by Karen Renee
“But you don’t deny doing the crime. Why are you here?”
Debenedetti looked at me. “Raegan. I haven’t seen you since you were four or five. You’re as pretty as your mother was when I first met her.”
I looked to Mom. “How do you know him?”
“Come sit down, honey. It’s a long story.”
“Which should wait until after we find out why he’s here,” Clint put in.
“Impatient as ever, Ramsey,” Debenedetti said, but moved to the recliner so he could see me and Mom better.
I sat down next to Mom, and Clint leaned into a hand on the back of the couch. “You’re here because...”
“It’s been brought to my attention that someone wants Raegan dead.”
“Pretty sure her abduction outside Target made that clear.”
His eyes shot to Clint. “I understand it was botched.”
“Be better to understand why you’re here.”
“There are new groups infringing on my business. One of these groups took the contract to eliminate Raegan.”
“You need to share that with the Sheriff’s office.”
He leveled a look at Clint indicating that wasn’t going to happen. “Payment wasn’t received, and that’s why Raegan was returned.”
“I don’t think Mom needs to—”
Mom looked at me. “Don’t you dare, Raegan. I need to know what’s going on, blood pressure be damned.”
“So, whoever wants Raegan harmed didn’t pay. Do you know why?”
Debenedetti pressed his lips together for a moment. “Seems this group wants payment for Bronwyn’s death, but —”
“What?” I cried. “Who would want me and my sister dead?”
Debenedetti’s expression turned somber. “Mistaken identity. You were expected to be in town on Labor Day.”
My stomach pitched and I sank back in the sofa. “You’re joking,” I whispered.
“This doesn’t make sense. How could there be mistaken identity? Bronwyn worked out like a fiend and was thin as a rail.”
Debenedetti shook his head. “I don’t know how such an egregious mistake happened. I only know they wanted payment for both hits, and since full payment wasn’t received, that’s why Raegan is still here.”
“Orange County Sheriff’s Office will want to know all this,” Clint said.
“Will they? With Gaspar as the lead detective? He’s got a closed case.”
“They’d reopen it —”
“All I’ve told you is hearsay.”
“I’m sure the Organized Crime unit would be interested.”
Debenedetti shook his head. “You’re right, but even you wouldn’t report this. You step over the lines when it suits you and when you know you won’t get caught.”
“This is crazy. If someone here wants to harm me, I should just head back to New York.”
Mom and Debenedetti turned to me, but I could feel the irritated vibe coming from Clint. I looked over my shoulder at him and his eyes glittered at me.
“You can’t run. At least here, we can keep you safe,” he said, but at the end of his statement his eyes widened, and I knew he wanted to know ‘what about us?’
I sighed. “You’re right, but I don’t like the idea of these people coming after me here and putting Mom in danger.”
My focus shifted to Debenedetti when he spoke. “For what it’s worth, it’s gotten around that you belong to Ramsey. That doesn’t get you as much protection as you might think, but I’m letting it be known you have my protection, too.”
“We don’t want it,” Clint bit out.
Mom looked over her shoulder at Clint. “Now why would you say a fool thing like that?”
“Not gonna owe him anything.”
“I do this for Penelope. It was a shame when Shane died so suddenly. He was an excellent accountant.”
“He only worked for you for one year. I’m surprised you even knew about his death,” Mom muttered.
“He was a lucky man to have you, Penelope.”
A vague memory hit me. Mom had picked me up from school, but Wynnie wasn’t with us for some reason. She had taken me to the grocery store, and as we were leaving, he showed up. There hadn’t been any air-kisses, rather, he gave her a loud kiss on her cheek.
Now, I turned to Mom and I could swear she was blushing.
“I was the lucky one. Shane was a good man, and a fantastic father.”
“Not to cut in on memory lane, but you’re getting up there in age, and word on the street is it’s time for you to move on. Is your protection gonna mean much, Debenedetti?”
He narrowed his eyes. “I’m not moving on anytime soon, Ramsey. My word still means something on the street.”
Clint sighed. “Why do I think there’s something you’re not telling us?”
His cheek ticked for a moment before he shook his head. “I’m giving you everything I know, which is more than you had twenty minutes ago.”
I shook my head. “It doesn’t make sense. How could they make it look like she drown? And without Mom hearing anything funny?”
Debenedetti gave me a sympathetic look. “Hate to tell you this, sweetheart, but it’s not that hard to break into this house.”
Clint groaned at him calling me ‘sweetheart’.
“Still, how do you make it look like she drown?”
His head wobbled from side to side, but Clint spoke first.
“Logically, the ME’s looking for cause of death. Body found in a tub, they look for water in her lungs. I’ll see if I can find out if they got the results on her stomach contents, but I suspect Gaspar would’ve pushed for a quick report since the logical explanation is drowning. And he’s all about his close rate.”
“Gaspar is as dirty as they come,” a strange voice said, and I realized it was the huge man from the foyer.
“Jason,” Debenedetti muttered to the man.
Then Mom said, “He didn’t seem that way when he was here.”
Clint shook his head. “He wouldn’t, since you’re the victim’s mother.”
Debenedetti stood. “Penelope, it was good to see you. I wish I were here with happier news, but I must get going. Don’t you worry about a thing. You either, Rae-Rae.”
I looked at him from the corner of my eye. Nobody called me that, except Wynnie. He rounded the couch before I could respond.
Clint watched him, then followed him to the front door.
I glanced at Mom. “How do you know him?”
She grinned. “I’ll tell you later, dear. Such a large breakfast has me feeling like a nap.”
“You are kidding,” I said as she stood.
She smiled down at me. “We’ll talk later. Promise.”
Clint
I CLOSED THE DOOR BEHIND me as I stepped onto the porch with Tommy and his goon.
“If you’re going to have Raegan at your place again, let me know.”
Anger bubbled within me. “Why are you keepin’ tabs on me, Debenedetti?”
He leveled a stern look at me. “I’m keeping tabs on Penelope. She means something to me, and so do her daughters.”
My head cocked to the side. “Funny. Raegan looked like she didn’t know you from Adam.”
He nodded. “You’re right. It’s a sad thing. But I care about the Connelly family. And keeping Raegan safe and getting justice for Bronwyn is a key focus for me right now. Losing a child should never happen to any parent, but I’ve experienced that loss and the word ‘rough’ doesn’t cover it. Make no mistake, Ramsey, I’m your ally, not your enemy.”
I didn’t believe him. “What aren’t you telling us? You don’t do shit like this for no good reason.”
He stared at me for a long moment. “I’ve told you as much as I can. Raegan’s in danger, but as long as you stick with her or have someone on her, she should be safe.”
“Should be isn’t good enough.”
“On that, we’re agreed. So, don’t fuck up.”
I stared across the street for a moment. “This
is a stretch, but does her ex-husband have something to do with this?”
His brows furrowed and he shook his head. “I don’t know about an ex-husband. Know the hit was ordered from out of town. No idea where yet.”
I glared at him. “Keep me posted. No need for breaking in here again.”
He nodded. “That’s fine. But, if you’re not gonna be here for them at night, tell me.”
I lifted my chin, even though I wasn’t cool with that at all.
Back in the living room, I found Raegan sprawled on the couch. “Where’s your mom?”
Her eyes opened. “Taking a nap! I mean of all the days and of all the times, now she wants a mid-day snooze!”
I joined her on the couch, pulling her into my arms. “Lower your voice, Rae.”
“Fine,” she said much lower. “But who was that guy? And how does he know Mom, let alone my dad?”
I shook my head. “Those are all questions I wanted to ask Penny.”
She pushed up on an elbow. “He made it sound like he really cared about Mom. But he’s so much younger than her. Do you think she was a cougar or something before meeting my Dad?”
I barely contained my laughter. “No, I don’t think that. My hunch is that your father worked for Debenedetti when things first started out. Your father figured out he wasn’t entirely legit and distanced himself from that.”
She folded her arms on my chest and put her chin on top of her hands. “But how does Mom play into this?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. But we’ll ask her after she wakes up. Now how about you kiss me?”
She smirked at me before she complied. I had intended for it to be a decent kiss, but it turned into a make-out session with hands under shirts and a raging hard-on in my pants by the time I pulled away.
Her eyes held a familiar look. Part dazed, part hungry, and I loved that. Hell, I loved her.
I tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “In case I haven’t told you. I love you, Raegan.”
The dazed look gave way to surprise. She closed her eyes for a moment and after a deep breath she opened them. “I’ve always loved you, Clint.”
“Even when you were married?” I asked, but wished I could pull it back. I hadn’t meant to throw that out there, and it was dirty pool on my part. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that,” I whispered.
She reached up and cupped my cheek. “No. Don’t be. It’s weird or maybe it says nothing good about me, but even when I was married, I still loved you, in some way. I thought I loved my husband, but looking back, we didn’t have a healthy relationship. So, right or wrong, I’ve never stopped loving you.”
In an odd way, that made me feel ten feet tall. I gave her a tight hug. Then I tagged the remote from the arm of the couch and turned on an NFL Pre-Game show.
Raegan snuggled her cheek against my chest. She kept blinking her eyes, and I sensed she was drowsy.
To my surprise, she blurted, “You changed your cologne.”
She stiffened and raised her head a little. Regret written across her face, and I gave her a squeeze to reassure her.
Then, she lowered her eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that.”
I squeezed her again. “It’s okay, baby. And, just to say, you changed your perfume.”
She turned her eyes up to me. “I always liked variety. That hasn’t really changed.”
I arched a brow. “Well, many things change in nine years, honey.”
She settled against me again, mumbling, “Yeah.”
With my free hand, I muted the TV, which got me her attention again. I set the remote on the coffee table.
“You aren’t planning to go back to New York, are you? I didn’t say anything in front of company, but that won’t help what we’re rebuilding.”
She nodded. “Yeah. I realized that as soon as you glared at me. So, I’m sorry I said that. I just can’t believe someone wants me dead.” She tried to sit up, but I wouldn’t let her. She shook her head at me. “And can you believe some dumbass killed my sister because they thought it was me? God, I could kill myself for taking that damned interview. I should have fucking been here!”
I rubbed her back. “Honey, you’ve got to calm down. I’m not happy that Wynnie’s dead, but I’d be fucking devastated if it had been you.”
She stared at me for a moment before face-planting into my chest.
“God,” she mumbled into my shirt. “When I think this shit couldn’t get any worse, I’m always so damn wrong.”
It took some effort, but I rotated so she had her back on the couch and I loomed over her. “You can’t think that way, baby. Murder is the worst thing there is, and you knew her death wasn’t an accident, and we both know she wasn’t the type to commit suicide. So, stop. Everything about her death is the worst, but dwelling on that doesn’t get us anywhere. We have to focus on what we can do to make this better.”
Her eyes went to the side, and back to me. “Well, if you have ideas, I’m all ears, Clint.”
I slid my nose alongside hers for a moment. “Pains me to say it, but I think we should be at my place. Let your mother be here, and if Tommy has someone he can set up to keep tabs on the house, we should do that.”
Her eyes widened and I knew she was gearing up to argue. I put a finger on her lips.
“Just wait a moment. There are things you don’t know about Debenedetti, though you probably put it together that he’s not a good guy.”
She nodded.
“He wants to keep Penny safe. I think we should let him. Gives me one less thing to worry about. Well, that’s not true. It gives me one less woman to protect.”
She turned her head away as she rolled her eyes. Since that move exposed her neck, I took advantage and nuzzled her.
“I’m serious,” I said as I pulled away.
“Are both of us that hard to protect?”
I arched my eyebrows. “With this split floorplan, a little bit. But, if you’re the target, getting you away from Penny isn’t a bad idea. I just don’t want you away from me.”
Her head started bobbing with short nods. “Yeah. Okay, that’s probably a good idea.”
“Good. When Penny gets up, we’ll ask her about her connection to Tommy, and make arrangements.”
“All right. Are we going to take a nap, too, in the meantime?”
I grinned. “Was gonna watch some football... but, I could spend some time in your bed with you not sleeping, if you’re up for that.”
Her body beneath me jostled with a silent chuckle. “If I get a nap afterward, I could go for that. Especially since Mom mentioned I missed out on shower shenanigans with you this morning.”
I planted my face in the crook of her neck as I laughed at that visual. “God, I forgot how damn funny you and your mother are together.”
Chapter 18
Another Missive
Raegan
MY EYES OPENED WHEN I felt a warm finger trailing my jawline. That feeling reminded me of other things Clint did with his finger before we took a nap. I wanted a repeat, but I knew we didn’t have time for that.
Clint’s eyes moved from watching his finger to my eyes. “Your Mom’s up, sleepyhead. You ready to find out how she knows a criminal mastermind?”
I chuckled. “Never thought I’d hear that question pertaining to Mom.”
Clint shook his head once. “Never thought I’d ask it, baby.”
I leaned up on an elbow. “No time like the present, but after I hit the bathroom. Okay?”
In the living room, I found Mom giving Clint a hard look. “I don’t see how it’s any of your business, Clint.”
I looked between the two of them but settled my gaze on him. “Did you start without me?”
“Not exactly. You’d have been here in time hear what she had to say.”
Mom arched a brow at me. “It’s none of your business, either, Rae.”
My mouth fell open. “Really? I remember you meeting him outside a grocery store a long time
ago. I was five or six at the time. How on earth do you know him, because I’m pretty sure that happened before Dad worked for him.”
She glowered at me for a moment before she spoke.
“I worked for the school system as an assistant to an ESE teacher when you went into kindergarten. And one of the children I helped happened to be Tommy’s daughter.”
Clint’s face was guarded. “Okay. How does that equate to your husband working for him as an accountant? And him keeping tabs on you, but not keeping in touch, because I, for one, know you’re a woman who’s good at staying in touch when you’re determined to do it.”
She looked abashed for a moment. “I would rather Raegan not hear the rest.”
My eyes widened. “Are you crazy? There’s someone out there who wants me dead and I don’t know why. Whatever you have to tell us can’t be any crazier than that!”
She stared at me. “I suppose I got off lucky that Wynnie never found out.”
My brows furrowed.
“Penny,” Clint murmured, and I looked to him. His face contained a bizarre cross of sympathy and disbelief directed at Mom.
She looked at Clint, sighed, and then looked at her lap as though she were ashamed.
My heart felt like a lead weight. “Were you... you couldn’t have been... involved with him? When Wynnie and I were kids?”
She pressed her lips together. “Your father lost his job because he’d been caught having an affair with a coworker.”
I edged around the couch to sit down. “So, you returned the favor?”
She closed her eyes while shaking her head.
“Not exactly.”
I stared at her as the silence stretched.
Her eyes caught mine. “Tommy never married his daughter’s mother. He didn’t have any real custodial rights, but she was a negligent mother from the jump. Libby was born with many preventable conditions, had her mother not used drugs throughout the pregnancy. Tommy had no idea he was the father until Beth showed up seven months pregnant.”
“Okay,” I drawled.
“By the time I met Libby, Tommy was trying to gain custody, and unlike Beth, he gave a damn about Libby’s education. But more than that, he knew things were not good at Beth’s house, and—”
