by Gina LaManna
“You have so much family.” She bit her lip, hung her head, and looked at the streets below. “The thing is…I do, too. My adopted family is incredible. I’m one of five kids.” She glanced up, her eyes extra shiny under the moonlight, her sudden laugh as light as a bell choir. “The Miller family had four boys before they adopted me. I love them, I really do, but still…I just can’t help but wonder where I came from.”
“I understand, I really do,” I said. “My family—Carlos, Nora, my mom—are blood related,” I said. “But Meg isn’t. She’s my best friend, but she’s so much more. She’s family. Families come in all different flavors.”
Alessandra’s face took on a bittersweet, pinched expression. “I don’t have any friends like her.”
“Not many people do,” I said. “She’s one of a kind.”
Alessandra gave a soft snort of laughter.
“That doesn’t matter, anyway. You have me.” I reached out, and then forgot what I intended to do with my hand, so I poked her on the arm. “I’m your friend.”
Still laughing, she shook her head. Since she was way cooler than me and thought far more quickly, she took my hand and squeezed it. Then she let go, leaning against the railing to look out over the rooftops below.
“Don’t stand so close to the edge,” I said. “You’re giving me heart palpitations.”
“I understand everything you’re saying,” she said, her voice thin. “But I came so close. Traveled so far, and used so much time and money investigating. My family has been supportive of me, of my obsession, but I can always tell they think I’m crazy. Nobody believes The Society even exists.”
“I believe you,” I said with a wry smile. “But people say I’m crazy too, so I don’t know if that should make you feel any better.”
“What should I do, Lacey?” She stared at me with searching brown eyes. “What if I spend my whole life chasing a myth?”
“You might,” I said. “You might never find what you’re looking for, but I don’t believe that will be the case.”
“You don’t?”
I shook my head. “No, I truly don’t. And I can tell you that when you find something, anything—whatever pieces of your past might be waiting, scattered across this earth—it will all be worth it. It was for me. But you won’t find what you’re looking for without taking risks.”
“It’s the not knowing that’s driving me insane.”
“I spent a lot of time looking for my father, too,” I said. “But that was different because I already had a family.”
She faced me. “I have a family, too.”
“I know. That’s a good thing. Deep down, I knew that even if my father didn’t want me; even if he was a horrible person that didn’t care I existed; even if all that were true, it didn’t matter. Because I had people who loved me either way. The good news is that you do, too.”
“I do,” she agreed, her soft voice carrying over the city. “I do have a family that loves me.”
“Then keep looking. There’s no harm in searching, but if you want my advice, don’t overlook what you already have. Your parents, brothers—they sound really great.”
“They are,” she said. “No, you’re right…it’s just—” Then she blinked. Slowly at first and then more rapidly. It took me a second to realize she was crying.
“Hey, it’s okay,” I said, pulling her close. I rubbed her back, the smell of roses and other pretty things coming from her clothes, reminding me to buy better perfume when I got home. “Plus…guess what?”
She sniffled, then pulled away and wiped her eyes. We both pretended she hadn’t cried.
“You’re friends with me, and I happen to know some people who are pretty good at finding things,” I said. “I’ll introduce you to Anthony. If someone is missing, he’ll find them. I promise.”
“And if they’re not missing?”
“He’ll find them anyway.”
Chapter 45
“You’re missing one thing,” Beckett called across the rooftop. “Come here, Lacey.”
I looked at Alessandra, who had composed herself quickly. She smiled and nodded toward Beckett. “Guess girl time is over.”
Together, we met Beckett in the center of the rooftop. His eyes gleamed blue, sprinkled with starlight.
“These belong around your neck.” He reached out, wrapping The Miranda over my shoulders, fastening it underneath my hair. Stepping back, he examined the piece critically. “That’s better.”
I fingered the necklace, a wave of relief flooding my body, releasing the tension I had ignored. “By the way,” I said. “What sort of friends did you have pay a visit to The Chad? Why couldn’t we hand him over to the police with Bill?”
Beckett raised a shoulder. “It’s what Chad wanted.”
I made a face. “I doubt it.”
“He wanted to speak to the head of The Society, didn’t he?” Beckett’s lips twisted into a grin. “Well, as it turned out, The Society wanted to speak with him, too.”
Alessandra froze. “What did you say?”
“You promised he’d stay alive!” I said. “I knew we should have handed him over to the cops.”
“He’ll be fine,” Beckett said calmly. “The Violet Society is anti-violence. No guns, no weapons—nothing. Shooting someone in the head isn’t very classy now, is it? I’m sure the Society just wants to warn Chad to stay away from them—forever. They don’t like being roped into messy situations, and this is as messy as it gets.”
I was stunned into silence, but not Alessandra. She crept closer, peering at Beckett like a specimen under a microscope.
“You know The Violet Society…personally?” The tone of her voice sounded like the tip of an icicle. Her lips trembled as she leaned toward Beckett. “And you haven’t said anything this whole time?”
Though she was nearly half his size and half his weight, it was he who stepped back first. Beckett raised his hands before him, palms facing out in surrender. “I don’t know them. I know of them, just like you. Don’t confuse the two.”
“How did you know the head of the Society would want to speak with The Chad?” Alessandra asked, which I thought was a very good question.
“Common sense.” Beckett met her, gaze for gaze. “I assume they’ve been watching.”
The pair entered into a serious stare-off. My money was on Alessandra because she had the stubbornness and the anger to withstand anything at the moment. Watching the two, I briefly entertained the idea that they’d look great as a couple.
Alessandra’s small, thin frame leaned forward as she extended a finger and poked Beckett in the chest. “I asked you a serious question.”
“And I gave you a serious answer.” Beckett, tall and broad shouldered, reached a huge hand toward Alessandra, his fingers clasping around her dainty little wrist. Pulling it off his chest, he didn’t let go as he lowered it to her waist. “I’ve never met them, Allie.”
She flinched at the nickname and I wondered if there was some history between them. Or maybe Beckett just knew everything about everyone. I was starting to doubt his humanity. Maybe he was the psychic.
“Then what are you doing here?” she asked finally. “If you don’t know them, then why all of this? I need to find them more than anything in this world.”
“Then watch carefully.” Beckett leaned in, brushed his lips against Alessandra’s cheek, and stayed there as he whispered. “Because tonight will be your chance.”
I stepped forward, interrupting the almost-intimate moment. “Beckett, don’t do anything stupid. What are you talking about?”
“Is taking a risk stupid?” He turned to me, his eyes searching, cutting deep through my skin. “Is believing in something we might never understand stupid?”
I didn’t have a good response, so I swallowed. “Be careful, then.”
“Sometimes, being careful isn’t the answer, Lacey.” Beckett stepped toward me, his eyes shining with a rawness I’d never seen in him before. Gone was the polished ext
erior, the street performer. In his place stood a man brimming with desire for something…something he wanted more than anything in this world. Just like me, and just like Alessandra. “Sometimes, the answer won’t show up at your front doorstep.”
I looked down as he stood inches away from me.
“And when that happens, you have a choice. Do you go for your dreams, or will you sit back and watch, and let them sail away like clouds? Once a cloud is gone, Lacey…” he paused, the words hanging suspended in the air. “Once it’s gone, you might never see it again.”
Beckett pulled me to him, kissed both of my cheeks, and whispered good luck.
He did the same thing to Alessandra.
Then he was gone.
I wondered if this time, he’d left for good. Like a cloud, drifting away from us, never to meet again.
Chapter 46
“Do we lock it?” I looked at Alessandra. We’d climbed down from the rooftop. “I’m not sure about proper etiquette here. Mostly I don’t do the breaking into places, and Beckett’s gone.”
“You should really learn how to use a lock pick. You’re missing out on a lot of good times.” She gently guided me away, then slid her tools into the door, twirled them a few times, and tested it. “Safe and sound.”
“So what do you do?” I didn’t expect an answer, but she surprised me.
“I’m a security expert,” she said. “People pay me to break into their homes or properties and test for leaks. I do a lot of corporate work. I steal things for a living.”
My eyes bugged out of my head. “You’re kidding me.”
“I mean, I give the things back,” she added defensively. “It’s a good paying career, too. That’s how I’m able to spend a few weeks traveling, looking into the Society business, every few months. I set my own hours.”
“They want you to steal it first to find the weak points, and then they fix them before a real thief comes in and doesn’t give things back?”
“Exactly.”
“How’d you get into that business?”
“Now that,” she said, pointing toward me, “is a conversation meant to be had over cocktails.”
“Can I call you when we’re back in Minnesota?” I asked hopefully.
“I’d be offended if you didn’t.”
We shared a smile. “I’m really glad I met you…Alessandra?”
“Call me Allie,” she said, brushing her hair off her shoulder. “I only met Beckett tonight, but I can see why he’s so good at his work. He’s done his research.”
“What do you think he meant up there with all that last minute advice? The stuff about tonight?”
“I don’t know. It could be—” She stopped talking, her body stiffening.
I glanced behind me. Nothing was there. Nobody was around. The world was quiet. “What is it?”
“I know exactly what he meant.”
I raised my eyebrows in question. “You do?”
“I can’t believe it.” She turned to me, shaking her head. Half amused, half annoyed, she stubbed her toe against the ground and muttered to herself before explaining, “It’s his initiation, not Chad’s. Beckett is making his attempt to get into the Society tonight.”
“How do you figure that?”
She waved for me to follow her, and together we took off down one of the winding streets. “Well, we know there’s an opening in The Violet Society for an American, right?”
“So I’ve heard,” I said. “I’m not on the newsletter updates.”
She laughed. “Well, I do have it from good sources there’s an opening. Somehow, The Chad got wind of it, and he decided to make a run for the vacant seat.”
“Right,” I said. “But things went wrong.”
“Yes. He’s clumsy and foolish, but he works hard. He’s been setting up this plan for months,” she said. “And during this time, Beckett must have caught wind of The Chad’s plans.”
“And Beckett decided he wanted the seat.”
“Yes,” Alessandra said. “Beckett is a far better fit for the Society than The Chad, but even so, he had to beat out the competition.”
“So Beckett sabotaged The Chad’s plans,” I said. “He’s been there this whole time, guiding me, making sure we found The Chad. Beckett didn’t do anything except use us to catch his competition.”
“Now that The Chad’s out of the way,” Alessandra said, cruising past rows and rows of closed shops, “Beckett is free to make his final move.”
“I know that’s illegal, but wow…” I stopped walking, my jaw opening in admiration. “It’s sort of impressive. Beckett had everything planned the whole time, ten steps ahead. He knew exactly what I’d do next. Where I’d be, who I’d talk to, what I’d do—and to think I trusted him!”
“But there’s still something missing,” Alessandra said. “Beckett needs to complete a heist for the Society. Ten million dollars sounds about right—you know, from the past initiations. Six years ago there was an opening for a seat in the Society from Russia. Right around that time a priceless crown was lifted from Moscow, and it was never seen again.”
“But if he wanted millions, why didn’t he just take my necklace?” I raised my fingers to the diamonds sparkling against my skin. “He had them in his hands. It would’ve been too easy.”
“Unless…” Alessandra stepped closer to me, squinting at my collar bone.
“Oh, crap,” I said, as Beckett’s plan dawned on me. I reached up, unhooked the necklace, and at once knew I was holding an imitation. The jewels were half as shiny, the gemstones different even to my naked, untrained eye. “Double fudge crappity crap,” I said. “Sorry about my language, but this is a big fat bummer.”
“I should have guessed sooner.” Alessandra reached for the necklace, guiding my attention to a charm dangling from the clasp. It was a four-pronged key, one that matched Alessandra’s necklace perfectly. “Look, it’s a calling card.”
“I trusted him!” I held the necklace in my hands, more upset over this development than I wanted to admit. My voice got a little screechy. “Against all of my better judgment, I gave him the benefit of the doubt, and this is what happens. This is why I don’t trust people. Especially criminals.”
Alessandra gave me a confused look.
“Except for Anthony,” I said with a shrug. “And most of my family.”
She sighed. “Beckett said that tonight might be my chance to find The Violet Society, and I don’t intend on squandering it. Do you want to come with me?”
Before I could say yes, we were interrupted by a thick, eastern European accent.
“Hand me the necklace,” Angelica drawled. “I want ze jewels.”
“Not now, Angelica,” I said. “I’m in a really pissy mood.”
“Me, too,” she snapped. “Zat’s how I felt after you stole my spot in the show.”
“It was to keep you safe!” I turned around, waving my arms like a bird trying for takeoff as I spoke. “You’re welcome. I was kidnapped instead of you. Alessandra was bonked on the head—I mean, look at the bump!” I stared pointedly at the egg on Alessandra’s head and my purpling knee. “It wasn’t exactly fun.”
“You would’ve been gone either way,” she said. “You’re lucky we let you off easy.”
“We? Who are you talking about?”
“The Chad and me,” she said. “You ruined our plans.”
I blinked. “Excuse me? There’s no way you and The Chad are working together.”
Alessandra gave the model a horrified look. “Have you seen his hair?”
“He is more than his hair.” Angelica dropped a cigarette that’d been smoldering between her fingers and smushed it against the ground. “He is a man, my man, and with my help, he was going to become the most powerful man in America!”
“The most powerful man in America is the president,” I said. “Sorry, but I don’t think The Chad’s got credentials for that position.”
“No, you idiot, The Violet Society!” Angelica wiped
her hands against her jeans, annoyance on her face. She’d changed into darker clothes, still more fashionable than I could ever be. Then again, I was wearing pajamas. “I know all about it, the American seat is open.”
“Exactly,” Alessandra said. “There’s one vacancy. Did he ask you to steal the necklace? You must know that Chad would’ve cut you out of the deal as soon as you did your part.”
“No, he wouldn’t!” she said, eyes flashing in anger. “He loves me. We planned this together. We’ll go away afterward, live on an island while he flies back to do his work for the Society.”
“Yeah, right,” Alessandra said. “Chad only cares about himself.”
“His name is The Chad!” she corrected. “And that is not true! He got me the show with Lizabeth. He wanted me to succeed.”
“He fooled you into trusting him,” Alessandra said. “It would’ve only lasted until you handed over the diamonds. Believe me, girlfriend, you were cut out of the deal the second you lost the runway gig.”
Angelica denied it again, but she contradicted herself with a quivering lip.
“It’s okay,” I said, the sight of her trembling lip inching its way into my heart. I knew how it felt to be betrayed, and it wasn’t fun. “The Chad is going to prison. You fell in love with the wrong person. If you leave things alone and walk away right now, we won’t say anything to the authorities, I promise.”
Instead of agreeing, she reached into the jacket draped over her shoulders, a long overcoat with deep pockets. From one of these pockets she pulled out a shiny object. It took me a second to realize it was a gun, and by then, she’d pointed it straight at us.
“Give me the necklace,” she said. “Now.”
“Angelica—” I started, but Alessandra cut me off.
“Give it to her,” she said, her hands raised, giving me a knowing glance. “It’s not worth it. For any amount of money.”
“Fine,” I said, dangling the necklace in front of me. “I don’t want it anyway. It’s nothing but trouble. Will you leave now?”
Angelica gestured for me to fling it across the empty space between us.
