Once we were alone, Andrea let out a sigh. “Down to two, huh?” She flinched. “I’m sounding like an idiot. I’m sorry. No wonder you’re not ecstatic about going in there—with me being a fool. I, just… My dad’s an ass with what he did, and I’m sorry he left you—”
I held up a hand, stopping her. “No. That’s not why I was in the car for so long.”
“Oh?” She leaned toward me.
“You were kidnapped.”
Her head bent down. “Oh.”
“They had you for so long, and I know you were tortured. I saw when I untied you.”
She stood there, frozen, like she wanted to disappear.
I could feel tears building. I could barely speak around them. “I am so sorry, Andrea. And I can’t…” How did I make this right? My face. That’s why she’d been taken. “I can’t make any of that go away. I—”
Andrea’s head came back up. Her eyes were stricken. “My dad left you behind. That’s been eating me up inside since I found out. I can’t, I can’t make that right. He’s been telling me more about our mom, and she sounds horrible. No wonder you can’t remember your childhood with her, and thank god your brother got you away from her. I—my dad left you there, and knowing you grew up in the foster system after AJ was killed? That haunts me. I can’t make that go away.”
My voice was soft. “You were tortured.”
“Not that much.”
“Andrea—”
“I wasn’t. Really. They left me alone most of the time. Yeah, they hit me sometimes, but they said it was for effect. They took a bunch of pictures, but then they left me alone.” She stopped and drew in a shuddering breath. “They were angry every day. I could hear them. They were arguing about me. They kept saying ‘it wasn’t working’—whatever that meant. Some wanted to kill me and be done with it, but others kept fighting back. They kept saying I was their ‘only leverage.’ I knew right away they thought I was you. I never told them I wasn’t.”
“You didn’t?”
“If I had, I think they would’ve killed me. They needed you alive for whatever they were trying to do. The cops keep asking me what I know, but I don’t know that much. Have they…” She faltered again and bit down on her lip. “They keep thinking I’m lying about that last night, but I’m not. You untied me. We went to the room, and they were going to kill all of us. It was them or us. Carter defended us.”
She’d been taken because of me. I would never let that burden go. “I am so sorry, Andrea.”
“Andy.”
“What?”
The corner of her lip turned upward. “Andy. Stop calling me Andrea. Please.”
“Andy.” I laughed. “Yeah. Okay.”
“And for everything else, it’ll be okay.”
My eyes clung to hers. Was she being honest? Was that the truth? Would everything be okay? I wanted to believe her. I did.
She reached out and squeezed my arm. “I have my sister. Whatever bad things happened, it was worth it. I have you back.”
My hand rested over hers, and I felt my head moving up and down. She was right. What happened, we’d deal with. I squeezed her hand. “I’m glad you came looking for me.”
“Me, too.” Tears slid down her face.
My face felt wet, too. I rolled my eyes, wiping my cheeks. “This is a great start to this dinner.”
Andrea laughed, throwing her head backward. “Come on.” She linked her elbow with mine and opened the door. “Our first family dinner. It’ll be interesting to say the least.”
As we went inside, she whispered in my ear, “I have so many friends itching to meet you and Carter. I’m the most popular one in our social circles because of you. I can’t wait for you to meet everyone. Next time, bring Carter.”
I laughed, but I didn’t respond. It would be a long time before any of them met Carter. I wasn’t ready to share my real family with this new one, not yet.
Cole and I stood side by side as we prepared to walk into the conference.
It was in a neutral building, in neutral territory, and we made damn sure it was the top floor. That way Cole and I could escape easier than any of the Mauricio elders. They were old and out of shape. We were far from that. The rule was no weapons. That was their condition, which made sense. I’d been their Cold Killer—but I hadn’t earned that name with only my 9mm. My hands helped, but they were tucked behind me as we walked through the doors of the building. Drake, Peter, and Michael remained out front. I wanted them close, but not within shooting range if something happened.
As we’d walked toward the building, we’d studied the terrain. I saw nothing. No snipers, no Mauricio soldiers hiding in wait. We’d scrutinized every vehicle and saw no one. The only cars were the black limousines each elder preferred to use when attending meetings like these. They were more intimidating and were meant to indicate each elder’s wealth and power.
Each limousine had a driver, and we knew there were men inside, but those were the elders’ security detail.
And now, as we stepped through the double doors into the room, each of those elders sat waiting. The tables had been turned to form a U-shape with the opening pointed at us.
Cole had set up this meeting. After Gene’s betrayal, he went underground. He already had men outside the family he trusted, but he scouted and recruited even more. When his army was big enough, he reached out to his uncles, and this meeting was the result. Because they hadn’t struck against us, they either wanted peace or they didn’t want to be killed. Standing before them now, I studied each one intently. I needed to see their reactions. I needed to gauge whether they were willing to follow Cole, or if they would have to die.
Cole started. “You all have come tonight because each of us has a wish for peace.” He gazed at me. “We’re tired of the killing, and I have no wish to murder my own blood.”
That was unnecessary. The unspoken sentiment was strong enough, and I waited, making sure each of them registered the real meaning behind Cole’s words.
None of them said a word, but they sat up straighter. A few grimaced and looked away. They got the meaning. I knew they had.
Cole continued. “As you know, I have my own men. With Carter beside me, we have enough holdings and assets to be a formidable enemy.”
I held up a hand, stopping her. “No. That’s not why I was in the car for so long.”
“Oh?” She leaned toward me.
“You were kidnapped.”
Her head bent down. “Oh.”
“They had you for so long, and I know you were tortured. I saw when I untied you.”
She stood there, frozen, like she wanted to disappear.
I could feel tears building. I could barely speak around them. “I am so sorry, Andrea. And I can’t…” How did I make this right? My face. That’s why she’d been taken. “I can’t make any of that go away. I—”
Andrea’s head came back up. Her eyes were stricken. “My dad left you behind. That’s been eating me up inside since I found out. I can’t, I can’t make that right. He’s been telling me more about our mom, and she sounds horrible. No wonder you can’t remember your childhood with her, and thank god your brother got you away from her. I—my dad left you there, and knowing you grew up in the foster system after AJ was killed? That haunts me. I can’t make that go away.”
My voice was soft. “You were tortured.”
“Not that much.”
“Andrea—”
“I wasn’t. Really. They left me alone most of the time. Yeah, they hit me sometimes, but they said it was for effect. They took a bunch of pictures, but then they left me alone.” She stopped and drew in a shuddering breath. “They were angry every day. I could hear them. They were arguing about me. They kept saying ‘it wasn’t working’—whatever that meant. Some wanted to kill me and be done with it, but others kept fighting back. They kept saying I was their ‘only leverage.’ I knew right away they thought I was you. I never told them I wasn’t.”
“You didn’t?”
“If I had, I think they would’ve killed me. They needed you alive for whatever they were trying to do. The cops keep asking me what I know, but I don’t know that much. Have they…” She faltered again and bit down on her lip. “They keep thinking I’m lying about that last night, but I’m not. You untied me. We went to the room, and they were going to kill all of us. It was them or us. Carter defended us.”
She’d been taken because of me. I would never let that burden go. “I am so sorry, Andrea.”
“Andy.”
“What?”
The corner of her lip turned upward. “Andy. Stop calling me Andrea. Please.”
“Andy.” I laughed. “Yeah. Okay.”
“And for everything else, it’ll be okay.”
My eyes clung to hers. Was she being honest? Was that the truth? Would everything be okay? I wanted to believe her. I did.
She reached out and squeezed my arm. “I have my sister. Whatever bad things happened, it was worth it. I have you back.”
My hand rested over hers, and I felt my head moving up and down. She was right. What happened, we’d deal with. I squeezed her hand. “I’m glad you came looking for me.”
“Me, too.” Tears slid down her face.
My face felt wet, too. I rolled my eyes, wiping my cheeks. “This is a great start to this dinner.”
Andrea laughed, throwing her head backward. “Come on.” She linked her elbow with mine and opened the door. “Our first family dinner. It’ll be interesting to say the least.”
As we went inside, she whispered in my ear, “I have so many friends itching to meet you and Carter. I’m the most popular one in our social circles because of you. I can’t wait for you to meet everyone. Next time, bring Carter.”
I laughed, but I didn’t respond. It would be a long time before any of them met Carter. I wasn’t ready to share my real family with this new one, not yet.
Cole and I stood side by side as we prepared to walk into the conference.
It was in a neutral building, in neutral territory, and we made damn sure it was the top floor. That way Cole and I could escape easier than any of the Mauricio elders. They were old and out of shape. We were far from that. The rule was no weapons. That was their condition, which made sense. I’d been their Cold Killer—but I hadn’t earned that name with only my 9mm. My hands helped, but they were tucked behind me as we walked through the doors of the building. Drake, Peter, and Michael remained out front. I wanted them close, but not within shooting range if something happened.
As we’d walked toward the building, we’d studied the terrain. I saw nothing. No snipers, no Mauricio soldiers hiding in wait. We’d scrutinized every vehicle and saw no one. The only cars were the black limousines each elder preferred to use when attending meetings like these. They were more intimidating and were meant to indicate each elder’s wealth and power.
Each limousine had a driver, and we knew there were men inside, but those were the elders’ security detail.
And now, as we stepped through the double doors into the room, each of those elders sat waiting. The tables had been turned to form a U-shape with the opening pointed at us.
Cole had set up this meeting. After Gene’s betrayal, he went underground. He already had men outside the family he trusted, but he scouted and recruited even more. When his army was big enough, he reached out to his uncles, and this meeting was the result. Because they hadn’t struck against us, they either wanted peace or they didn’t want to be killed. Standing before them now, I studied each one intently. I needed to see their reactions. I needed to gauge whether they were willing to follow Cole, or if they would have to die.
Cole started. “You all have come tonight because each of us has a wish for peace.” He gazed at me. “We’re tired of the killing, and I have no wish to murder my own blood.”
That was unnecessary. The unspoken sentiment was strong enough, and I waited, making sure each of them registered the real meaning behind Cole’s words.
None of them said a word, but they sat up straighter. A few grimaced and looked away. They got the meaning. I knew they had.
Cole continued. “As you know, I have my own men. With Carter beside me, we have enough holdings and assets to be a formidable enemy.”
