Safe Guard (The DeLuca Family Book 2)

by Amy Reece

  “You don’t like the pasta, Hugh? I’ll bring you something else.” Teddy appeared behind their table and reached for Hugh’s bowl.

  “No, Uncle Teddy. It’s great. I’m just not very hungry tonight. Sorry. I’ll take it home and eat it tomorrow.”

  “Hmm. Well, I guess I can do that. If you change your mind and want to order something else, though, you let me know.” He squeezed Hugh’s shoulder. “Are you going to introduce me to this beautiful young lady?”

  “I’m Chris Hart.” She stretched her hand across the table. “It’s nice to meet you, sir. You have a wonderful restaurant.”

  Teddy, always the flirt, took her hand between both of his and kissed the back of it. “I’m Theodore Marcone. I saw you at Finn’s wedding, but we didn’t have a chance to be introduced, much to my regret. So, you’re my godson’s new girlfriend?” He smiled and didn’t release her hand.

  “Yes, I am.” Chrissy smiled, her eyebrows raised in a challenge as she reclaimed her hand.

  Teddy laughed and clapped Hugh on the shoulder. “I like her. She seems like she can handle you, Hugh. Now, what can I get you for dessert? The tiramisu is to die for, but we have fresh cannoli too. Why don’t I bring you one of each?”

  “That sounds great, Theodore. Thanks,” she said.

  “Call me Teddy, please.” He turned and left their table, promising to return soon with coffee and dessert.

  Chrissy waited until he was out of earshot. “He’s your father’s brother, I assume?”

  Hugh shook his head. “His best friend. The ‘uncle’ is honorary.”

  “I’m sensing some tension between the two of you. What’s going on?”

  She was entirely too perceptive for his comfort. That’s what I get for dating a detective. “We had an argument earlier today. This dinner is his way of apologizing.”

  “What were you fighting about?”

  Before he was forced to answer—and he had no idea what he would have said—Teddy returned, leading a waiter who was pushing a cart with coffee service and dessert plates. Hugh caught a frustrated look on Chrissy’s face and knew his reprieve would be brief. He forced himself to eat a portion of the two desserts Teddy had presented to them, but couldn’t manage more than a few bites. He saw Chrissy’s probing glances and narrowed eyes and knew he would have to think of something to tell her. The interminable meal finally ended and Hugh left a large tip for the waiter.

  Several hours later they lay tangled in his bedsheets, recovering from an especially vigorous bout of lovemaking. Before they’d left her apartment earlier in the evening, she’d asked if he wanted her to stay the night. He adored her forthright manner and assured her that he did indeed want her to spend the night. She had packed a small overnight bag, saying she preferred not to do the walk of shame the next morning when he drove her back to her apartment. She was curled against his side, her fingers running absently through his dark chest hair. He wished they could remain like this forever and forget the bodies found at his construction site, forget the case she and Finn were working on, forget the danger they were both in.

  “Hugh.”

  It was all she said, but he recognized it for what it was: time to talk. He stilled her hand on his chest, rubbing his thumb across her soft skin. God, he didn’t want to screw up what they had, what they were building. “Yeah.”

  She pushed herself up, crossing her arms on his chest so she could see his face. “Tell me. You’ve been acting weird all day. What’s wrong?”

  “It’s nothing, really.”

  She sighed and sat up, pulling the sheet with her. “Hugh, that’s not going to work. We’ve got to be honest with each other if this has any chance of working. If we have any chance of working.” She reached for his hand. “And I want us to work. What we have is really special to me, but if we can’t be honest with each other…” She let the words drift away, unspoken. “Hugh, I think I’m falling in love with you.” She bit her lip and stared hard at his chest.

  His heart leapt at her admission, but he realized he needed to meet her halfway. He was way more than half in love with her, and he knew he had to be honest if he was going to keep her in his life. And he wanted nothing more than to have her by his side—tonight, tomorrow, and for the rest of his life. The thought should probably terrify him, but instead he felt a sense of peace flow through his entire being, and he knew he could do nothing else than give her complete honesty. He sat up and faced her, taking her hands in his. “Chrissy.” He tipped her chin up and kissed her softly. “I’m falling in love with you too. Hell, I’ve already fallen.” He kissed her again, deeply, and wanted nothing more than to make love to her again. But she deserved an honest answer to her question. This was a defining moment in their relationship. “Okay, here goes: Uncle Teddy came to the office this morning. He came to warn me that you and Finn are in danger working this case.”

  “How in the world could he know that?” She cocked her head, a frown marring her features.

  “He claims one of his business associates asked him to pass on the message. Apparently Teddy has been taking out loans from the Fiore family—a well-known local small-time crime organization—for years.” His dad had pried the name out of Teddy and passed it on to Hugh.

  “Fiore?” she asked innocently.

  It was too innocent. “You’ve come across that name already, haven’t you?”

  She nodded reluctantly. “I can’t tell you very much, but we have run across that name in our investigation. What was the message Teddy gave you?”

  “He said he was told to tell me to tell you to let the investigation go. I was supposed to find a way to convince you to hand it off to someone else. You and Finn are in danger as long as you’re working on this case.” He stared into her eyes, willing her to understand how worried he was.

  She leaned forward and cupped her hands around his face. “Hugh, you need to stop worrying about us. Finn and I are really good at what we do and we’re going to find out who killed those men.”

  “But the danger—”

  She kissed him, cutting off his words. “I’m a cop, hon. It’s what I do, and yeah, it can be dangerous. But so can crossing the street. I’m always careful; so is Finn.”

  He kissed her back, then pulled her close, tucking her head beneath his chin. “Chrissy. God, I know you guys are always careful, but I’m freaking out. When I think about you and Finn getting cross-ways with a family of mobsters, my gut starts churning.”

  “I noticed. You didn’t eat more than a few bites for dinner.” She sat up and looked directly into his eyes. “Being with a cop can be tough, I know. The divorce rate is astronomical. Maybe you should talk to Mel. She seems to be dealing with being a cop’s wife pretty well so far. She might be able to help you.”

  He stared back, thrilled by her references to marriage, yet still terrified by the thought of the danger ahead for her and Finn. “That might be a good idea. So, there’s no way I can convince you to let this case go to someone else?”

  She shook her head slowly. “There really isn’t anyone else. There are only six detectives in the Albuquerque office and the other four are fully engaged with other cases. Finn and I have fewer cases on our load than any of the rest—mostly due to his accident and then his honeymoon.”

  Hugh nodded, then closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers. “I’ll talk to Mel. Please be careful.”

  “Always. I don’t suppose there’s any way I could talk you into a late-night snack, is there? You must be starving.”

  He smiled crookedly. “I could probably eat. Let’s go raid the refrigerator.”

  They donned robes against the chill night air and trooped down to the kitchen for a snack. Hugh fixed ham sandwiches while Chrissy poured them each a glass of milk. They sat across from each other at Hugh’s kitchen table and devoured their meal. He was still worried, but his appetite had returned as he decided to focus on the beautiful woman sitting across from him instead of the danger she might be in—at least
for the moment. “Chrissy, sweetheart, I’m glad you’re here.” He had so much more he wanted to say to her, but he held back, not sure the time was right.

  “Me too.” She smiled and stood to take their plates to the sink. “Let’s go back to bed.”

  ***

  Chrissy

  Finn was waiting for her in the parking lot of Dante Fiore’s office building at 9:30 the next morning, as she had requested. She rapped on the driver’s side window.

  “Shit! You scared the crap out of me! Don’t sneak up on a guy like that!” He exited the Jeep as he groused.

  “It’s not my fault you were napping on the job. You not getting enough sleep at night?” She raised an eyebrow and smirked as she asked.

  “Being a newlywed is hell on a good night’s sleep, you know. But I want to point out that I got here before you. Did my big brother make you late for work?” He smirked right back at her.

  “Shut up,” she said in an off-hand manner as they entered the building. A quick perusal of the building directory guided them to the fifth floor, where Fiore & Associates was located.

  “Good morning. How can I help you?” The receptionist was young and cheerful, seated behind a large podium-type reception desk.

  Chris flashed her badge, causing the young woman’s eyes to widen. “Is Mr. Fiore available? We’d like to ask him a few questions in connection with a current investigation.”

  “Let me check,” the receptionist mumbled as she picked up the phone. A few seconds later she stood to usher them behind her desk and into the inner sanctum of Fiore & Associates.

  The door of an office in the back hallway opened and a middle-aged man wearing a dark suit greeted them, shaking hands and introducing himself. “Detectives, welcome. What can I do for you this morning?” He’d obviously been handsome in his youth, but now showed signs of creeping age and letting himself go, complete with paunch, receding hairline, and fleshy jowls overhanging his bright purple dress shirt.

  Chris noted the man looked nervous, eyes darting frequently to the door and a fine sheen of perspiration shining on his high forehead. “We have some questions, Mr. Fiore.”

  “Okay.” It sounded more like a question than an agreement. “I really don’t know what I can possibly help you with, but ask away.” He ended with a nervous chuckle.

  “Mr. Fiore, you had a twin brother, didn’t you?” Finn asked.

  The man appeared shocked. “Yes, Cosmo, but why—”

  “Where is your brother, Mr. Fiore?” Chris took over, the way she and Finn had perfected over months of partnership. They excelled at questioning witnesses, able to feed off each other and keep the person being questioned off-balance.

  “I, uh, well, I don’t know. He disappeared many years ago.”

  “A death certificate was filed in 1993,” Finn added.

  “Yes. Cosmo had been missing for over ten years, so my parents had him declared legally dead. Is there a point to this line of questioning, Detectives? Besides bringing up unpleasant memories?” Dante appeared annoyed, yet Chris detected an elevated degree of tension in his body.

  “We may have discovered your brother’s remains, Mr. Fiore.” Chris watched him carefully for his reaction.

  To her surprise, he simply nodded. “Where?”

  “Buried in a shallow grave on the West Mesa,” Finn said.

  Dante sank wordlessly to the sofa and ran his hands through his thinning hair. “Shit,” he muttered. “I saw that on the news the other night. I had no idea it was Cosmo. How do you know it’s him?”

  “We ran the DNA through CODIS and you showed up. You have a record, Mr. Fiore: money laundering, distribution, and a few assorted misdemeanors.”

  “Most of those charges were dismissed, Detective DeLuca. Besides, that was a long time ago. A lifetime,” he ended on a whisper.

  “We knew it wasn’t you in that grave and it didn’t take long to trace birth records and discover your twin brother, who hasn’t been seen since 1982.” Chris sat in the chair across from the sofa, winking at Finn.

  He got the signal, of course. “Do you have a bathroom, Mr. Fiore?”

  “Down the hall.” He gestured distractedly toward the outer office.

  “Thanks.” Finn winked back at Chris and disappeared.

  “I’m very sorry for your loss, Mr. Fiore,” Chris said when the door had shut behind Finn. “Are your parents still alive?”

  Dante nodded. “It crushed them when Cosmo disappeared. Can you tell me what happened?”

  “We don’t know much yet, but it looks like a homicide. I’m sorry,” she added as he groaned softly. He was hiding something, but his grief at the news of his brother’s death was real. “Can you tell me anything about what your brother might have been involved in back in 1982?”

  “What wasn’t he involved in? I loved my brother, but he was always in trouble. He was always involved with the worst kind of people. He was enamored with the criminal lifestyle and figured he was going to be a big shot crime boss someday. Hah!” He laughed harshly and stood to pace in front of his window. “I knew he was dead; he had to be. But I guess I still had a tiny bit of hope that he was out there somewhere, that he’d come waltzing back home one day with a fantastic story of where he’s been for the last thirty-four years.”

  “Do you remember anyone specific he spent significant time with? Any names?”

  A shuttered look descended on Fiore’s face as he took a seat behind his desk. “I’m afraid not, Detective. That was many years ago. Now if you’ll excuse me, I should go tell my parents their son is dead,” he said coldly.

  “Of course. I am sorry for your loss.” She stood and handed him a business card. “Please call if you remember any names.”

  He took the card, but didn’t so much as look at it before he tossed it on his desk.

  She nodded curtly and left.

  Finn was leaning against the reception podium, flirting with the young woman seated behind it. He straightened as she approached. “Thanks, Missy. You have a nice day.”

  Chris rolled her eyes as they walked out of the building. “Did you get anything useful from her?”

  He shrugged. “She’s only been working there for a few months, but she said Dante has a lot of interesting clients. And he leaves the office frequently for long lunches.”

  “I can’t say I’m terribly surprised. I didn’t totally buy his grieving brother act, did you?”

  “Nope. What’s the plan?” He held the door open for her.

  “You head back to the precinct and keep digging into the fabulous Fiores. I’m going to stick around and see if Dante goes anywhere.”

  “Okay. See you back at headquarters, Chris.” He ambled toward his Jeep, his limp still noticeable, but much less than it had been even a few weeks before.

  She bought a coffee from the food truck parked nearby and then sat behind the wheel of her car, waiting and watching the front of the building she had recently exited. She had only had time to take a few sips of her latte before Dante walked through the front door and hurried to a Lexus parked a few spaces away. She froze, hoping he wouldn’t notice her and give the whole thing away. Luck was with her and he entered his car without looking her way. She waited until he had pulled out of the lot, then started her own car and followed him, keeping one or two cars between them.

  She had run Dante’s home address and parents’ address, but he didn’t appear to be heading toward either. So much for his story about rushing to console his grieving parents. He led her a few miles away to a large office building, where he parked and disappeared inside. She waited a few moments, then followed, hoping she would be able to figure out who he was visiting. Her luck continued: all visitors were expected to sign in at the front desk. She flashed her badge and perused the visitor log, finding Dante’s name with the number 312 written in the box next to it. A quick search of the building directory posted by the elevators revealed Dante was visiting a cyber security firm on the third floor. She took a seat in the corner
of the plush waiting room and dialed Finn.

  “I need you to run a check on CyberSecure, Inc. Who owns it? Any relatives of Dante?” She disconnected after he assured her he would send a text as soon as he found anything, then settled back to drink her coffee and wait.

  Dante reappeared forty-five minutes later, scurrying out toward his car, not noticing Chris. She followed as he finally drove to his parents’ house, staying nearly an hour. Finn texted to inform her CyberSecure, Inc. was owned by Benito Fiore, a cousin to Dante.