Deceiving Bella: Book Eleven In The Bodyguards Of L.A. County Series

by Beauman, Cate

  He smiled. “I’ll do the work.” He stroked her back and kissed her neck, then gripped her ass, thrusting her up and down on him.

  She whimpered and whispered his name next to his ear as she clutched at his shoulders. “I’m ready.” She met his gaze. “I’m ready.”

  He moved her faster.

  She kissed him with abandon as their moans mingled and they fell over the edge together.

  He hugged her close, stroking her damp skin as she rested her head on his shoulder. He caught a glimpse of her strong, beautiful body entwined with his in the mirror. “Happy birthday, Bella.”

  She sat up and smiled into his eyes. “Flowers, ice cream, and amazing sex. I think this might be my best one yet.”

  He stood, walking with her to the bed, and fell with her to the mattress. “Maybe we should try that again and really make sure.”

  She laughed. “I’m up for that.”

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Bella’s eyes flew open when her cell phone started ringing in the dark. Already on high alert, she tugged herself free of Reed’s hold and sat up, yanking her phone off the bedside table. “Hello?”

  “Bella, it’s Dad.”

  She swiped her hair out of her face as she blinked away the fog of a deep sleep. “Is everything okay?”

  Reed sat up on his side.

  “I wanted to let you know that I’m at the hospital. They’re running some tests.”

  She glanced at the time and hurried to her feet. One fifteen. “Why? What tests are they doing?”

  “I was having a hard time breathing. They have me on some oxygen. I’m feeling a lot better.”

  She pressed her hand to her heart, still groggy but scared nonetheless. “I’ll be right there.”

  “You don’t have to—”

  “I’m coming. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  “I’m in the ER for now. I’m not sure if they’re going to admit me.”

  “Okay, I’ll find you. I’ll see you in an hour. Bye, Daddy.” She hung up and turned on the light, blinding herself and Reed in the process.

  “Jesus,” Reed said, shielding his eyes.

  “Sorry.”

  “It’s okay.” He scrubbed his hands over his face. “What’s going on?”

  “Dad’s in the emergency room. He’s having trouble breathing.” She rushed over to her chest of drawers, grabbing jeans, a bra, panties, and a T-shirt. She whirled and slammed into Lucy on her way back to the bed. “I’m sorry, sweetie.”

  Reed was up, pulling on boxers, jeans, and a shirt from the drawers on his side of the room.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “Getting dressed so I can come with you.”

  “No. I don’t know how long I’ll be.” Her hands weren’t quite steady as she slid her panties on and secured her bra in place. “I might have to call in to work.” She pulled her shirt over her head and tugged her pants up her legs, fighting with the snap.

  Reed walked over to where she stood, capturing her hands in his. “I’m coming with you. You’re not going through any more of this on your own.” He kissed her knuckles and let her go, securing the button for her.

  Her adrenaline was pumping—and the fear—as they did every time she got a call in the middle of the night. “He said he couldn’t breathe well. He called me at one o’clock in the morning. Even though he said he doesn’t need me there, I know he wants me to come.”

  “Let’s go see what the doctors have to say.”

  She nodded, struggling to keep her emotions in check. “We didn’t make it through the week. It hasn’t even been two since his last admittance. He’s getting worse so much faster than I was expecting.”

  He cupped her cheeks, stroking her skin with his thumbs. “I’m going to be here with you every step of the way.”

  She gripped his wrists as a tear escaped. “Thank you.”

  “Don’t thank me, Bella,” he said gently, kissing her lips. “I don’t need or want to be thanked.”

  “I’m thankful anyway. One part of my life is so good, Reed. You’re so good. We’re so good. And then there’s my dad. It’s like my heart’s half-broken.”

  He sighed, holding her gaze with eyes full of understanding. “I’m so sorry you’re going through this, but I’m right here.”

  Sniffling, she nodded again.

  “Get your purse and we’ll go.”

  She glanced at Lucy curled up on her bed once again. “What about our girl?”

  “She’s okay for now. If it doesn’t look like we’ll make it back before breakfast, we can have Jenny come over, or she can give Shane the key and he’ll come take care of her.”

  Another tear fell as relief warred with worry. It felt so good to have a partner, someone she could depend on to help her through the rough spots. “All right. I want to keep the light on for her.”

  “We can do that.”

  “And some music.” She walked over to the clock radio and switched it on, filling the room with the relaxing music she liked to wake up to.

  “Ready?”

  She wasn’t, but she needed to be. “Yes.”

  “Let’s go.” He took her hand, and they grabbed their flip-flops, then hurried to Reed’s truck, driving toward Reseda for another long wait at the hospital.

  ~~~~

  Reed snuggled Bella on his lap while he stared at the ugly curtain cordoning off Vinny’s cramped space from the rest of the ER. He slid his fingers through her soft hair in long, soothing strokes, listening to her deep breathing as she dozed off in his arms. They’d been waiting a solid hour and a half for the doctor to come back with an update, but Vinny’s ongoing medical issues had taken a back seat when multiple car accident victims started rolling into the trauma rooms shortly after he and Bella arrived. He stifled a yawn and shook away the trance-like state of exhaustion as he studied Vinny sleeping while a tube forced oxygen up his nose. The Caparellis’ youngest son was quickly losing his battle with cancer, and the investigation was in grave danger of falling apart. He clenched his jaw, hating that his focus was on keeping Alfeo in prison when Vinny’s declining health was breaking Bella’s heart. But as he breathed in her shampoo and felt her soft skin against his cheek, he knew that moving forward with Operation Caparelli Takedown needed to happen.

  The more he thought about the final minutes of the prison recordings and Upshaw’s conversation with Joey, he didn’t like either. There were too many question marks where Bella’s safety was concerned. On the surface, she appeared to be in the clear, but there would never be any way of knowing whether the mafia had compromised Walt before his death or if Walt had taken Nicoli Caparelli’s secret to the grave. The only way to make sure Bella never had to worry about the Caparellis was to destroy them once and for all—and that started with keeping Alfeo right where he was, with Vinny’s help. Vincent Pescoe was the key to his brother’s demise. Now they needed him to live long enough to ensure his daughter a long, happy life.

  The doctor poked his head in. “I’ll be right with you folks.”

  “Thanks.” Reed kissed Bella’s forehead and rubbed her back. “Bella.”

  “Hmm?” She stirred, blinking up at him as she rested her head on his shoulder. “What’s going on?”

  “The doctor’s about to come in.”

  “Oh.” She tucked her hair behind her ear as she sat up. “Oh,” she said again, taking his hand.

  The doctor pushed the curtain to the side and stepped in, nodding politely as he slid it closed behind him. “I’m sorry for the long wait. We’ve been busy tonight.”

  “Sounds like it,” Reed commented as he laced his fingers with Bella’s, noting her rigid posture. For a little while, she’d been able to relax, but she was strung tight again already.

  Vinny opened his eyes and cleared his throat. “You got some results?”

  The tall, studious-looking fifty-something nodded as he took a seat on the exam stool. “Mr. Pescoe, I’ve gone over your blood work and latest scans.
”

  “How’s everything look?”

  “We’re seeing some fluid buildup in your right lung—a condition called pleural effusion.”

  Bella gripped Reed’s fingers tight. “Will that go away?”

  “At this point, it’s hard to say. Right now, we’re not seeing any major inflammation or infection, which is a positive sign. We’ll keep an eye on the situation and hope things move in the right direction without any need for intervention.”

  Bella nodded, looking at Reed with hopeful eyes. “That sounds good,” she whispered. “Right, that sounds good?”

  He swallowed, giving her fingers a squeeze, wanting to reassure her, but it was more than clear that nothing about Vinny’s situation was “good” anymore.

  The doctor cleared his throat. “Unfortunately, this morning’s scan is also showing us several areas of concern that I want to discuss. Mr. Pescoe, we’re seeing new tumor growth, particularly on the liver, kidneys, and lungs. There are also indications that the cancer is spreading to your bones.”

  Bella blinked rapidly as shock and utter devastation played over her face.

  Reed pulled her back against him, kissing the top of her head and wrapping her up tight, hoping his strong hold did something to ease some of her pain as her breath shuddered in and out against his neck.

  “Your oncologist will discuss your results further when she comes in for her rounds later today,” the doctor continued, “but I didn’t want to leave you in the dark.”

  “I appreciate it.”

  “What are we—what happens now?” Bella dashed at her cheeks as she sat up again.

  “For now, we’re going to keep your father here with us and monitor his lungs and oxygen levels—probably for the next forty-eight to seventy-two hours. If all stays well, we can send him home after that.” The doctor stood. “I wish I had better news for you.”

  “Thank you, doctor,” Vinny said.

  “We’ll get you transferred to a room shortly.”

  “I’ll be here waiting.”

  The doctor smiled and left.

  Bella took a deep breath and gained her feet, walking to sit next to Vinny on the bed. “It, um, it sounds like we’re going to get you settled in here.”

  Vinny took her hand. “I could use some coffee—a good cup with some cream and a little sugar.”

  “I should ask—make sure that’s okay.”

  “I’m stuck here for the next little while, and I’d like a little caffeine. It’s not like it’s going to hurt me any.”

  She frowned. “Don’t say that. That’s not funny.”

  “Sorry.”

  She stood, walking back to Reed. “Do you want anything?”

  He gained his feet and closed the distance between them, recognizing that she was trying her damnedest not to fall apart. “How about a second coffee—hazelnut if they have it.”

  She nodded.

  He cupped her cheeks. “Get yourself a tea. Take your time.” He kissed her tenderly, hurting for her as she stared at him with tears pooling in her shattered eyes. “I’ll stay here until you get back.”

  Closing her eyes, she gripped his wrists, taking several deep breaths.

  “We’re going to get through this,” he muttered for only her to hear. “You and me together, Bella.”

  Her head bobbed again.

  “Go get a tea.”

  “I’ll be back.”

  “Okay.”

  She looked at Vinny, then walked out of the curtained space, closing it behind her.

  “Goddamn, those eyes of hers have always been my weak spot,” Vinny said. “I never could raise my voice at her and never thought to raise a hand.”

  He recognized the same anguish in Vinny’s eyes that he saw in Bella’s. Vinny was putting on a brave front, but this couldn’t be easy for him as a father or as a man facing his mortality. “She’s going to be okay. I’m going to make sure of it.”

  “I’m counting on you, Reed. That should be tough for me to say, but my little girl loves you.” He sat up in bed, motioning him closer. “What’s the news from New York? Your text said you wanted to talk.”

  He debated whether or not to say anything, but how could he not? “They found a body at the first spot you pointed out,” he said quietly, glancing around the small space, well aware that this was not a secure location.

  “That’s good, right?”

  He nodded, trying to work from an optimistic perspective when there wasn’t a whole lot of positive news to share. “It’s a start.”

  Vinny frowned. “A start?”

  He crossed his arms as he settled his hip on the bed’s safety bar. “The water table’s high. There’s a lot of mud in the hole. They didn’t find a body bag.”

  “Don’t bullshit me, Reed,” Vinny hissed in a nasty whisper. “They don’t have anything.”

  “They have part of a mandible.” He gestured to his lower jaw.

  “Is that gonna get the job done?”

  He sighed. “At this point, no.”

  “What about by the trees?”

  He shook his head. “There was nothing there.”

  Vinny’s eyes grew wide with surprise. “What do you mean, there was nothing there?”

  “They tried dogs and ground radar.”

  “At both places?”

  “Both places. We’ll have to look at the map again when you’re up to it.”

  “I told you that map doesn’t do me any good. We need to go.”

  Reed let out a scoffing laugh, much like he had when Joey suggested the same thing, and walked back to the chair. The idea was appealing—could potentially solve all their problems—but it was also incredibly risky, bordering on stupid. “Look at you, Vinny. How are we going to go? How am I supposed to take you across the country and trudge through the mud when you can’t breathe lying in a bed?”

  “I can do anything I want.” He motioned Reed close again.

  Reed complied, moving back to the bed.

  “This would put Alfeo away—keep him locked up?”

  “If we can find bodies and prove it was him, he’ll never get out again.”

  “This is how I get to make sure my little girl is safe—”

  Vinny’s little girl would lose her shit if she had half a clue that Reed was even considering the thought of traveling with her ill father. “I can’t take you to New York, Vinny.”

  “Didn’t you tell me just a few days ago that eventually they would find her, that things had a way of leaking? Did you not say it wasn’t a matter of if but when?”

  He pressed his fingers to his mouth and blew out. “Yeah, I did.” Because most of the time, it was true.

  “This is the last thing I have to give her,” he said, his voice growing harsh again. “You find a way to get me to New York.”

  Reed looked at the ceiling and shook his head adamantly. “What are we supposed to tell Bella?”

  “We’ll figure that out after you figure out how you’re getting me on a damn plane. Today.”

  “Today?” He paced away and back. “Fuck, Vinny—”

  Bella slid the curtain to the side and walked in. “Your waitress is here.”

  Reed turned, making sure he was smiling. “Great.”

  “Dad, your cream and sugar coffee. Reed, by some miracle, they had your hazelnut. And I got myself a decaffeinated tea.”

  “Thank you.” Vinny took the cup from Bella. “Now you should go home.”

  Bella frowned. “No. I want to make sure you get settled in.”

  “It could be awhile.” He took a sip. “You have to work in a few hours. So does Reed.”

  Bella looked at Reed. “Why don’t you leave me here—”

  “I want you to go home, Bella,” Vinny interrupted. “Exhausting yourself isn’t going to change one damn thing. You can’t visit me if you’re sick. You go get some sleep and go to work.”

  “All right.”

  “I don’t want to see you until this weekend—Sunday afternoon.”
>
  She gaped. “But—”

  “You have your friend’s fashion show tomorrow night that I know you’ve been looking forward to. You’re going to go to that, then you’re going to do something fun for yourself on Saturday, and I’ll see you Sunday.”

  She shook her head. “Daddy—”

  “Don’t make me put my foot down. I called you because something was wrong. Don’t make me regret that decision. Don’t make me hesitate if something comes up next time.”

  “But you’re”—her voice broke and she looked down—“it’s getting worse.”

  Vinny lifted her chin, holding her gaze. “And you camping out by my bed isn’t going to change that. It makes me feel good knowing you’re out living your life—gives me some peace. I’ll look forward to your phone calls telling me all about it.”

  “All right.” She dashed at her cheeks. “I won’t come back until Sunday.”

  “I want your promise.”

  She hesitated.

  “Promise me, Isabella.”

  “I’m going to call every day.”

  “You can call twice a day if you want.”

  “I don’t like it, but I promise.” She kissed his forehead.

  “Sunday will be here before you know it. Now take Reed and go home.”

  “If you need anything—”

  “You’ll be the first to know.”

  “I’m going to go make sure the desk has my number.”

  “Good idea.”

  She walked out from behind the curtain.

  Vinny looked at Reed. “I just bought you till Sunday. You get us on a plane to New York this afternoon.”

  Clenching his jaw, Reed stared at the oxygen tubing. “What about the doctors—”

  “I’ll check myself out—refuse care.”

  Reed closed his eyes. This had disaster written all over it. “Vinny—”

  Vinny yanked him close, gripping his arm. “You get me on a fucking plane. I’m running out of time. I can feel myself dying, damn it. You get me on a plane.”

  And that was that. Vinny was dying and Bella needed them both to do what they could to keep her safe. “All right. I’ll make it happen.”

  “Call me with the details.”

  “I’ve gotta go.” He walked out, trying to smile as Bella forced one of her own. “Let’s get home and back to bed for a couple of hours.” He had a hell of a lot of planning to do after Bella fell back to sleep.