Miami. I had no idea at first that Monty was a drug dealer. All I knew was that he told me that no one could know that we were related. He said his enemies could use me to get to him.” Zenobia took an unsteady breath. “When Sofia and I moved in with him, everyone thought she was the housekeeper, and that I was her adopted daughter. No one knew the truth.”
Angelo sat back in the seat, rubbing his forehead. He looked worn out, but at least he was still listening.
Zenobia told him about her life that first year living with her brother. Monty had been strict those first few months, and Zenobia hadn’t understood why he insisted she never leave the house alone. He had told her that if she couldn’t follow his rules, she could leave.
She did. A year later, she’d gotten caught up with Leo Cameeso.
“Monty killed for me, and after my ordeal with Lance, I went through a ton of surgeries, including reconstructive surgery on my face. Sofia nursed me back to health.”
Zenobia had asked very few questions and barely talked after her ordeal with the Cameesos. She would only talk to Sofia, who had been a godsend. When Monty insisted she and Sofia live in Europe for a few years, Zenobia hadn’t asked why. She hadn’t known at the time that he was slowly taking out the Cameeso Cartel. It wasn’t until he called and told them they could return to the States did she learn all of that. It was also then that Zenobia knew she wanted to be an entertainer, but she couldn’t do that if people knew her connection with Monty.
“Why didn’t you tell me who Sofia was to you?” Angelo asked.
Zenobia got off her knees and sat in the only other chair in the room. “Sofia is my everything. She sacrificed so much for me. If I told you how we came to be, you would’ve figured out the rest. I love you Angelo. I never thought I could feel this strong about anyone, but…”
“Sofia’s your heart,” he said quietly, repeating words that Zenobia often used when describing how much Sofia meant to her.
“Before I came along, she and Monty didn’t talk. Sofia always said that she didn’t raise him to be a drug dealer, and when he wouldn’t give it up, she cut ties. Until his father…my father…died.”
“She took you in even though you were the result of her husband’s affair.”
Angelo’s words were spoken more as a statement than a question. If someone had told Zenobia that her mother had been capable of having an affair with a married man, she never would’ve believed it.
Instead of saying that to Angelo, she said, “Sofia is the most selfless person I’ve ever known. She wanted me out of foster care, but could only get me out of New York with Monty’s help. When I got to Miami, she refused to let me live in his house without her there. They both, in their own ways, have always protected me.”
Silence fell between them. Zenobia wanted to know what Angelo was thinking, but was too afraid to ask. They hadn’t known each other long, but in that short amount of time, he had become a part of her.
She couldn’t lose him. Not like this. Not over this.
Angelo leaned forward, his elbows on his thighs and his eyes downcast. He wouldn’t look at her. Even when she was on her knees in front of him, he avoided eye contact.
“So much makes sense now,” he murmured, almost as if he was talking to himself. “The Cameeso Cartel, or whatever they’re calling themselves now, are retaliating for what Rock did, and their downfall started with you.”
Zenobia’s eyes widened, and her heart tumbled down to her stomach like a boulder. “What are you saying? Do you know for sure that they’re the
ones after me?”
“I’m pretty sure. If they ever want to regain their position in the drug game, earn back some respect, they have to make a bold statement. They probably don’t know your relationship to Rock, but someone knows who you are and that you’re important to him.”
Zenobia leaped out of her seat and couldn’t stop shaking. “I look nothing like I used to look. Nobody knows. This…this can’t be happening.”
“And they’re going to want you alive,” Angelo said, still sounding as if he was talking to himself. He stood abruptly and headed to the door.
Zenobia’s heart kicked inside her chest. “Wait.” She hurried after him. “Don’t leave.” Supreme would be there to protect her, but she couldn’t lose Angelo. “Please, don’t give up on me. Don’t give up on us. You said that we were in this together. That it was you and me. That—”
“I hate liars.”
Startled by the venom in his tone, Zenobia took two steps back. His words were like a slap in the face.
“And your brother…your protector, as you call him…is a killer.”
*
It took every bit of strength Angelo had to walk out that door without looking back. He needed air. He also needed time to process what he’d just learned. How could the woman who meant more to him than he ever thought possible, be related to the man who almost got him killed?
Brother and sister.
Now that Angelo thought about it, there was a small resemblance between them around the eyes, but he never would’ve made the connection. When he infiltrated Rock’s organization all those years ago, it had been after the Cameeso situation. Not once did anyone say anything about Rock having a sister.
Angelo shook his head, feeling like someone had just ripped out his heart. Walking away from Zenobia felt like walking away from his future. In just a short amount of time, she had become a part of him. If he was honest with himself, he could admit that it happened the very first time their eyes connected. But that was before…
“You better not have hurt her,” Kira ground through gritted teeth, glaring at him as she stomped past him and headed to the guest house.
Betrayed Page 19
