by L. P. Dover
She squeezed my arm and laid her head on my shoulder, her caramel-colored hair dusted with snowflakes. “I’ve missed you too. I can’t imagine everything you’ve been through. Are you sure it’s safe for you to be out of hiding?”
Shrugging, I glanced around at the woods that surrounded our land, not knowing if someone was out there watching. All I knew was that I couldn’t hide forever. “I have to get my life back, Faith. I can’t do that being on the run.”
Faith stared back at the house. “I understand. Although I do have to give your man mad props for the house. I wish my husband wanted to live in a place like this.”
Her husband was a douchebag back in college, and I had no doubt he was still the same. I never liked him, and she knew that. We loved who we loved, though. Faith had no clue that Bryce killed people for a living. I was pretty sure she’d have something uncomplimentary to say about it if I’d told her.
“Where’s your husband at, anyway?” I asked.
She waved a hand dismissively in the air. “A meeting, like always. He left for Georgia last night.”
We walked over to the barn, and I wiped away the several inches of snow so we could sit on the wooden fence. I helped Faith climb up, and then I sat beside her. She’d given up so much to be with her husband. We actually had a lot in common, except I’d put my life on hold because of my father.
“Do you ever wish you’d pursued your dream of opening a restaurant?” I asked.
A sad expression passed across her face, but she shook it off and smiled. “Sometimes. I’ve accomplished a lot helping my husband start his law firm. That place wouldn’t be what it was without me.” She nudged me playfully in the side. “You can still work with us if you want to.”
I shrugged, even though I already knew I never wanted to work with him. “I’m going to wait a few more months before I think about working. I want to get settled into my new life first.”
Bryce walked out onto the back deck of the house and fired up the grill. He waved at us, and we waved back. “You are so lucky,” she swooned. “When are you two getting married?”
I jerked my head toward her. “What? We haven’t talked about any of that yet.” Not that the thought hadn’t crossed my mind. It was still too early in the game, even if we were living together.
Faith snickered. “Hey, I was just asking. I’ve seen the way he looks at you. I’m sure it’ll happen one day.”
The thought sent butterflies through my stomach. I watched Bryce as he shoveled snow off the deck. Being with him felt normal, that even though we weren’t from regular families, we could still live the life I always dreamed of.
“Maybe so,” I said, grinning at the thought.
“What about your father? You haven’t told me what happened with him last night.”
I wasn’t about to tell her the truth about my father. However, she did know that he’d done some horrible things that put me in danger. I thought she’d be afraid to come see me, but Faith always had a way of surprising me. She was tougher than I gave her credit for.
I smiled over at her, and shook my head. “He’s still the same as before, always striving to be on top. The man probably thinks he can take over New York.”
She snorted. “So does my husband. What a delusional ass he is too.” Her phone beeped, and she groaned as she looked at it. “Ugh, I have to go. They need me at the office.”
I hopped off the fence and took her hand to help her down. We walked back to the house where Bryce was still on the back porch. I had a feeling he wasn’t out there just to shovel the snow. When he noticed us coming toward him, he set the shovel against the deck and walked down to us.
“It was nice meeting you, Bryce,” Faith called out.
He smiled at her. “Same to you. I’m glad you could come by.”
Faith hugged me hard. “I’ll be back soon, I promise.”
I kissed her cheek and let her go. Kassie reminded me so much of Faith. It was probably why I connected with her so quickly. Faith waved at us before disappearing around the side of the house to her car.
“I thought she was going to stay for dinner?” he said, pulling me into his arms. The snow had started to come down harder, coating his dark hair with specks of white.
I wrapped my arms around his neck. “She got called in to the office.”
“Hate to hear that. What all did you two talk about?”
I shrugged. “Normal girl stuff. She did say I was lucky though.”
His grin broadened. “Oh yeah? How come?”
“Guess she thinks you’re hot.”
He shook his head. “I’m the one who’s lucky, Lemon Drop. You know what I am and what I do. Not many women could love a man like that.”
“That’s not all you are, Bryce. You have a kind heart, you’re sexy, and fiercely protective of me. Don’t think I didn’t notice you shoveling the snow just to keep an eye on me.”
His expression darkened. “There’s still a threat out there, Layla. I don’t think I’ll ever stop being protective over you.”
I cupped his face in my hands. “Don’t let it control your life, Bryce. I do know how to take care of myself.”
“I know,” he said, his lips pulling back slightly, “I remember you pointing a gun at me.”
That seemed so long ago. So many things had changed since then. “Don’t worry. I promise I wouldn’t have shot off your balls,” I said with a grin, sliding my hands off his face.
He put his arm around my shoulders, and we started for the door. “Good to know. How about I get our steaks on the grill while you start the potatoes?”
My stomach growled. “Perfect. I’ll make your favorite.” Which happened to be twice-baked potatoes.
We stopped at the door, and Bryce kissed me. “You’re too good for me.”
Grinning wide, I poked him in the chest. “Don’t forget it either.” I breathed in the cold, frosty air, and looked out at our land. “Do you think it’ll always be like this? You and me, cooking dinner together and enjoying life?”
Bryce blew out a breath and sighed. “I don’t know, but I sure hope so.”
I hoped so too.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Bryce
FOUR MONTHS LATER
“Bryce,” Layla shouted from the front of the house. “Come see if my flowers look okay.”
“Be right there,” I shouted back. I took off my shirt and wiped the sweat off my forehead. The smell of freshly cut grass filled the air. It was fucking crazy how fast time moved. One minute it was January, and the next we were already in May. Once the lawn mower was put away in the barn, I walked to the front of the house to see Layla on her knees, her blonde hair in a high ponytail and dirt all over her clothes and skin, patting in soil around her colorful flowers.
She looked up at me, smiling brightly. “I planted them all. Don’t they look cute?”
I surveyed her masterpiece of flowers and nodded. “You did great, Lemon Drop. They look good.” She’d said she wanted to plant flowers, so I took her to a local nursery, and she picked them out.
Layla stood and brushed off the dirt from her clothes. “Thanks. Don’t think I did too bad for my first time planting.” Then she looked down at her clothes. “Just a little dirty.”
“We can fix that,” I said with a wink.
“Shower time it is, then.” We started for the door, but then my phone rang. I pulled it out of my pocket, sighing when I saw Anthony’s name. “What is it?” Layla asked. I showed her the phone, and she scoffed. “Wonder what he wants from you.”
Anthony had been checking up on us, but Layla still refused to let him come to our house. The only people she allowed to visit were Dominic, Francis, and Faith. Every now and again, I noticed one of Anthony’s sedans drive by, no doubt with him in it.
As much as I’d liked to finish my mission, I ended up getting sucked in further with Layla. How could I not? She was the best fucking thing to ever happen to me. With Anthony calling me, I had no choice but to
answer.
“Anthony,” I said, answering the phone.
“Good afternoon, son. Thanks for answering my call.” I despised hearing him call me son, and worst of all, I hated having to play nice.
“No problem. What’s going on?” I replied. Layla sat down on the front porch steps, concern etched across her face as she stared at me.
Anthony cleared his throat. “I have a friend and new business partner coming into town from Boston tomorrow afternoon. I’d like it if you could join us for dinner in the city.”
“And who exactly is this business partner?” I asked.
“His name’s Tony Greco. I want to show him a good time.”
That name sounded familiar, and I had a feeling I knew why. It wasn’t good, either. “I’ll be there,” I said. “Just tell me where to be.” He gave me the details, and I hung up the phone.
Layla stood and glared at me. “Are you seriously going to help him?”
“I don’t want to, Layla. You know that,” I said, hoping she could see the truth on my face.
She crossed her arms over her chest. “What do you have to do?”
I walked past her into the house and she followed me. “He’s meeting with a Tony Greco,” I said, heading straight for the study. I sat down at the desk and opened my laptop. “I know that name from somewhere.”
Layla stood in the doorway. “I’ve never heard it before. Must be someone new.” Since she couldn’t see my laptop screen, I typed in my government passwords so I could access all my files. It was risky, but I had to know who Tony Greco was. Layla cleared her throat to get my attention and then nodded toward the hallway. “Let me know what you find out. I’m gonna get in the shower.”
I met her gaze, and I could see the worry in her eyes. “I’m sorry, Layla, but this is something I have to do.”
I heard her footsteps thump across the hardwood floors as she went upstairs. Once I heard the shower turn on, I focused back on my computer. As soon as I typed in Tony’s name, his picture popped up with a record of his crimes. He had salt and pepper hair, and a bigger than average nose. Most importantly, he was on the list.
“What the fuck,” I growled, reading his file. His picture pissed me off even more, his smile sly as he stared at the camera. I’d seen men like him all the time. They all thought they were invincible. I knew what I had to do, but I couldn’t do it alone.
The shower was still running upstairs, so I reached for my phone and quickly called Ian. Huffing, I stood and paced the floor, wishing he’d pick up the damn phone.
“Hey, brother,” Ian answered.
I breathed a sigh of relief. “I don’t have much time. I need your help.”
“What’s up? You okay?”
“I’m fine. Tomorrow night I’m meeting Corsino at an Italian restaurant in Manhattan. There will be a man with us, Tony Greco. He’s on the list, and he needs to be put down.”
“Who is he?”
I could hear him scrambling around the house. “Tony Greco. His charges include domestic abuse, fraud, statutory rape, assault, and he’s wanted for human trafficking. My guess is that Corsino wants to dabble in the trade as well.” Sick bastard. Even if Corsino wasn’t planning on getting in on the human trafficking business, he still had to know that Greco was a wanted man.
Ian huffed. “That shit infuriates me.”
Anger welled up in my chest. “Same. Do you think you can get here in time?”
“Yep. Don’t worry about me. I’ll text you when I get to New York. You can fill me in on everything when I get there.”
“Sounds good. Talk soon.” I hung up, and walked back over to my computer to shut it down. It’d been a long time since I’d seen all the names on the list. It grew every day, and it would until the end of time. I was ready to get back to it.
Once my laptop went black, I closed it and walked out of the study, almost expecting Layla to be at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for answers. That was my paranoia and guilt talking. She didn’t sneak around on me like she did her father, because she trusted me. That only made my guilt even harder to swallow. By the time I got to the bedroom, steam billowed out of the bathroom. I slowly pushed the door open and watched Layla as she slipped into her bathrobe and wrapped her hair up in a towel.
She turned around and shrieked, staggering back. “What the—! You scared the shit out of me.” She picked up her dirty clothes and threw them at me.
I jumped out of the way, and laughed. “Sorry, Lemon Drop.”
She walked past me to her dresser and pulled out a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. “You should’ve joined me. I waited for you.”
I let out a heavy sigh. “I had to do some research.”
Brows furrowed, she faced me. “Uh-oh. I don’t like the way you said that. What’d you find?”
I couldn’t lie to her. “The man your father’s meeting tomorrow has been involved with human trafficking, among other things.”
Her mouth gaped, and her face paled. “Oh my God. You don’t think my dad’s involved with that, do you?”
“I don’t know,” I answered truthfully.
Then, it was as if everything clicked into place. Her eyes widened, and she cupped a hand over her mouth. “What are you going to do?”
I didn’t know how to answer that. Instead, I pulled her into my arms and breathed in the smell of her hair. “What I have to,” I murmured. “My only concern is you right now. The house is secure, and you have access to the cameras, but if you want to be around others I can drop you off at the estate.”
She shook her head and stared right into my eyes. “I’ll be fine. I understand what you have to do. I’ll be here waiting for you when get back.”
As I stared back at her, it made me wonder if she really did understand what I was about to do, that I was going to kill a man in cold blood that deserved it. Either way, it had to be done, and I was going to see it through.
*
On the way to the Chateaux Hotel, I called Ian and told him what he had to do. Everything was set. It was strange being back in Manhattan after all these months. I’d gotten used to a slower pace of life.
Once at the hotel, I pulled into the parking garage, where Anthony and Tony Greco waited by one of Anthony’s black sedans, Isaiah and Dominic by their sides. I parked beside them and got out of my car.
Anthony grinned and slapped a hand on Tony’s back. “There he is. The man I’ve been telling you about.”
Tony looked exactly like his picture on the database. Smug. Arrogant. He held out his hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you. I’m Tony Greco.”
Shaking his hand, I made sure to squeeze extra hard. “Bryce Collman.”
He grimaced and pulled his arm away, chuckling as if I didn’t just almost break his hand. “Are we ready to eat?”
Anthony chuckled and motioned toward his car. “Let’s go.” Isaiah opened the backseat door, and Tony climbed in.
They waited for me to get in, but I shook my head. “I’m driving separate.” Anthony raised his brows, clearly not happy with my choice. “I want to make sure I can get back to the house quickly if Layla needs me.”
That seemed to appease him. “Fair enough.”
He got in the car, and I thought Dominic was about to join them, but he stopped and looked in on them. “I’m riding with Collman there.” He shut the door to his father’s sedan, and joined me at my car. “You don’t mind, do you?”
I shook my head. “Nope.” It was a good thing I’d already called Ian, or I’d have been screwed. We got in the car and followed them out of the parking garage.
“How’s my sister?” he asked. Over the past four months, I’d seen how much he cared for her. He’d visited numerous times, and he’d stay for hours. They laughed and played cards like a normal brother and sister. He looked exactly like a younger version of Anthony, but he was completely different when he was away from him. It was hard to see him as one of the enemies.
“She’s fine,” I said. “Yesterday she plante
d flowers. She got as much dirt on herself as the flowers did.”
Dominic chuckled. “When we were younger, we played out in the mud one day after it rained. We got into so much trouble.”
I looked over at him. “Why? Isn’t that what kids do?”
He shrugged. “Not the Corsinos. We were brought up to be better than that. At least, that’s what my father always preached.” I focused back on the road since we were almost to the restaurant. “She’s different with you,” he admitted. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen her so happy. I’m glad she got her freedom.”
“Do you not have yours?” I asked.
When I glanced over at him, he kept his focus on the road. “Yes and no. Is it not the same way with your family?”
“No,” I replied sternly. “I answer to myself and no one else. I don’t do another’s bidding.”
“Then why are you here? My father’s the one who asked you, and we both know you don’t like him.”
Isaiah dropped Anthony and Tony off at the restaurant while I drove to the parking garage that was a block away. Layla trusted Dominic completely, but he was still a Corsino in my eyes. There was no way I’d ever trust him.
“You’re right, I don’t,” I answered honestly. “My family does things differently than yours, especially when it comes to business. What all do you know about this Tony Greco?”
I found a parking spot, and we got out. “Not much. My father’s been a little tight-lipped about him.” He met my gaze, and I could see the truth on his face. “From what I can tell, the guy’s a fucking douche and shady as shit. I don’t like him.” I wanted to tell him what I knew about Greco, just to test him, but I couldn’t, not when it could interfere with my plans. Dominic’s brows furrowed. “Why do you ask?”
“Just curious,” I said, keeping my face blank. “I’ve never heard of him before.”
We made it to the restaurant and walked inside. Isaiah stood by the front door, keeping watch out on the street. The whole place was empty except for us. Anthony and Tony were at a table in the middle of the place with two waiters already serving them wine.
