Chapter 21
TWENTY-ONE
I t’s been two days since my visit to Mosaique, where I made the mistake of asking Milo if he was a mole. Of course, that thought has been swimming in my head ever since– I still can’t let that shit go. Even though Milo denied it, there was something about his reaction that didn’t sit right with me.
It’s why I reached out to Gracie Lucchese. Her expert hacking skills make her the perfect ally and since she’s the daughter— adoptive daughter —of Maxton Lucchese, one of my dad’s best friends, she’s the only person I trust with this information.
Gracie taps away on her keyboard, her curly blonde hair concealing her features. Several windows pop open across the three screens sitting in front of her. My eyes dart from one to the other, but I have no idea what I’m looking at since it’s all in code. The setup is impressive, though. The room we’re in sits in the back of her tattoo studio, concealed behind a secure door that very few people get to see. I actually feel honored being here, because Gracie is a closed book the majority of the time.
“So, Lani’s joining the police, huh?” Gracie asks before taking a sip from her water bottle.
“Yeah,” I huff. I’m still not sure where I stand when it comes to my sister and joining the police. A part of me is still pissed that she didn’t tell me, while the other part is pleased that she’s actually doing something she wants to. My dad’s thoughts on the topic are still fractured. He thinks that this is an act of defiance, a betrayal in the worst form. For me, I see it as an opportunity, and I voiced that to my dad earlier today.
He can’t just cut Lani out of the family and he knows it. He was hurt and he reacted, but he’ll come around. No doubt my sister didn’t help the situation. She’s so explosive when it comes to her emotions that she probably pushed dad’s buttons further when he confronted her.
It’s been a week since Dad stormed into Lani’s apartment and refused to accept her decision to join the NYPD. From what he told me today, he knows he didn’t handle the situation well, but I honestly can’t blame him. I understand why he reacted the way he did, and without a full explanation, anyone would’ve done the same. Myself included.
But dad has had time to collect himself and re-evaluate that day. He wants to make amends with my sister, but we both know that won’t happen immediately. Alanis needs to calm down as well, and I’m hoping tonight I can help.
“Vee!”
I snap my focus back to Gracie. “What?”
She frowns back at me. “Your guy is clean. So clean, he’s a damn ghost.”
“Ghost?” I bend down to get a better look at the screen she’s working on. It displays Milo’s dangerously captivating face, his features a lot brighter in the photo than in real life. Darkness evades his brown eyes, no hint of tiredness or danger.
Though I don’t fully understand how we’re looking at him on screen if he’s a so-called ghost.
“This is a passport photo taken five years ago,” she explains, pulling up the passport application. “Before that, there’s no record of him.”
“How is that possible?” I whisper.
“My best guess is he’s hiding from someone.” She shrugs, spinning around in her chair.
“Or he’s hiding something,” I say the thought aloud.
“Yeah,” she agrees quietly. “But I don’t think he’s your mole. Why don’t you ask Roman or Kill?”
I lean back against the wall with a huff, still staring at the screen. I contemplate telling Gracie the truth, but that would mean admitting something I’m not ready to say out loud. We chose not to meet our mole for a reason, so even me looking into Milo could draw the wrong kind of attention. I don’t know why I care so much about that, but the fact I’ve sunk my dick into him more than once is a clear indication that I’m not being as careful as I need to be.
“Can we keep this between just us two for now?”
Gracie’s brows furrow— or they would if they weren’t covered by the oversized beanie sitting on her head. “Something you need to get off your chest?” she quizzes, leaning back in her chair. Her lips curl up into a gentle smile, making my own mirror hers.
“Nope,” I reply, too quickly. “I’m just being cautious.” Pushing off the wall, I open the door to her office to leave when she speaks up.
Her attention is on the screens in front of her, a smirk playing on her lips. “Pretty sure that’s what condoms are for, Vee.”
* * *
R oman’s fight nights are proving a greater success than any of us originally thought was possible. That’s both a good thing and a dangerous thing, because while Roman is reclaiming his position and reputation in the city, it’s going to attract the attention of the Russians. I’ve already made the decision that I’m going to speak to him about the mole situation. I know we all agreed to let Roman’s Uncle Cillian deal with it, but I’m wary that we could be about to walk over a landmine.
I march up the steps that lead to the mezzanine that Roman has designed for VIPs—the VIPs being us . When I reach the top, I spot my best friend immediately, only he’s preoccupied with my sister. I take a deep breath, steadying myself. I know what I need to do.
Roman’s busy nuzzling my sister when I drop onto the seat beside them, not caring that I’m interrupting their little moment. “Get a fucking room,” I grumble with a smile.
Roman rolls his eyes, repositioning my sister on the couch before he stands up, shooting me a glare. He knows that things have been rocky all week between Lani and me, and it was his idea initially for me to come tonight to make amends. I wasn’t going to, until I remembered that this shit isn’t about me, it’s about our family.
“I’ll get us some drinks,” he murmurs, kissing Lani’s temple.
I stare straight ahead, thinking about how I’m going to start. Usually things between me and my twin are seamless. Nothing we say ever has to make sense because we’re always on the same wavelength. We never go a day without talking, and this week has been agony for me. I know it’s been awful for her too. I’ve been putting my own emotions first, essentially putting her through the ringer.
The music increases in tempo, thrusting its beats around the warehouse. I glance sideways, noticing the way Alanis is fumbling with her hands in her lap. I hate how awkward I’ve made this for us, but I really needed to take a step back before I blew up on her. As much as I understand why dad reacted the way he did, Alanis doesn’t need me doing the same. We shared a fucking womb for eight months, our connection runs deeper than just the blood in our veins.
Sliding my hand into my jacket pocket, I wrap my fingers around the leather box dad gave me earlier. He wanted to be the one to give it to Lani, but knowing how delicate she’d be, I took the responsibility on myself, risking her wrath. I have no idea how she’s going to react, but here goes nothing.
Smirking, I hand the box to her. “I’m not going to pretend I’m not pissed about this,” I explain.
“Vee, I?—”
I hold a hand up in the air, not to be rude, but because I need to get this out. Alanis always gets to have her say, but it’s my turn. “For the record, I’m not pissed that you want to be a cop,” I add, sending her a pointed look. “I’m pissed that you felt you couldn’t tell me.”
“Would it have made a difference?” she asks genuinely.
I shrug before leaning forward to rest my elbows on my knees, linking my hands together. “I think it might have been easier on both of us. I could’ve helped with Dad, saved the headache that he gives me on a daily basis about his little girl betraying him.”
Lani winces, and I can tell how much it hurts to hear me say those words.“I never set out to betray anyone,” she croaks.
The admission pulls at the muscle in my chest. The only time I’ll acknowledge it’s there is where my sister is concerned.
“I have my reasons… I just…” She takes a deep breath like she’s about to explain more, but I see how hard it is for her.
“I get it,” I say with a nod. I don’t need to know more than she’s willing to tell, and I won’t push her for it, either. Knowing I’m here for her is enough, and she knows that when she’s ready to tell me, I’ll be here to listen.
Her brows crease like she’s trying to figure out my angle.
“But just in case you forgot,” I say, gesturing towards the leather box she’s still clutching. “I’m not Dad.”
I place my hand over hers, sympathy etched in my gaze. After a week of silence and our awkward encounter at Mosaique, it’s about time we cleared the air and returned to our usual sibling relationship where we annoy one another, take care of each other, and everything in between.
“Don’t you want to know why?” she asks me.
I shake my head. Truthfully, I do want to know why she wants to go against Dad, but it’s not up to me. Whatever Lani’s reasons are, I don’t want her to feel like she has to divulge them. I gesture to the box in her hands. “You’re your own person, Lani. I know you better than anyone, so I know your reasons for doing this must be justified. I don’t need to know why, sis. I trust you.”
Alanis shoots forward to wrap her arms around my neck. I bring my own around her, holding her tightly. “I hope you know what you’re doing,” I sigh, pulling away from her.
“Me too,” she murmurs, glancing back at the box.
“Are you gonna open the damn thing or what?” I snort.
She nods emphatically, prying the box open like a child at Christmas. A gasp escapes her when her eyes land on Mom’s watch, an effortless gold piece that was once our grandma’s. It’s a tradition in our family to gift a watch as a symbol of respect. It’s recognition that what you’re about to do will be worth your time, and that fact is acknowledged by those around you. It’s a symbol of pride, acceptance from one generation to the other.
Lani’s lip wobbles as her fingers stroke over the glistening metal, completely speechless—which is the biggest shock of all.
“Give him time, Lani,” I urge, setting a hand on her shoulder. “He’ll come around.”
“You think so?” she asks hopefully.
It’s funny to hear her say that with so much hope, especially after how things went last week. Even if they’re at odds all the time, the love they have for one another is still there. “Despite what you might think, you’ll always be daddy’s precious girl.”
She rolls her eyes, scoffing at the statement. Then her eyes round with worry as she glances at the watch again. “Does mom know?” she gulps.
I nod, smiling gently. “It’ll be okay. I’ll make sure of it.”
“Thanks,” she murmurs. “I appreciate it.”
I lean back on the couch just as Roman returns with our drinks, relief painted across his face when he finds that we haven’t killed each other.
For the rest of the evening, we watch the fights on the floor below us. The scent of alcohol and blood taints the air, but contentment settles over me as I watch Roman and Alanis wrap themselves around one another. My thoughts instantly gravitate towards Milo. I know I need to speak to Roman and voice my concerns over what Gracie found earlier, but now isn’t the right time. Though I don’t even know when the right time is anymore.
By the time the fights are done and we’re heading over to Gemini Club, I’ve talked myself out of bringing up Milo’s empty past. My worries are still there, but if the guys knew I was delving deeper, they’d know something was up. They trust Cillian to deliver, and I’m running the risk of messing with that system. I’d not only be offending Cillian’s work, but exposing myself, and that’s just not an option.