by Carsen Taite
“Dominique has aligned with Petrov. She doesn’t agree with her father’s decision to stay out of prostitution and drugs to grow the Mancuso empire, so she’s been reaching out to new contacts. In addition to Petrov, she’s made overtures to the Garza cartel. I have a copy of the file documenting all of this on my phone. It’s in the left front pocket of my jacket.”
“She could fake documents,” Neal said, her first contribution to the conversation.
“I could, but I didn’t. The documents contain information about numbered accounts where Dominique has been sending money she’d siphoned off from the main business. Feel free to check it out.”
Siobhan looked at Neal and nodded. She leaned over and roughly pushed aside Royal’s jacket, yanking a phone from the inside pocket, which she handed over. Siobhan held it up and looked at the screen.
“What you’re looking for is in a folder labeled Flynn,” Royal said.
“How original.” Siobhan stood. “I’ll be right back.” The walk to her home office took forever, but when she was finally behind the closed door, she allowed herself to breathe. She paced in front of her desk, trying to drain the adrenaline that had been building the entire time Royal had been spinning her fantastical tale.
But what if she was telling the truth?
Siobhan sat at her desk and started scrolling through the documents on Royal’s phone. The first one was the spreadsheet of accounts that had been on the flash drive Royal had taken from her. She studied it for a moment, but the document didn’t appear to have been altered in any way. She flicked it away and went on to the next. It was another chart of accounts, but she’d never seen this one before. The categories for the accounts were the same, but this one had different account numbers, numbers she didn’t recognize. She scrolled through a few other pages of spreadsheets that didn’t make sense to her out of context, and then she reached a 302. She recognized the form—she’d received plenty of 302 forms during her representation of clients in federal court, but she’d never seen one with her name on it.
Witness states that Siobhan Collins is the consigliere to Carlo Mancuso. She is widely believed to be his pick to take over the family business, which is why Dominique Mancuso, Carlo’s older daughter, has been aligning her interests with other parties, including Mikhail Petrov.
There was more detail, but it all amounted to the same thing—someone had told the FBI Dominique had betrayed her own family, and the FBI had documented evidence to back up the claim.
She looked at the top of the form. She didn’t recognize the interviewing agent’s name, and all it said in the space for the name of the witness who’d provided the FBI with this salacious gossip was CI-1. Confidential information number one. So, there were two traitors in their midst, Royal and whoever else the FBI had turned against them. And if this evidence was real, Dominique was the biggest traitor of all.
She drummed her fingers on her desk, running through options. She needed to act, but she couldn’t make a move on a family member without verifying that this intel was correct. Who did she know that could get inside information that wouldn’t be traced back to her?
No sooner had she formed the question than she knew exactly who to call. She reached for her phone, scrolled through her contacts until she came to the Ms, and pressed the button for the first entry. She rarely used this number—too rarely—and she hoped her old friend would be receptive to her request.
“Yes?” The voice was cautious, but familiar.
“Muriel, it’s Shiv.”
“Shiv, it’s been too long. How are you?”
“I’ve been better. I know it’s been too long since I reached out, and I’m ashamed to say I’m calling you because I need your help.”
“Time and distance is nothing between friends, Shiv. Tell me what I can do for you?”
Siobhan started tearing up at the gentle, friendly tone of Muriel’s voice. During law school at Tulane, she and Muriel Casey had been fast friends, but after graduation, she’d returned to Texas and Muriel had stayed in New Orleans to join her cousin Cain’s operation. For the first few years, they’d stayed in contact, but over time they’d lost touch. She’d seen Muriel briefly months ago when she’d been in New Orleans to handle a case before the Fifth Circuit. She’d joined Muriel and her girlfriend, Kristen, for dinner along with Cain and her wife, Emma, and the memory of their tight-knit family had stuck with her to this day. Muriel was probably the closest thing she’d ever had to a sister and she’d been foolish to let their connection fade.
“Are you okay?”
Muriel’s voice was laced with concern which only caused Siobhan to tear up more. “No, but I hope to be soon.”
“Speak freely, my friend. This is a secure line and I trust you can say the same for your end.”
Siobhan blurted out the whole story. All about Royal and how she’d fallen for her charm and invited her into the family’s inner circle only to find out she was the enemy. And Dominique, and how her constant barbs about how Carlo was running the family business had turned into actual betrayal.
“And Carlo is sick. He has cancer. He’s been hiding it as best he can, but Dominique knows, which is probably why she’s been more aggressive lately. If what the FBI has on her is to be believed, she has been secretly moving money so she can invest in other interests—drugs, prostitution—things Carlo would never approve.”
“Tell me what you need.”
“I need to know if what Royal is saying is true. I have what appear to be FBI files and her word, but I don’t know if I can trust either. I have contacts here, but I can’t use them because I don’t know who to trust. I was hoping you or Cain might be able to find a way to verify these claims. I can’t make a move unless I know I’m on solid ground.”
“You know there was a time, not that long ago, when a certain FBI agent caught my heart.”
“And broke it, if I recall,” Siobhan said. “See, no good can come of this.”
“Good can come from the strangest places,” Muriel said. “Just because it didn’t work for me doesn’t mean you’re in the same boat. Shelby’s betrayal was a stab to my heart mostly because it came after I’d fallen for her, but it sounds like your agent friend lied to you in the beginning but is trying to make up for her deception now that she has feelings for you. Completely different situation. I only bring up Shelby to say that I’m probably not the best person to find a source within the bureau to confirm what you’ve been told, but Shelby does owe Cain a favor. More than one. Perhaps we can work something out. Send me what you have, and I’ll do what I can.”
“Thank you. I’ll be ready to repay the favor.”
Siobhan forwarded the documents to Muriel as soon as she hung up the phone. That done, she stared at the door to her study and wished she had a secret exit so she could escape without having to face Royal until she knew what was in store for them next. She knew she should be focused on the business consequences of Dominique’s actions, but she was still digesting what Muriel had said about Royal.
Royal could’ve very easily made up a lie about the flash drive, and she would’ve believed her because she didn’t want to think she’d been falling for someone who would betray her trust. Instead, Royal had shown up here without being forced or threatened to do so, and she’d confessed her role in trying to take down the family business. What was her angle? Royal couldn’t be naive enough to think an aw-shucks routine would have Siobhan holding out her hands, asking to be arrested? Royal had handed over what appeared to be classified FBI files without asking for anything in return. Was Muriel’s implication right? Did that mean Royal had feelings for her, and if so, what was she going to do about it?
A knock on the door startled her out of her thoughts. “Come in,” she called out, too overwhelmed to care who she was inviting in.
Neal stuck her head through the door, her face red and her expression flustered. “What is it?” Siobhan asked, dreading the answer.
“It’s Don Carlo. He collapsed. M
ichael took him to the hospital, but he’s in bad shape.”
She gripped the edge of the desk. “Who else knows?”
“Celia and Tony aren’t due back from Venice until next week, and Michael hasn’t been able to reach Dominique.”
“Tell him to quit trying for now. Tell him I want extra security on the don’s room, around the clock.” She grabbed her phone and the one Royal had given her off of her desk. “Let’s go.” She said a silent prayer as she walked through the house while simultaneously making a mental checklist of things she needed to do. When she reached the living room, thing number one was still seated in the chair where she’d left her, but she rose as Siobhan approached.
“Are you okay?” Royal asked, her voice laced with concern. “I heard. Carlo is tough. He’s going to be okay.”
“You don’t know that,” Siobhan snapped. “You don’t know him at all.”
“You’re right, but I do know how important he is to you.” Royal reached for her hand. “I have a car waiting out front and my badge will get you through the hospital red tape. Please, let me do this for you.”
Siobhan stared into her kind and caring eyes. Royal said all the right things, did all the right things. Why did the one woman who’d captured her heart have to be her adversary as well?
Chapter Twenty
Royal held Siobhan’s hand as they raced out of her building, determined not to let go for fear Siobhan would make a break for it. She needn’t have worried. Siobhan, who’d seemed laser-focused back in her apartment, had fallen into a haze when Royal had taken charge, and Royal wondered if she ever had a break from having to be on, always ready to handle whatever crisis might arise.
“It’s up here,” she said, leading Siobhan to the sidewalk in front of her building and toward the boxy white rental car, acutely conscious of Neal right on their heels. She’d texted Ryan from the elevator and told him to have the engine running, hoping he wouldn’t be fazed when she showed up with Siobhan and her bodyguard in tow. She opened the rear passenger door and helped Siobhan in and slid into the seat beside her, never letting go of her hand.
“Where are we headed?” Ryan asked, with a wary glance at Neal who’d slipped into the front passenger seat.
“Presbyterian Hospital.” Royal waited until they were on the expressway, and then she made introductions. “Ryan, this is Siobhan and her bodyguard, Neal.”
“Are you FBI too?” Siobhan asked Ryan.
He laughed. “Not in a million years. Retired Army special ops with a specialty in computer operations.”
“Sounds fancy.”
“It was. I got paid to use a lot of high-tech weapons and was given permission to hack into other people’s computers, but it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.” He smiled at Royal. “Is this your life beyond the bureau?”
She waved her hand in front of her throat, hoping he’d get the hint and shut up, but Siobhan intervened. “What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked.
“Uh…” Ryan looked back at Royal, who shook her head in defeat. “Nothing. We were talking earlier about leaving jobs we no longer found fulfilling.”
“Is that so?”
“Truth. I think my big sister is ready to make the leap.”
Royal wanted to find a way to tell him to shut up without Siobhan noticing, especially since she was getting death glares from Neal, but Ryan’s banter seemed to be providing a welcome distraction for the ride to the hospital and whatever awaited Siobhan there. She looked down at their still joined hands and caught Siobhan looking as well. “Is this okay?”
Siobhan sighed. “I don’t know. I can’t think about it right now. Please don’t make me think about it right now.”
“Absolutely. Whatever you need.”
Siobhan closed her eyes, and they spent the rest of the ride in silence. At one point during the drive, Royal caught Ryan watching them in the rearview mirror, and he mouthed, “good for you,” to her and she’d smiled in return. It was true. The exhilaration she got from being with Siobhan was so much better than the fake high she got from risking her life for a job that had used her for years only to shut her out without notice or a plausible explanation. Siobhan might never forgive her for the lies she’d told, but she wasn’t ready to give up yet.
When they pulled up to the hospital, Royal gently nudged Siobhan and whispered, “We’re here.”
“I’ll find a place to park,” Ryan said.
“Thanks. I’ll text you when I know where things stand.” Royal helped Siobhan out of the car and led her to the emergency room with Neal close behind. She walked past the waiting line of patients and flashed her badge at the nurse at the desk. “I need to see Carlo Mancuso. He came in about an hour ago.”
The badge did the trick, and seconds later, Nurse Randall led the three of them to a private ICU room. She pointed at Michael who was standing in front of the door. “You’ll have to figure out how to get past this guy on your own. He hasn’t moved since they got here.”
Royal thanked the nurse and she took off back to her station. Siobhan hugged Michael and asked about Carlo. “What happened?”
“He didn’t eat all day. Said he wasn’t hungry, but I could tell he was feeling bad. Sal brought some broth to his room for dinner, and he didn’t answer the door. He walked in and found him on the floor. Don’t know how long he’d been out. I figured I could get him here faster than an ambulance. He’s been asking for you.”
“Any word from Dominique?”
“No, and I stopped trying to reach her after I talked to you.” He jerked his chin toward the door. “He hasn’t asked.”
“Good. No one gets in here without my say-so.”
“Understood. He’ll be glad to see you.”
Neal placed her hand on Siobhan’s shoulder. “Do you want me to come with you?” she asked.
Royal spotted the concern in Neal’s eyes and knew she was as worried about Siobhan as she was about Carlo, but although she had no right to expect an invitation so soon after Siobhan discovered she was an agent and not an ally, she wanted to be the one by Siobhan’s side when she stepped inside that room. Thankfully, Siobhan’s next words laid her doubt to rest.
“I need you to stay with Michael and guard this door as if your lives depend on it.” Siobhan turned to Royal. “Come with me.”
She’d phrased it like a command, but Royal recognized it as a plea, and she was ready to step up. When she’d told Siobhan she’d give her whatever she needed, she’d meant it. She had a lot to prove, and she’d start right now by supporting Siobhan in whatever way she needed.
❖
Siobhan gasped when they entered the room. She’d expected Carlo’s condition to be dire, but she wasn’t prepared for the crowded array of machines and tangle of tubes and wires covering his frail body. She dropped Royal’s hand and grasped the rail of Carlo’s bed.
“You made it.”
His voice was weak and raspy, but she was overjoyed to hear him speak at all. “Of course. Someone has to make sure they take good care of you.”
“I need to tell you something,” he croaked. “Something important.”
“Whatever you have to say, it can wait. Let’s work on getting you healthy again.” She reached for the blanket and pulled it up around his shoulders. She started to pull back, but he caught her hand in his and gripped hard.
“Grant a dying man his last wish.”
He wasn’t dying. He couldn’t be. She stared into his eyes and willed it not to be so, but she knew better. A month ago, she would’ve thought he’d be with them for a few more years, but since the wedding, she’d noticed a decline. Had he held out to see Celia married, and now he was ready for some permanent rest? Or had the stress of their recent troubles taken their toll on his health? It didn’t matter now. He was dying and all she could do was give him whatever he needed in his final moments. She clasped his hand in both of hers. “I’m here.”
He raised his other hand and pointed at Royal. “Do you want me to as
k her to leave?” Siobhan asked.
“No, she should hear this too.”
Siobhan motioned for Royal to join them and she walked over and stood close. Carlo motioned for Royal to bend closer to him and he whispered something in her ear. Royal nodded at his words, her expression serious.
“Promise,” he said, loud enough for Siobhan to hear.
“I promise,” Royal replied.
Siobhan raised her eyebrows in question, but Royal shook her head and she supposed she’d have to wait to find out what had just transpired. She turned her attention back to Carlo and said in a teasing tone, “I thought you wanted to tell me something.”
“I never told you exactly how your mother died. You were so young. All these years I thought I was protecting you, but I know now I robbed you of your heritage.”
She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. You gave me a good life. You could’ve sent me off to a home or foster care when she died. I will always be thankful for your kindness.”
He sighed. “It wasn’t a kindness. I loved you from the moment you were born. You had her eyes, her smile. You were perfect in every way and it killed me to deny you. You, my firstborn child.”
He erupted into a coughing fit, and Siobhan stood stock-still unsure she’d heard him correctly. Had he just said…Had he called her his child? The room started to swim, and she gripped the bedrail like it was a life preserver, keeping her safe against the crashing waves of his declaration. She felt strong arms encircle her from behind, and she leaned back into Royal’s embrace. After a moment, she felt steady again, and Carlo’s coughs subsided enough for him to keep going.
“We were going to run away together, but the day before we were to leave, Sophia came to me and said she was pregnant with Dominique. I was young and ambitious. I chose to stay with my wife because it was easier, because it was what was expected, but I only ever loved your mother. She stayed on at the house and settled for the small pieces of time I was able to steal away from the life I’d chosen. The day she died? That bullet was meant for me. If she hadn’t stayed with me, given up a chance at a full life, she might be alive right now. I have robbed you of two parents, and I will go to my grave with regret because of it.”
