Keeping Secrets (The Castaways Series Book 3)

by Alexa Land

  “Is that a compliment?”

  “I consider them the sweetest of all dogs, so yes,” Will said.

  Lee’s phone beeped just then. He glanced at the screen and said, “I’m going to call my cousin back,” before getting up and heading into the office.

  Will pulled some bagels from the shopping bag and told me, “I bought carbs. I’m totally using the excuse of houseguests to cheat on my diet. And this is for you, because you once told me you love them.”

  He handed me a box containing six pretty, pastel macarons, and I kissed his cheek and said, “You’re amazing, and I don’t deserve you. I’m sorry I’ve been such an absent friend these past few years.”

  “I know the resort takes up a lot of your time, and I’d never hold that against you, Beck. You’ve been trying to build a better future for yourself.”

  I pulled him into a hug and said, “Stop letting me off the hook.”

  “Make me.”

  He felt so thin and delicate under his impeccable, designer clothes, and that combined with what Lee had said about his vulnerability made me want to adopt him. Since he was actually two years older than me, not to mention a full-grown adult, it was probably a weird impulse. But I vowed to redouble my efforts to try to get him to move to Catalina, once I was able to return to the ranch.

  When I finally let go of him, he turned on his 1950s-era oven to toast the bagels and asked, “Any news with that whole being hunted by criminals thing?”

  “Not unless Rus messaged with some big breakthrough a minute ago. I had an idea last night though, but Lee’s really not going to like it.”

  Lee asked, “Why won’t I like it?” I hadn’t heard him return to the kitchen.

  I turned and found him leaning against the door frame with a phone in his hand, and I asked, “Did Rus have any ideas about how to solve this?”

  Lee shook his head. “He was calling to tell me to swap out my burner phone, since it just occurred to him that Poulos had a hand in procuring the ones we’d been using. We’re probably being paranoid, because if Harris could track us by our phones, he would have done that by now. But if it buys us some peace of mind, why not? Hand me your phone, so I can put in my new number.”

  I handed it over, and while he updated his information, I said, “You just happened to have an extra phone on you?”

  “Rus gave it to me at the start of the meeting last night, along with some cash and a few other things he thought I might need.” He handed my phone back to me, and I looked at the number on the screen as he said, “Your phone’s almost out of charge.”

  Will told me, “I have a spare charger in the office. You’re welcome to use it. In fact, keep it as long as you need it.”

  I thanked him, but before I could go plug my phone in, Lee asked, “What was your idea, Beck?”

  “You told me Harris called in the ‘big guns’ to help him bring you down,” I said. “So, it seems like the only way to solve this is to bring in even bigger guns. Then he’ll have no choice but to back down.”

  “That’s good in theory, but I told you why I can’t hire an army.”

  I said, “I’m talking about getting what Rus referred to as ‘arguably the most powerful crime family in the western U.S.’ on our side.”

  “Dante Dombruso isn’t going to help me,” Lee said. “For one thing, the McGraths are his allies, so he won’t cross them. And let’s not forget, I stuck a gun in his face a day ago. In other words, I burned that bridge the second I came to it.”

  “It’s still worth a try, and I want to talk to him. I thought about calling him yesterday, but he was probably pretty angry at that point, so I decided to let my uncle smooth things over. By now, Dante may have calmed down a bit.”

  Lee said, “If you’re just talking about a phone call, then I’m all for it. But I don’t want you going near Dombruso. I don’t trust him.”

  “Dante would never hurt me.”

  Lee countered with, “He might not be the man you think he is.”

  I couldn’t really argue with that, since I had no idea why Dante had been carrying a gun. I wasn’t even sure if his involvement in organized crime was a thing of the past. But I said, “I’m going to try calling him after we eat.”

  Lee asked, “Do you want me to be a part of that call?”

  “Actually, I think I’d better do it on my own. Dante might be more likely to listen if it’s just me.”

  After breakfast, I plugged my nearly dead phone into Will’s charger and sat on the floor in the office, since I was tethered to the wall outlet. I wasn’t quite sure what I was going to say to Dante, but I found his number in my contacts, took a deep breath, and placed the call. He answered with, “Are you alright, Beck?”

  “I’m fine. Are you still at the ranch?”

  “I am.”

  “Did you call for backup after my boyfriend pulled a gun on you?”

  “I called my brother Vincent,” he said. “He’s here with me.”

  “Did you or Vincent tell anyone else about Lee?”

  “No.” That was a relief.

  “He panicked when he saw you,” I said. “He knew you were an ally of the McGraths, who are working with a man named Theo Harris to track him down. He thought they might have sent you after him.”

  “You need to be careful, Beck. Leonidas Speros is a dangerous man.”

  “You and he don’t really know each other,” I said. “So, what are you basing that on?”

  “His reputation precedes him.”

  “He’s a good man. I’ve known him for a year, and he’s been nothing but kind to me.”

  “I hope you’re right, but sometimes people can surprise you.”

  I decided to put my cards on the table, and I blurted, “He’s really in trouble. He doesn’t know who to trust, and he’s up against a ruthless adversary. Harris tried to ambush him last night, and he even tried to burn down one of Lee’s buildings, which could have killed innocent people. The whole situation is out of control, and you’re literally the only person who can turn this around. Please, I’m begging you. Help him, Dante. If you don’t, I’m not sure he’ll survive the week.”

  My voice broke at that last part, and Dante said, “Don’t cry, Beck. I hear what you’re saying, and I want to help you. I just don’t know if I can trust Speros.”

  “You can, I swear.”

  “That remains to be seen. As you just pointed out, some powerful people have sided with the man who’s hunting him. They did that because they believe your boyfriend is at fault in this particular situation. Despite that, here’s what I’ll do. I’ll agree to a meeting with him. You should be there, too. I want to sit down with Speros and hear his side of the story. It’ll just be us three and Vincent. No guns, no drama. Just a conversation.”

  I asked, “Can we do this in a video call? Lee doesn’t know you like I do, and he might be worried that it’s a set-up.”

  “No. You’re asking me to trust him, so he needs to trust me, too. That means meeting in person, eye-to-eye, and having a civilized discussion.”

  I murmured, “I’m not sure if he’ll agree to that.”

  “This is a one-time offer. Meet us at the ranch at two o’clock this afternoon. Tell him to come here without weapons, and let’s see what we can work out.”

  “I’ll talk to Lee and see what he says.”

  “Do more than that, Beck,” Dante said. “Show up. You have to realize this is a volatile situation, and even just meeting with Speros could be construed as siding against my allies, were news of this ever to get out. That could have serious repercussions. In return for sticking my neck out, I expect a show of good faith from this guy.”

  “Okay, you’re right. We’ll be there.”

  After the call ended, I left my phone plugged in and returned to the kitchen. Will was perched on the counter picking at a second bagel, Lee was seated at the table with coffee, and both were watching me closely. Lee asked, “How did it go?”

  “Good, I think. Dant
e is willing to meet with us, which is huge. It has to be in person, though. He was adamant about that.”

  Lee shook his head. “There’s no reason to meet in person when we could just do this over the phone. It sounds like a trap.”

  “I’m sure it isn’t. Trust me.”

  “I do. It’s Dombruso I don’t trust.”

  “But you’re not trusting my judgement,” I said. “Dante is willing to stick his neck out and meet with us, and I understand why he wants it to be face-to-face. He doesn’t know you, and he wants to be able to get a sense of the type of man you are. He also called it a show of good faith.”

  Lee didn’t look convinced. “It’s just too risky.”

  “I really don’t think so. And the bottom line is, you need him, Lee. You’re outgunned, outnumbered, and out of options. But getting the Dombrusos to side with you would turn this whole thing around.”

  “There might be another way to fix this situation.”

  “We’ve tried to think of a way out for days and have come up empty,” I pointed out. “Look, if I thought this was dangerous, I wouldn’t be pushing for it. But all he wants is a meeting with no weapons, just the four of us sitting down and having a calm, rational discussion.”

  Lee asked, “The four of us? Do you mean you, me, and Rus, along with Dombruso?”

  “No, you and I will be meeting with Dante and his brother Vincent.”

  Lee’s expression instantly hardened, and he said, “No way. We’re absolutely not doing this.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because Vincent Dombruso is his family’s enforcer. He’s the one they call in when they need a dispassionate trigger man.”

  I just couldn’t reconcile that image of Vincent with the loving family man I knew, the one who adored his husband, son, and twin toddlers. “Maybe Vincent is to Dante what Rus is to you, a trusted right-hand man,” I said. “If the situation were reversed and you were in Dante’s position, wouldn’t your first call be to Rus?”

  “I’d also call Rus if I needed to deal with someone and didn’t want to get my hands dirty.”

  I was starting to get frustrated, and I told him, “Vincent and Dante aren’t going to ambush you. They’re not like that. Now please stop arguing and come to this meeting!”

  “You’re being naïve, Beck.” His phone beeped, and he read the message and said, “I need to call Rus back.”

  He left the kitchen, and when we heard the office door close, I muttered, “He’s so fucking stubborn. This could solve all his problems, but he refuses to listen to me.”

  Will said, “I really don’t think you’re going to get him to change his mind.”

  “I don’t either.” After a pause, I turned to my friend and asked, “Can I borrow your car?”

  “Of course.” He pulled his keys from his pocket, removed one, and handed it to me as he asked, “Where do you need to go?”

  “The ferry dock. I’m going to meet with Dante and his brother on my boyfriend’s behalf. It’s a long shot that anything will come of it without Lee there, but I have to try.”

  Will looked concerned. “Are you sure you’re not walking into a dangerous situation?”

  “I’m positive. The Dombrusos aren’t going to hurt me.” I gave Will a hug and said, “Thank you for loaning me your car. I’ll come right back with it after the meeting. Hopefully Lee won’t be too mad when he realizes I went without him.”

  “Good luck.”

  I slid open the glass door that led to a tiny patio, hopped over the half-wall, and ran to the parking lot behind the apartment complex. Will drove a fairly generic blue Toyota, and I started it up and pulled out into the neighborhood as guilt nagged at me.

  This was going to anger my boyfriend, no doubt about it, but it had to be done. Every minute the situation with Theo Harris dragged on, Lee’s life was in danger. The incident at the hotel the night before made that perfectly clear. I felt certain the only way of ending this was to get the Dombrusos to back Lee up, so I’d have to do everything in my power to convince them. It was literally a matter of life and death.

  The closest Catalina Express terminal was in San Pedro. With traffic, it took me an hour to get there. I left the Toyota in short-term parking and went to check the ferry schedule on my phone, which was when I realized I’d left it plugged into the wall outlet in Will’s office. Well, maybe that was for the best. Lee would definitely have called me by now, and I really wasn’t going to be talked out of this.

  For a Wednesday, the plaza in front of the dock was surprisingly crowded. Then I remembered a lot of people were probably on spring break. I’d been so wrapped up in the situation with Lee over the past few days that I’d given almost no thought to what was happening in the world around me.

  I got in line to buy my ticket behind a big, extended family with a granny, six kids, and several adults. As I squinted against the bright sunshine and tried to read the schedule posted on the front of the kiosk, someone approached and said, “Excuse me.”

  I turned to look at the tall, attractive man in his early thirties. He had blond hair and a tan, and he was dressed like he planned to spend the day on a sailboat, with his white jeans, tennis shoes, and striped shirt. He even had a navy blue windbreaker draped over his arm. The man flashed me a bright smile and asked, “I’m sorry to bother you, but by any chance, is your name Beckett?”

  “I go by Beck, but yes. Do I know you?” Since we were at the ferry that served Catalina, I tried to place him as a local, since he really looked the type.

  As the family ahead of me stepped up to the window, the man’s expression morphed before my eyes. The smile became cruel, and something dark glinted in his blue eyes as he lowered his voice and said, “My name is Theo Harris. Don’t do anything stupid, Beck, like yelling or trying to run. It’d be a shame if my men had to open fire. Some of these families and kids could get hurt.” He raised the edge of the jacket to reveal the gun that was pointed at my stomach.

  Fear slammed into me, and I looked around desperately. Two large men with dark glasses were standing motionless in the crowd, clearly awaiting orders. “Come on, lover boy,” Harris said, as he grasped my elbow and started to lead me toward the parking lot. “You and I are going for a ride.”

  8

  When we reached a black town car at the outer edge of the parking lot, Harris said, “Hand over your phone.”

  “I don’t have it.” He stared at me like I was an idiot, and I explained, “I left in a hurry and forgot it.”

  Harris stepped back and said, “Search him.”

  One of his thugs gave me a quick but thorough pat-down, then told his boss, “There’s no phone.” Harris seemed surprised. Then he opened the back door and shoved me inside. His gun was drawn when he climbed in after me.

  As one of his people produced a pair of handcuffs and chained my wrist to the door handle, I asked, “How did you find me?”

  “I spotted you and Speros in each other’s arms on the video surveillance footage my people removed from that hotel last night. That’s when I knew you were the ticket to finding that fucker. We ran your image through a facial recognition program, and once we had your name, it only took a few minutes to find out where you live and work. I sent four of my men to the island about an hour ago, while I and the rest of my people staked out each of the ferry and helicopter terminals that service Catalina, so we could catch you coming or going. I’m not a very patient man, so thank you for showing up in record time and sparing me a long, boring wait.” His smile was reptilian.

  “You got it all wrong. Speros may have kissed me, but I don’t mean a thing to him. I’m just a prostitute he hired to keep him company, and I can give you the link to my website to prove it. So, there’s really no point in holding me hostage.” I was proud of myself, because that had actually sounded convincing.

  “Is that so?”

  I nodded, then drew in a sharp breath when he pressed the tip of his gun to the underside of my chin. “You’re lucky I don’t
believe you,” Harris said. “I saw the way he acted when you were together, so I know you’re important to him. If I became convinced I was wrong about that, there’d be no reason to keep you alive.”

  Eventually, we arrived at a pawn shop with boarded-up windows. It was part of an abandoned strip mall in a graffiti-covered, industrial neighborhood near the Port of Los Angeles. The whole thing felt abandoned and post-Apocalyptic.

  I was led through the shop and into a cluttered, windowless back room. My right wrist was cuffed to a metal pipe, which ran from floor to ceiling. As soon as I was left alone, I braced both feet on the wall, held onto the pipe, and pulled as hard as I could, but the thing was surprisingly solid.

  Harris returned a few minutes later with a pad of paper and a pen, which he tried to hand to me as he said, “Be a dear and jot down Speros’s number, so I can give him a jingle and let him know where to find his little plaything.”

  “You already have a mole inside his operation. Why don’t you just get the number from Douglas Poulos?”

  “Speros and his cousin must have switched out their burner phones, because the numbers Poulos gave me don’t work. But you know how to reach the big man, don’t you? Go ahead and write the number down like a good boy.” That confirmed that Poulos was the leak. If only I could tell Lee, so he’d know he could trust the rest of his men.

  “No way,” I said. “I’m not going to help you lead him into a trap so you can kill him. You might as well shoot me.”

  He pulled a gun from the back of his waistband and pointed it at my forehead as he hissed, “Don’t think I won’t.”

  Even though I was terrified, I made myself square my shoulders and hold his gaze. “If you kill me, there goes your bargaining chip,” I said. “Leonidas is going to want proof that I’m alive before he agrees to your demands.”

  His laugh was totally devoid of humor. “Trying to play hardball? That’s cute. But here’s the thing: my men will be reaching that place on Catalina at any moment, the one owned by someone with your last name. Is Renaldo Medina your father? Or your brother, maybe?” He waited for an answer, but I just glared at him. “If you don’t cooperate, I’m going to instruct my people to obtain Speros’s number from Renaldo by any means necessary. If he fails to provide it, they’ll shoot him. Then they’ll work their way through the rest of the staff, bullet by bullet, until I get what I need.”