Chapter 1 – Althea #2
“What’s in this for you?” I ask, hating the tightness in my voice as I speak.
He shrugs his shoulder. “Put in a good word with Caspien for me. My father has been dead two years. It’s time to revisit our alliances and forge new partnerships.
When you get the answers you seek—the proof Annanias is alive—you’ll get me an audience with your father.
Then the men can discuss what payments should be made to the man who helped find his son. ”
My jaw clenches. I’m certain he can hear my teeth grinding as I fight to keep my composure and not teach this fucker a lesson in respecting the opposite sex.
Like most made men, he hates that my papa gives me freedom to do as I please.
He doesn’t see me as a bargaining chip or a breeding ground to further his kingdom.
But most of all, they hate the fact that my father takes my advice into consideration.
A woman who speaks her mind and is heard can be a very dangerous thing in our world.
“I’ll hear your friend out. But I make no promises when it comes to Papa.” I reply. “I can ask for a meeting, but I can’t guarantee he’ll entertain the idea. After all, you and your father did a fine job of pissing Papa off the last time.”
“I’m sure you can influence his decision.” When I lift my shoulder in a noncommittal response, Sebastian clenches his jaw and squints his eyes at me.
“If your source has information I want, sure. But I’m not sure you or your friend can satisfy my needs.
” His eyes darken and his nostrils flare.
Pissing him off brings a fluttery feeling of giddiness to my belly.
I bat my eyelashes and sip my, now cold, coffee innocently.
I can tell he’s dying to say what he really thinks, but to do so would jeopardize any chance he has of meeting with Papa.
Don’t piss off the princess.
“Keep your phone on. I’ll let him know you’ll be waiting for his call.
” Those are his parting words as he turns away to leave.
Two seconds later, I feel Drew and Liam both approach from behind.
I knew they were there. I felt their presence the moment Sebastian started speaking to me.
They may have learned their lesson in leaving me to my morning ritual, but they’ve never actually left me alone.
I assume they moved in as soon as they recognized Sebastian was here. Probably before I even noticed him.
“You good?” Drew asks.
“Yeah. I’m good.” The words come out easily, but we both know they are a lie.
I haven’t been good since that asshole mentioned someone knows the truth about Annanias’s disappearance or the fact he knows I’m looking for him.
Every time I think about my brother being alive and alone all these years, my heart aches.
The guilt I carry sits on my chest like a weighted vest.
If I hadn’t broken my arm.
If the guards hadn’t run to take care of me.
If Annanias hadn’t been left alone.
“What did that asshole want?” Liam asks.
Pulling me from my haunted memories. He’s standing in front of me, scrutinizing me.
Both men have been my guards long enough that they know the signs when I’m close to the edge.
When he’s convinced I’m not about to go off half-cocked and shoot the prick, he pulls out the chair and takes a seat.
Drew follows suit and takes the chair beside me.
Without missing a beat, Jovie comes to the table and delivers two cups of coffee to my men and a fresh espresso for me, removing my now cold one.
“Bless you,” I say, reaching for the cup and immediately taking a sip, allowing the hot liquid burning my throat to ground me.
She smiles as she walks away. The scorching hot beverage is not the punishment my body craves when the reminders of what could have or should have been plague my mind.
It will have to do for now. I’ll talk to Chloe about getting me into the club on a guest pass later and see if I can’t find someone who knows how to wield a cane to make me forget all my troubles for a bit.
After several sips, I put the cup down. “He claims he has an informant who knows something about Annanias’s disappearance. Offered to set up a meeting with him in exchange for my putting in a word with Papa for him.”
“Caspien hates the Malgeri family. I don’t see how you’ll be able to come through on your end of the deal.” Liam says.
“You know the likelihood that this guy knowing anything is slim to none. Annanias has been gone for too long. Sebastian was too young to know anything of real merit. Hell, the chances of your brother being still alive are …”
“Are high enough,” I snap at Drew. “His body was never found.” Drew opens his mouth to speak, but my hand in the air stops him.
“I know you don’t believe me. No one does.
But he’s not dead. I can’t explain to you how I know—I just fucking know.
And until I find his body or actual proof of his death, I’m not giving up. ”
“Caspien is going to lose his shit when he finds out this is the reason you’ve applied for the forensics job and refuse to move back to Vegas,” Liam reminds me for the ten thousandth time.
“Maybe. But if I can get the job at the precinct and gain access to the forensic department, I’ll have access to their database legally .
Then maybe I can get the closure we all need.
” It’s not exactly the reason I want this job.
I’m not looking for closure. I’m looking for proof.
Someone stole my brother and then covered their tracks.
They didn’t use him as leverage for a deal or ask for a ransom.
Papa never let Annanias’s disappearance reach the news outlets.
For a long time, no one knew he was even missing.
Papa did have the policemen he has on the payroll searching. They found nothing .
How does a child disappear in a park full of people without someone seeing something?
I learned something new about the man responsible just before I left for college.
I heard Papa talking about it while he was drunk one night in his study.
He and my uncle Alastor were reminiscing, and Annanias’s name came up.
The man who took him worked for the Venatti family.
Bash wasn’t lying about their connection to Annanias’s disappearance.
Like everyone else, the man had come to Vegas attempting to work a deal with Papa for the casinos.
Only the man in question was just a soldier.
He had no actual rank or authority to make a deal.
He was trying to use Papa to help him climb the ladder.
When Papa shut him down, he made a mockery of the man.
As punishment for his humiliation, the man took Annanias.
Knowing this man was connected to the Venatti family is what helped me determine where I was going to go to college.
The Venatti run Dallas and several of the areas surrounding the metroplex.
But without a name, or evidence found at the scene, I haven’t been able to get too far in my mission to find the bastard, or my brother.
I know they all think I’ve lost my mind, but I can’t let this feeling go. Whatever happened to my brother, I’m going to find out. No matter what it costs me.