14. Stephanie Hollis #2
Kyle laughed for us both. “Nice one. Our father, the numbers nerd, FBI.” He continued to chuckle and rubbed his good eye. “Sure. FBI.”
“It’s not a joke,” I mumbled. “He was outed. It’s why mother and father were killed. Or at least that’s what Miceli’s PI thinks.”
Kyle grew serious. “You’re older than me, wouldn’t you have known?” He extended his arms across the table. “Come on, Steph, you’re not believing this, are you?”
His questions had merit. I’m the eldest. If father was FBI the whole time, that would mean for the past twenty, or twenty-two years of both our lives, he was undercover in the Table.
“Who else would want father killed if he wasn’t FBI?
You and I both know that entire story about daddy embezzling money is a farce, right?
” Plus, if it was only daddy taking the money, why did our mom have to die or why did they shoot Kyle?
“I don’t know.” He shook his head. The furrow between his brows became a wince of pain. “We were almost killed yesterday. We’re missing something huge here. I have a feeling it’s somewhere between stolen money and being ratted out.”
I could work with his assumption. What if he was right?
What if what Miceli’s friend found was a plant by one of the other families?
What if they were hoping to draw us out into the open, thinking Miceli would leave us with Witness Protection?
“It could be a trap.” Fear twisted my stomach once more.
“Whoever killed our parents could lay a bigger trap and if we continue to follow the trail, we’re next, including Miceli. ”
“Now you’re thinking.” The good corner of Kyle’s mouth kicked up before dropping with a hiss. “So, what do you want to do about it?”
Miceli was gone for the day. He had to go back to the office and Rocca was taking the day off.
If I called Miceli and told him what our suspicions were, he’d come home, which might be dodgy too.
I glanced at the clock over the stove. It was only a little after ten.
We still had the whole day in front of us.
“We wait. I don’t think it’s safe to talk anywhere away from this property. ”
“Agreed.” Kyle scratched the back of his head. “I need to go do some schoolwork, so it looks like I’m trying.”
I grunted. “Call me if you need help. I’m not sure doing it with one eye closed is the smart way to pass a class.”
“Oh, ha-ha,” Kyle muttered. “Asshole.”
“That’s loveable asshole to you, dick face.” I stuck my tongue out at him.
As he closed the door to his room, he flipped me off. His rough, pain-filled chuckle relaxed and disturbed me. I knew his injuries weren’t as bad as they seemed, but if he wasn’t better by morning, I’d make sure the doctor was brought out to see him.
Placing my cup in the sink, I went to grab a shower to untangle my thoughts.
Before I got to my room, a knock came at the door.
I wasn’t expecting anyone. Neither was Kyle.
In fact, before Miceli left, he specifically said no one would bother us, and I should rest. Same for my brother.
The knock came again, and Kyle popped out of his room, ready for whoever might step into our home.
“It’s Robbie,” Robbie said. “Miceli is back. He wants to see you both at the main house. Something has happened.”
I glanced at Kyle, who rolled his shoulders but didn’t move, nor would he allow me to pass him. With a slight shake of his head, he said loud enough for Robbie to hear, “How do we know this isn’t a trap?”
Robbie laughed. “Kid, you’ve got balls. I saved your ass yesterday when you left with your sister. I wouldn’t be bothering you if it wasn’t true. Look, text the boss. He’ll confirm.”
I went to my room where I’d left my phone and grabbed the device, sending a brief text to Miceli. “I won’t open the door until he answers.”
“Not a problem, princess.”
Chewing on my thumbnail, I tapped my foot impatiently waiting for my message to be read and for Miceli to tell me whether or not it was safe. When his response of pulling in now came through, I rejoined Kyle and nodded. “Give us ten. I need to change.” I guess a shower would have to wait.
It didn’t take long to pull on some clean clothes.
All the items Kyle and I purchased the day before were placed in our rooms at some point.
I was grateful. When I stepped out of my room, I took Kyle’s hand and exited the cottage.
There Robbie stood. Miceli was at the backdoor of the main house waiting for us.
Well, at least for the moment, we weren’t stepping into a trap.
“Do you know what this is about?” I peered up at Robbie. “Miceli said he’d be gone most of the day.”
“I know,” Robbie agreed. “I don’t know either. Must not be good if he came home.”
I exhaled and nodded. “Yeah, I thought the same.”
Miceli
I’d officially sat in my office for two hours before the call came in from Ellory.
Brooke was dead. Her body washed up along the river, late last night/earlier this morning.
The exact day she died was still undetermined.
However, they found one distinguishing mark on her arm.
She’d been drugged, it appeared. Overdose was the rumored cause.
Of course, no one would know what drug had been injected until the toxicology came back with definite answers.
Interesting how that happens.
The one person who was seen entering one of Alphonso Tripoli’s properties only a short while ago, then disappearing before washing ashore from an apparent overdose.
And, on the same day, Stephanie and Kyle were attacked by Alphonso Tripoli’s men.
One incident is a coincidence. Two, well, to me, that was a conspiracy.
Worried and surprised by the turn of events, I rushed home.
I wanted Stephanie and Kyle at the main house so I could tell them the news and to put us all on lockdown until I could get a better grip on what was going on.
There were only two scenarios in which Brooke died.
She outlived her usefulness and got greedy or Alphonso was pissed because Stephanie and Kyle were still alive.
Both situations worked as far as I was concerned.
Brooke liked flashy bobbles and lived for gossip, trading said information to the highest bidder—securing her lifestyle.
As soon as Stephanie stepped out of the house, Kyle right beside her, I knew it was the latter.
They were meant to either be delivered to Alphonso or killed.
When neither happened, Brooke paid the price.
I stepped aside to let them in. Kyle looked worse for wear, while Stephanie appeared tired and scared.
I was selfish with her. I’d been so damn adamant about imprinting myself on her the night before.
I hadn’t let her get much sleep. Now, I wondered if perhaps I’d only hurt her more.
“I’m sorry to bother both of you,” I said, closing and locking the door behind me.
“Let’s talk in my office, where we won’t be disturbed.
” Less than a day ago, I had Stephanie spread out across my desk, fucking her.
Heat filled my cheeks like a naughty schoolboy.
I’d almost laughed when I noticed the pink in her cheeks as well. At least we had one fond memory.
“What’s going on?” Stephanie hedged. “I thought you were going to be at the office all day.”
I’d been prepared for the same thing. Sitting behind my desk, in the chair I’d done depraved things with Stephanie on, inflamed the embers of my arousal. I needed to concentrate on the issue at hand, not my raging libido.
“Ellory called. He said there’d been an incident last night.” I folded my hands, gathering my thoughts while also debating the right way to tell Stephanie Brooke was dead. “A body washed up along the shore.”
Stephanie gasped while Kyle sat up a little straighter.
Seated side by side, there was no way anyone could miss who they were—now that I had the truth about them.
No, they weren’t children anymore. They were adults who’d lost everything of value to them because of a stupid game they’d been thrown into the middle of.
“Do you know who it was?” Kyle asked before his sister could.
“Yes.” Saying her name would cause questions. I hoped I’d proven myself to them from the moment they stepped foot onto my property. “It was Brooke.”
Stephanie’s eyes were round with shock, and her mouth fell open.
Beside her, Kyle grunted, slumping back into his chair.
For long moments, neither of us said anything.
I too was still in disbelief, no matter how practical I was about the situation.
Her death was sloppy. Brooke didn’t use drugs, nor would she ever start.
Whoever took her out would be caught sooner rather than later, which brought about other complications for the Table, and myself.
“According to rumors, she had a puncture wound in her arm, showing it could be an overdose.”
“Bullshit,” Stephanie said. “I don’t believe that. She was too mean to do drugs. She had a good life philandering with all of you men. Plus, she wasn’t strung out when she was around you. Besides, isn’t it a little too convenient she goes missing and then suddenly she washes up along the shore?”
I’d laugh if she hadn’t hit the nail on the head with her statement. “True. Unfortunately, for us, she was seen entering one of Alphonso Tripoli’s properties right before you were ambushed.”
“Tripoli was the guy who sent those assholes after us, right?” Kyle sneered. “Fucking bastard.”
“Indeed,” I agreed. “Between the information you shared with me yesterday along with the discovery last night... I’m not sure what game is being played here.”
“This is how it starts,” Stephanie whispered. “He’s cutting us off again. At least this time I have a who.”
She wasn’t making any sense to me. “What are you talking about, sweetheart?”
“Tripoli,” she answered. “People who get close to us die. It’s already happened before. The couple in the diner was first. Now Brooke. Then we were almost kidnapped. Or vice versa.”
I had to squelch her anxious ramblings before she did something stupid again, like run.
Running now would definitely get her into trouble, and I wouldn’t be able to get to her in time.
“No, you’re looking at it wrong. Whatever your father’s assignment was, got your parents killed and put you in danger’s way.
You have nothing to do with anyone being murdered. This is a vendetta—family business.”
“Speaking of that,” Kyle sat forward. “I don’t think the FBI bit is truthful.
I think that information is a plant.” Oh, to be so na?ve.
To believe one’s parents were so into the life, they couldn’t or wouldn’t betray their family or their status for the government.
“I think your friend stumble upon this grand story about our father in hopes you’d bring Stephanie and me to the FBI where they, whoever executed our parents, would be waiting. ”
I couldn’t deny his thought process had merit.
More so than I wanted to contemplate for the moment.
If he was correct in his assumption, there were more issues within the Table than I could clean out on my own.
“I believe what Ellory has told me and I agree with your assessment. So much so, I wouldn’t send you or your sister to the FBI for that exact reason.
More like, you and your sister would never outrun the families, especially Tripoli and his dirty crew. ”
“I hate this,” Stephanie snapped. “We’ve always been a mile behind whoever has been after us, Miceli!”
“I agree, however, getting angry now only plays into their twisted game. Killing Brooke was a trap. I believe Tripoli set the scene, so to speak, so when you found out, you’d leave me and be on the streets once again.
” Now to figure out what Theo Hollis had on the Tripoli family so I could take him down for good.
“What if daddy found out that Alphonso was embezzling money from other families not related to the Table or something equally bad?” She met my gaze. “Of everything daddy did, he was always good with numbers, and he’d never steal from anyone.”
No, he wouldn’t. Of that, I was sure. “Could be. The way your mother and father were murdered was passionate. He watched them die. He saw the moment they recognized him and the instant the life drained from their eyes. Your brother’s saving grace was the fact they didn’t know he was coming home early.
I’d wager, Kyle, they were waiting for you to leave for school before they made a move.
You were incidental to the main show.” I tilted my head to the side.
A spark of an idea hit me then. “Did you have cameras around the house?”
Stephanie looked to Kyle, who shrugged. “If we did, all the equipment would be in daddy’s office. Why?”
A slow grin spread across my face. “I believe, Ms. Hollis, we might have an ace up our sleeves.” I had to call Ellory.
We needed back into that mansion. Because, if I knew Theo Hollis as well as I thought I did, that man covered his ass regularly.
If we were lucky, we’d catch Alphonso Tripoli in all his glory killing an FBI agent. “Looks like all isn’t lost yet.”