by L. P. Dover
“Got it. I’ll wait for you.”
“Thanks.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me up there with you? We can take those bastards out together.”
I didn’t want to involve Ian or anyone else in my family. It was my choice to take on the mission. However, the one thing about Ian was that he never listened. We looked exactly alike, but that was the only similarity. He dove into danger without thinking. I was the one who carefully planned out my moves. He was too impatient to deal with the mafia. That was why I knew it had to be me and me alone.
“If I need help, I’ll let you know,” I told him. “Until then, stay in Wyoming. I can’t have anyone around here seeing you.”
“Fine, cocksucker. Just be careful. Dad was asking about you, but I’ll tell him you’re okay.”
“Thanks. Talk to you later.”
We hung up, and I was tempted to call my father, but I didn’t want him being able to contact me. His name was Glenn Chandler, former leader of the Circle of Justice. He was furious with me when I told him I was going to New York, but he knew there was no one else who could do the job. It’d been four months since I’d seen him or my older brother, Wade. They both lived in Charlotte, NC, so it was a long haul from Wyoming.
It was closing in on eleven o’clock, and I had a feeling Corsino was going to show up any at my door at any minute. He was adamant on finding Michael, and I knew he wasn’t going to be patient about it. I clicked on my own camera feeds, and everything was clear around my building other than the people walking down the street.
Since I hadn’t eaten since yesterday, I fixed me a ham sandwich and ate it while I studied the videos Ian sent me. Once the SUV turned onto the interstate, they disappeared in with the other cars and out of view. If the Cartwrights or any of the other families had plans on trading him for Layla, I didn’t understand why they were leaving the city.
My phone rang, and I already knew who it’d be without even looking, but Anthony’s name popped up. “Mr. Corsino,” I answered.
“Have you found anything yet?”
I watched the video of Michael being abducted. “I have. Two men took him. I don’t recognize them.”
“Fuck,” he hissed low. “Can you get a good look at them?”
“Yes.” One of them men was tall and had long dark hair he kept in a low ponytail while the other was around average height and stocky, with a shaved head. I hadn’t seen them around, nor did I recognize them from my research.
“I want to see them,” he demanded. “I’m on my way to your apartment. Be there in twenty.”
He hung up, and I quickly downloaded the videos to my laptop so he wouldn’t be able to see where they came from. Once that was done, I hurried into the bathroom to take a quick shower. I looked in my closet and pulled out a pair of gray slacks and a light blue button-down shirt. In taking on a new identity the past three months, I had to change everything about my looks. Jeans and plaid shirts wouldn’t suffice. Some days I barely recognized myself.
Once I had my hair gelled, clothes on, and holster strapped with gun in place, I went straight to my living room and sat back down at my laptop just in time to see Anthony and Marco walking down the hall toward my apartment. I closed out of those feeds, and carried my laptop over to the kitchen counter just as they knocked.
I walked over to the door and opened it wide. Anthony looked as if he wanted to murder someone while Marco had a blank expression on his face. “Come in,” I said, stepping out of the way.
Anthony stormed in first, followed by Marco. “I want to see this video.”
I shut the door, and nodded toward my laptop. “Have a seat. I’ll show them to you.” Anthony and Marco sat down on the bar stools while I walked around to the other side of the bar. I swiveled my laptop toward me, and opened all the different videos Ian sent me. I hit play on the first one, and turned the laptop toward them. “Here you go.”
Anthony and Marco both narrowed their gazes as they studied the video, but it was evident in their confusion that they didn’t know who the two men were. Anthony slammed a fist down on the counter and stood. “Goddammit. I have no fucking clue who those bastards are.”
Marco huffed. “Neither do I. Never seen them before.” While Anthony paced the floor, Marco replayed the video.
I tapped the corner of the screen so he could see where to watch the others. “These next videos are of them leaving town. I tried to find who the tag belonged to, but it came up as a fake plate.”
Anthony’s jaw clenched as he watched the other videos. Eyes blazing, he glared up at me. “Please tell me you can find those fuckers.”
I had no doubt I could with the help of my brothers. “I can, but it’ll take time. Searching for the right cameras to hack is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. I have no idea where they were headed. All I have to go on is my intuition.”
Anthony clenched his fists at his sides, but then released a heavy sigh. He was desperate to find his brother. If I didn’t hate the man, I’d actually feel sorry for him. I’d be the same way if any one of my brothers went missing. Anthony reached into his suit jacket, and pulled out a folded piece of paper. “Do what you have to, son,” he said, handing the paper to me. “If it wasn’t for you, we wouldn’t even have the videos to begin with. It’s at least something to go on. All I know is that when we find who took him, I want to kill the fuckers myself.”
The piece of paper he gave me turned out to be a check, a rather large one at that, with six figures. “What’s this for?” I asked.
Anthony sat back down at the bar. “That’s for your help finding Michael. I’ll give you double once we actually find him.”
I had a hard time believing him. Yes, he had money to burn, but I knew what he was up to. “Are you sure you’re not trying to buy my loyalty?”
A sardonic smile spread across his face. “You really aren’t afraid of me, are you?”
There wasn’t much I was afraid of. I shook my head, and stared straight into his empty gray eyes. “I don’t fear anything, Mr. Corsino. I have nothing to lose.”
Anthony shrugged. “Maybe not, but one day you will.” He nodded down at the check. “That money is a thank you for helping me find my brother. I’ll buy your loyalty if I have to. From what you’ve told me, you’re alone in New York. That alone could go one of two ways. Once the other families know how to find you, they’ll try to sway your loyalty to them. Or they’ll try to take it by force.”
Everything was working out exactly as I’d hoped. “What are you saying, Mr. Corsino?” I asked.
Anthony rested his elbows on the counter and clasped his hands. “I’m saying that it might be best for you to join us, as an equal. You don’t have to work for me, but we can protect each other. I’ll pay you for your skills, and we all end up happy. There’s only one stipulation though.”
Brows furrowed, I leaned against the refrigerator, arms crossed over my chest. “Oh yeah? What’s that?”
Anthony peered over at Marco, and Marco nodded as if they made a silent agreement. They both stood, and Anthony walked around the kitchen counter to stand in front of me. “Being alone here in this apartment isn’t going to be safe for you.” He had no clue how prepared I was, but I wasn’t about to tell him. He continued, “After the gala in a couple of days, my family and I are heading back to my estate. I want you to come with us. There’s plenty of room, and it’s safe. You’ll have your own place on the grounds.” I’d been waiting for this kind of break for three months. There was only one problem…I wouldn’t be free. Every single move I made would be watched. Anthony held out his hand and smiled. I was just a prize to him, I could see it as clear as day on his face. “Are you in?”
I knew I was going to take the deal, but I had to wait for the right time. “I’ll let you know after the gala,” I replied. “You’ll have my answer then.”
Anthony patted my shoulder. “I know you’ll make the right decision. Until then, I want you to come over for dinner tonigh
t at the hotel. I want you to formally meet my son and daughter.”
I tipped my chin up in agreement and held out my hand. “I’ll be there.”
With a smile, Anthony shook my hand. “Good. I’ll have Roger and James pick you up around six.”
It was going to be hard being alone with two of my targets and not getting rid of them. I was never alone with Anthony, but I’d have James and Roger all to myself. Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do but wait for the right time.
Chapter Five
Layla
“Have they found your uncle yet?” Faith asked, her voice low and sad through the speaker.
Faith Hilliard was one of my friends from college and was married to a guy I graduated law school with. Every time we went out, people assumed we were sisters. Her hair was caramel colored, whereas mine was a brighter blonde, and she had blue eyes while mine were greenish-brown. Other than that, we had the same height and body style. “No,” I said, finishing my workout on the recumbent bike. I grabbed a towel off of the rack and wiped it across my forehead. “I’m hoping we’ll have answers soon. I’m sorry I left you in such a hurry the other night.” I was glad my suite had a small gym or else I wouldn’t have been able to get out my frustrations. Being under lock and key wasn’t my idea of fun.
“It’s okay. I understand. I’m just glad you weren’t in the parking lot when the attack happened. I can’t imagine anything happening to you.”
Isaiah stood just outside of the door with his back to me, and I sighed. “You have nothing to worry about. My dad has me very well protected.”
She cleared her throat. “Are you sure your family isn’t part of the mafia? Nobody I know has bodyguards like you.”
Isaiah’s head tilted to the side and he glanced back at me with his eyebrows raised. I let out a fake laugh and played it off. “No, Faith. My family isn’t part of the mafia. Although, I do think it’d be kind of cool if we were. Imagine being able to send a cheating boyfriend to sleep with the fishes!” For years, I’d had numerous people asking about my family, and every time I had to lie. Faith was the only normal friend I had. All my others were like me, daughters and family members of the mafia, all connected due to circumstance. Basically, I had no real, true friends other than Faith.
Faith laughed into the phone. “You know I love teasing you about it. I can’t see your dad being a mob boss anyway. He’s too charming.” And that was proof he played the part well.
“That he is,” I agreed. I heard the door to the suite shut, and watched Isaiah stand up straighter by the door. “Speaking of my father, I think he’s here to see me. I’m leaving in a couple of days to get out of the city, but I’ll catch up with you soon, okay? Maybe you can come out to the estate, and we’ll have a girl’s weekend. That is, if your hubby lets you.” Out of all the years I’d been friends with Faith, she’d only been to the estate once, when my father wasn’t in town. Granted, I had my own wing of the house, but it was too close for comfort. I didn’t want her knowing what kind of family I had, especially now that I knew the truth, officially.
She snorted. “Please, he’s not the boss of me. Name the date and I’ll be there.”
“Sounds good, Faith. I’ll talk to you soon.” We said our goodbyes just as my father walked into the room, his expression neutral. I couldn’t tell if it was good or bad. “Hey,” I said, a little unsure. “Everything okay?”
I’d been dreading news about Michael. It’d been two days since he went missing. If someone was keeping him hostage, I highly doubted he was getting the royal treatment.
My father closed the distance and hugged me, even though I was sweaty from my workout. “I’m hoping so, cara mia.” He let me go, and sighed. “Sheriff Moneta hasn’t found shit, but Bryce did find a video of Michael. There were two men who took him, but I don’t recognize either one of them.”
“That’s not good. What are we going to do?” I asked.
The murderous glint that sparked in his eyes scared me. “I think we’ll find him. Bryce is going to pinpoint his location, and we’ll go after him. I just hope we can do it before the gala. If not, I think it’ll be best that you stay home that night.”
There was a sinking feeling in my stomach that I didn’t like. “Why is that?”
He kissed my cheek and smiled. “Let’s not worry about it right now. Tonight we have dinner plans.”
“With who?”
Turning on his heel, he headed back to the door. “Bryce Collman. He’ll be arriving at my suite a little after six.” He glanced at me over his shoulder. “I want you there. Pretty soon you might be seeing a lot of him.”
“How come?”
My father shrugged, but he had that smile on his face that easily gave away that he was hiding an ulterior motive. “He’s smart and lethal. We can benefit from that. Not to mention, he has the Collman name. Right now, he thinks he’s untouchable, but that’ll soon change once the others know how to find him. Eventually, he’s going to have to make a choice, and I plan on making sure it’s us.”
As much as I wanted to deny it, a part of me was thrilled about seeing Bryce again. Maybe it was his icy blue eyes that had me intrigued. Then again, my instincts told me to stay far away from him…and I always trusted my instincts.
*
Growing up with a father like mine, there were always standards and certain ways I was expected to behave. I had to uphold the Corsino name. Normally, when I was expected to attend a dinner with my father and his guests, I had to look the part—meaning I couldn’t wear yoga pants and a T-shirt.
I settled on a pair of skintight black pants and a high neck purple tank top that was silky and sleeveless. Once I had my hair pulled back in a sleek, low ponytail, I was ready to go. I walked out of my bedroom and grabbed my phone off the kitchen counter. When I opened the door, Isaiah was there, standing guard. Out of all the years I’d known him, I don’t think he’d said more than ten words to me.
I started down the hall, and he followed me. Before I could get past the elevator, it dinged, and the doors opened. Just like that, a set of piercing blue eyes met mine. Bryce walked out of the elevator, his face a stony mask. His suit fit him perfectly, and it was the first time I’d noticed the tops of his hands; they were covered in tattoos. It made me wonder what kind of childhood he’d had to grow up in, to be so hard. My father was strict on Dominic, but even he knew how to loosen up, albeit not in the presence of our father. We were both different when our father was around.
Bryce nodded at Isaiah and stopped in front of me. I held out my hand, and cleared my throat. “Hi, I’m Layla Corsino. We haven’t been formally introduced yet.”
It felt like an eternity for him to shake my hand. By the twinkle in his eyes, it was as if he stalled on purpose to make me look like an idiot. He reached out and shook my hand. “Bryce Collman.”
His grip was strong, but I made sure mine was as well. His lips tilted up ever so slightly, but I held back my smile. “Shall we? My father’s waiting on us.” I nodded toward the presidential suite where Paul, my father’s other bodyguard, stood. He was in his early forties, tall and muscular, with short, chestnut-colored hair. And just like Isaiah, he never talked much to me. I’d gotten used to it over the years.
Before I could even say anything to him, he opened the door to let us in. The smell of garlic and rosemary flooded my senses; it smelled amazing. My father and Dominic were on the couch, sipping on their glasses of whiskey. At our appearance, they both smiled and rose to greet us.
Dominic shook Bryce’s hand while our father came to me first and kissed my cheek. “You look beautiful, cara mia.”
“Thanks,” I said, returning his smile.
He extended a hand to Bryce. “Thanks for coming. I thought a dinner would be appropriate to show you my appreciation. And, I wanted to introduce you to my son and daughter.”
Bryce shook his hand, but his expression never changed. “Glad to be here. Your daughter introduced herself to me out in the hall.”
/>
My father beamed. “Good. And you’ve already met Dominic. I think it’s time we sit down for some dinner.” He flourished a hand toward the dining room, where the first course was already being served by our personal chef, Francis Berger, a forty-five-year-old Parisian who was one of the best chefs in the world. His blonde curls stuck out underneath his chef’s hat, and he had his signature handlebar mustache. It was what made him unique. Out of all the men who worked for my father, I enjoyed Francis’s company the most.
I led the way, and Francis grinned as I held open my arms. “It’s about time you came to the city,” I said, pretending to scold him.
Francis chuckled, and hugged me. “When your father calls, I come. But don’t worry, I’ve been working on the menu for when you come back to the estate.”
“Which will be soon,” my father added.
Francis let me go, and I lowered my voice. “Hopefully, there are some of your gourmet cinnamon rolls on that menu?”
He winked. “Of course. Anything for you. That’s why I made your favorite soup tonight.”
My stomach growled. “You’re the best.”
After my mother passed away two years ago, he used to cheer me up by showing me new things to cook. There were plenty of nights my mother gave him the night off because she wanted us to cook together. I missed those days.
There were four place settings, and my father motioned for me to take the seat beside him while Dominic took the one beside Bryce, directly across from us. The cream of asparagus soup taunted me, making my stomach growl even more. Francis came by and poured us all a glass of white wine.
Once he was done, my father held up his glass, and looked right at Bryce. “Thank you for joining us tonight. Hopefully, it’ll be the first of many.”
Dominic’s gaze narrowed, and he glanced quickly at me. He was just as confused as I was. Our father was never that nice to outsiders. Then again, there was no telling what all my father kept from me.
