by Carsen Taite
“You were there the day she almost got run down in the street.” She left hanging the implication that she, not Neal was the one to lunge into action when Siobhan’s life had been threatened, unsure whether needling her would work to her advantage.
“Yes, but you were closer. The entire family is grateful to you for your action.”
She read the regret in Neal’s creased brow, which confirmed she truly was dedicated to ensuring Siobhan’s safety. It gave her a sense of peace to know Siobhan had someone close looking out for her, a realization that left her conflicted. Her concern for the target of her investigation was real, which on one hand was a good thing because it meant she was probably coming across as genuine to the Mancuso family. But it also meant she would have to contend with taking down the object of her affection, and for the first time in her career, the prospect was sour. What was it about Siobhan that made her stand out from other criminals she’d investigated?
Royal reflected on all of their interaction so far. Siobhan certainly conveyed a hard-edged exterior, but she’d seen enough glimpses of the tenderness beneath to know what she projected to the world wasn’t the full picture. She’d been genuinely frightened after the near miss from the SUV and the bomb scare. And the day of the wedding, when Dominique had come on to her, she’d displayed a hint of jealousy, not the kind exhibited by someone who thought they had a right to the thing being fought over, but the kind expressed by someone who isn’t sure they deserve the thing they want. Carlo’s approval was obviously important to her, but not because she craved the power he conveyed to her, but because she didn’t have a father of her own. There was a deep well there, and Royal knew she’d only begun to plumb its depths. She needed to know more about Siobhan’s past to figure out her motivations for her current actions. She told herself it was for the job, but the truth was she simply wanted to know in order to be closer to Siobhan. If it helped her crack this case, then bonus.
“How else can I serve the family?” Royal asked, mostly motivated by the job she’d signed on to do.
“Come to the house tomorrow.” Neal handed her a card. “You carry?”
She nodded.
“Leave it at home.”
She read the information on the card and recognized the address for the Mancuso mansion. Two p.m. She wanted to ask if Siobhan would be there but knew this was a test to see if she would accept an assignment without question. “I’ll be there.”
“Good.”
Neal lifted her coffee cup and drained it. She stood, towering over her, and tossed a five on the counter. Royal thought she was going to leave but she hesitated a moment.
“Is there something else?” she asked.
“She’s important.”
“I know.”
“She has it in her head you’re more suited to things than someone who’s been with the family longer might be. You have any idea why that is?”
Royal studied her for a moment. Neal’s conversational tone was likely deceptive and there was the possibility she was jealous of Royal’s elevation in the ranks. She didn’t want to rub it in, but she needed to establish her position without Neal feeling threatened because she sensed she might be useful to her later. “I pushed her out of the path of a moving car and I helped her escape the site of a potential bombing. It’s possible she thinks I might be as qualified as the rest of her security team.”
She clenched and unclenched her jaw, and then nodded slowly. “It’s possible.”
Royal raised her hands in surrender. “I’m not trying to get in your way here.”
“See that you don’t. If anything happens to her, it will affect many people. There could be war.”
Royal was full of questions but tempered her curiosity for now. “I understand.”
“Understand this. If anything happens to her, I will hold you personally responsible.” She held her gaze for a moment, then abruptly turned and left without another word, leaving her with lots of questions. Had Neal seen Wharton with her, and if she had, did she detect the handoff of the flash drive? She resisted looking in Wharton’s direction, but she was acutely conscious he was seated mere yards away, likely watching her entire exchange with Neal. She’d write a 302 detailing the encounter later, but right now all she could think about were Neal’s words about Siobhan. She’s important. To her? To the family? She sensed she meant more than her role as the Mancuso consigliere. Did the bodyguard have feelings for her charge? Did Siobhan return the affection?
She shook her head. She was acting like a jealous girlfriend. She could sleep with whoever she wanted while on the job, but feelings would only get in the way. She needed to get a handle on her distraction. When this job was over, she was going to take the vacation she’d dreamed about to a remote beach, and when she was good and rested, she might try to date for real. With secrets behind her, surely she’d be able to have some semblance of a normal life with a woman she wasn’t trying to put in jail or hide her own secrets from.
She ate her meal slowly, watching for Wharton to leave and taking time to read the paper after he did. The words blurred on the page as curiosity ate at her with every passing moment. What did the Mancusos have in store for her tomorrow? But more importantly, would Siobhan be present for whatever was going down?
Chapter Fourteen
“I don’t like the idea of you going in there alone,” Carlo said, patting Siobhan’s arm.
It was Sunday afternoon, and they were both seated on the couch in his office, waiting for the others to arrive. Dominique had been scarce this morning, and Siobhan enjoyed the opportunity to spend some time with Carlo without D’s caustic commentary in the background. Carlo had come out from behind his desk to sit beside her and, sitting so close, she noticed how much his illness had aged him. He hunched when he walked, like it was painful to stand fully upright, and his steps were slow and shuffled. She was meeting with Petrov in his place as a way of letting Petrov know he wasn’t as important as he thought he was, but Carlo’s weakened appearance was another reason to keep him out of the presence of their enemies who might be inclined to take advantage.
She gently squeezed his hand. “I appreciate your concern. I really do, but I won’t be alone. Royal will be with me.” Siobhan considered the matter a closed subject. She’d spent the last twenty-four hours thinking about the scheduled meeting with Petrov, and she wasn’t afraid of whatever might go down. If Mikhail planned to kill her, he wasn’t the type to have her walk into an ambush. That would be too messy for his taste. Either he showed up and listened to what she had to say, or this entire meeting would be a ruse of some kind and he would kill her later. Her money was on the former. He would be curious about why they’d scheduled the meeting and why she was there instead of Carlo, and she believed he’d listen long enough to satisfy his curiosity. As for her safety after the meet? That would be up to Neal and Michael and the rest of the Mancuso team to handle. She’d never dwelled on her safety in the past, and she wasn’t going to start now. She was already older than her mother was when she’d died—every year from here on out was a bonus.
Besides, Royal would be with her. She couldn’t quite explain what had motivated her to ask for Royal as her escort other than she thought it would be disconcerting to Petrov, but she felt confident and safe on her arm and perhaps that was enough. But tagging Royal for this mission would put her in harm’s way too. Was it fair to take her along?
“You like this woman,” Carlo said.
It was disturbing—his ability to see her thoughts, cut to the heart of what was bothering her. She supposed it was one of the traits that made him a good don, but to her it was more than that. He was the closest thing to a father she’d ever had, and although she’d always known Celia and Dominique would be the ones who inherited the Mancuso empire, she knew she held a special place in Carlo’s heart, and he would make sure she was cared for even after he was gone. She suspected him asking about Royal was part of that.
“She is very capable. I think she will
make a good addition to your organization.”
Carlo frowned. “It is always business with you, but life is about more than how you earn your money. Money is a means to an end. It’s how we afford safety and security and power, but it is not a substitute for love and family. Money gives you the freedom to have these things, but if you don’t take the time to enjoy the fruits of your labor, you will die, old and alone, with strangers squabbling over your estate.”
“You think I should get married like Celia?”
He waved his hand. “Celia is my daughter and I love her, but she married a man who will be a foot soldier, never a leader. You would never be satisfied with someone who doesn’t rise to your level. Whoever you choose must be smart and fearless and passionate about you, but you must let them be close to you in both heart and mind or it will never work. I had a great love, but I lost it because I put power before passion. It was necessary, or I thought it was at the time, but I believe now I made poor choices. An old man looks back on his past through the lens of experience and sees much that was clouded from his view before. You do not have to marry, but you should choose a partner who is your soul mate who loves you fiercely and wants to build a life with you.”
Siobhan had never heard him speak this way before. Celia and Dominique’s mother had died when they were all teenagers and she had very few memories of her other than she and Carlo never displayed affection in public, but she’d always figured that was Carlo’s way of maintaining a semblance of power even in his role as husband. Now she wondered if there had been a rift between them brought about by his split loyalty between his insular family and the larger family that made up the Mancuso empire. Whatever it was, he was acting like someone whose days were numbered, reflecting on his past, and she wanted to divert this conversation before she started to tear up.
“Thank you for the advice, but my first allegiance will always be to you. This is not the time to be distracted by emotions.”
He studied her for an uncomfortable moment. “You may be right. We will speak of your future another time. But today, you must be careful because if Petrov sees what I do, your new friend may be a vulnerability you cannot afford. You should not lose her before you have explored your options.”
Her stomach turned at his echo of her thoughts from earlier. Was it fair to put Royal in danger in order to assuage her own desire to have her by her side?
A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. “Come in,” Carlo called out.
Michael cracked the door. “She’s here.”
This was it. If she was going to change her mind, this was the moment to do it. She met Carlo’s eyes. What would he do?
“Bring her in,” he said, answering her silent question. He waited until Michael left to say more. “Let her make the choice. Her response will tell you everything you need to know.”
A moment later, Royal walked into the room, her eyes searching until they landed on Siobhan. Siobhan met her steady gaze, startled once again by the intensity of their connection, but she kept quiet and let Carlo take the lead.
“Have a seat,” he said, pointing to the chair across from them, as if they had all the time in the world for a friendly chat.
Royal complied, and in the intervening silence, Siobhan took a moment to assess this woman who’d completely captivated her from the moment of their first meeting. Royal was dashing as usual in charcoal gray slacks and a black shirt and stylish black sports coat. Her shirt was open at the collar, and Siobhan’s mind flashed to the memory of kissing her way up the side of Royal’s taut neck while she moaned against her touch.
What was wrong with her? She’d never let another woman occupy her thoughts to this degree, and right now it was imperative that she be free from distractions. She’d been planning to let Carlo take the lead, but instead she did what she always did when she needed to be free of emotions that threatened to overwhelm her—she plunged right into the work. “We have a job for you if you are interested.”
Royal nodded slowly. “I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t interested. I may have chosen to work in a field that doesn’t use all of my capabilities, but that doesn’t mean I have lost my skills.”
Had she heard extra emphasis on the word “skills,” or was she imagining things? Siobhan had carefully cultivated her intuition, but Royal had shattered it into pieces the moment she’d broken through her bricked up outer wall.
“Tell me about these skills,” Carlo asked.
Royal settled back against the chair, signaling she was confident in what she was about to say. “Once upon a time, I was an Army Ranger. My expertise was munitions, but I am equally skilled at hand-to-hand combat.”
Siobhan knew she was telling the truth. After she’d told Carlo every detail of how Royal had hustled her out of the museum and had experience with explosives, Carlo had arranged to obtain Royal’s military record from one of his contacts. Siobhan suspected part of why he’d done so was to determine if she might’ve had anything to do with the bomb threat, but Royal’s file revealed she was everything she said and more. She’d earned several honors, including a commendation medal.
“It seems then you’d have no trouble protecting yourself,” Carlo said, “but my immediate concern is your willingness to protect someone precious to me.”
Royal looked directly at Siobhan as she answered him. “I can see why you’d want to make sure she remains safe. She is indeed of great value and I do not take her trust in me for granted.”
Siobhan stared back at Royal. No one had ever spoken to her like this and she wasn’t sure how to react. Royal said all the right things, treated her tenderly like a lover, yet she couldn’t quite accept she was for real. She suspected her reticence was because she didn’t think she deserved it, but even if she didn’t deserve it, she loved the way Royal’s loyalty and affection made her feel. Was that enough to let her get close?
❖
Royal centered her concentration on Siobhan while simultaneously trying to read the room. When Neal had approached her yesterday, she’d wondered if she’d been sent to find out if she had the flash drive, but it was pretty clear the Mancuso family’s focus was trained on her for some other reason. Still, she’d brought the drive with her today, hoping she’d find an opportunity to put it back where she’d found it. Michael had given her a thorough pat down when she’d arrived, but the drive was fastened deep into the inner lining of her jacket, near her chest, and she found men generally were pussies when it came to patting down a woman’s chest, thank God. When she’d entered the room, she’d spotted Siobhan’s bag sitting next to her, and she’d been plotting how she could return the drive without being noticed, but since she’d been under the laser focus of Carlo’s attention upon entering the room, that mission would have to wait.
Everyone she’d come into contact with at the mansion today had been circumspect about the reason for her visit, and her only clue about what they had planned for her was Neal’s implication that Siobhan might be in danger and she would be tasked with keeping her safe. While she appreciated the confidence and had no doubt she was up to the task, she couldn’t help but wonder why Neal or that beefy moose Michael weren’t able to guard her on their own. “What is this new job?”
Siobhan glanced at Carlo who motioned for her to answer. “Mikhail Petrov is the head of a powerful family here in Dallas. There was a time, not that long ago, when our business interests aligned, but he took advantage of our hospitality and we no longer have mutual interests.”
Royal nodded, careful to keep her expression neutral, although hearing Petrov’s name put all of her senses on high alert. She, like any law enforcement officer based in Dallas, had heard of Petrov and his organization. His primary enterprise was prostitution, but unlike some of the other prostitution rings in the area, his relied on unwilling participants who’d been trafficked for the sole purpose of building his empire. He was a scourge, and federal agents had tried without success to penetrate his organization and bring him down. The idea th
at whatever the Mancusos had planned for today might have something to do with Petrov had her ramped up, but she hid her excitement because Royal Flynn, bar services manager from Houston, wouldn’t have any reason to either know who Petrov was or understand the significance. Instead, she ventured a question. “Are you at war with this Petrov character?”
“Yes.” Siobhan cleared her throat. “The day we met, when that SUV tried to run me down? We have reason to believe he gave the order. We also have reason to believe he was responsible for several hits on our business interests since, and the bomb at the museum.”
Royal shook her head in disbelief. “And you think he’s going to try again? Are you going after him?”
“We are,” Siobhan said, “But not in the way you think. I’m meeting with him today to deliver a warning. We do not start war lightly, and it’s in everyone’s best interest if he chooses to back off on his own.”
Royal wanted to reach over and take Siobhan’s hand in hers. Her life had been threatened twice yet no one in the Mancuso family was willing to deliver immediate retribution. Instead, they were going to send his potential victim in to visit with him, like injecting blood in shark-infested waters and lowering a cage with his favorite meal. What would happen after Petrov tore Siobhan into pieces? Would that be enough to justify real action? If Dominique or Celia had been threatened, she suspected hellfire would rein down on Petrov—no questions asked.
“You have a problem with this plan?” Carlo asked.
Damn, she’d let her feelings show. She needed to be more careful. She took a deep breath and asked for permission to speak freely.
“Of course, I expect the people who work for me to speak their mind,” Carlo said.
Royal wondered if that was entirely true and if there would be some punishment for pushing back, but sharp concern for Siobhan’s well-being meant she had to take him at his word. “I would expect a direct threat to be met by a direct action. If this Petrov is a threat, it seems the best course of action would be to take him out before he can do further harm.”
