Pieces of Truth
Page 22
Hug?
He was hugging me. No violence, no anger. Just a manly kind of hug.
“Thank you so much Devon,” he said.
Thank you?
There was no malice in his voice.
“Your family has nothing to worry about. Everything will remain secret. Don’t worry.” He pulled himself off me, and smiled. He was smiling and he had just told me I had nothing to worry about. He hadn’t threatened me or asked for any money. He had hugged me like it was all nothing, like I never had anything to worry about. Like I was his friend?
What was going on?
I eyed him, still feeling very suspicious of his motives. “So, what is this all about? You had no intention of hurting my niece or exposing my family?”
He chuckled.
Yes, chuckled.
“Tess, oh of course not. I just needed you to not go through with what Clint Weston paid you to do. I didn’t have the kind of money to call it off, so I needed to find something, or in this case, someone to stop you. The deal I set up between the Voltaggios and Rossis had not gone through, so I couldn’t get Kyser to call it off at that point. I needed leverage. I couldn’t allow you to hurt Samuel. It was imperative that I kept him alive.”
He had used my niece to prevent me from completing a hit! That was a new approach and I had not seen that coming, yet something still didn’t make sense. I dropped the cigarette butt to the ground and stomped on it. “So why still get Kyser to call off the hit when you already had control of me after the deal went through? You didn’t need him to do that.”
Kyser’s request only reinforced what he had already succeeded in doing. The hit on Samuel Voltaggio became null and void when information about my relatives was brought up.
“I needed Joe Rossi to see how far I would go to make his daughter happy. It wasn’t enough to find a way to end the Rossi and Voltaggio feud. I wanted him to see that her happiness is all I care about, whether I was with her or not. Getting him to call in a favor with Kyser was proof of that. I knew Joe would tell his daughter.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “Wait, wait, wait. So you did all this, for a girl? Not money, not power...A girl? The girl that Weston was with. Tess’s best friend...uh, Norah?”
“Yes, that girl.” His eyes seemed to become darker when he talked about her. This girl must have been special for him to go to such lengths.
I had so many questions in my head now. “How did you know Weston would come to me? How did you find out about Samuel’s hit on him?”
“Because Devon,” he ran his fingers through his hair, “the hit on Weston from Voltaggio was a fake hit that I set up. I figured if Weston believed that Samuel had put a hit out on him, he would respond the same way. Weston knew how Samuel tried to use the Lappell to marry Norah, and if he thought that Voltaggio would try and get rid of him next, he would desperately and impulsively act out. It was simple really. Clint received the fake information about a hit on him. He goes to you, based on the recommendation from the chapter that I put in place. Then he puts a real hit on Voltaggio, and convinces Norah to go to New York. Then Samuel finds out about the hit on him through his contacts, because I made sure word got round. Samuel then, quite predictably, tried to get Norah to discover the hit so she would end her relationship. Eventually, they just cancelled each other out.”
“But Voltaggio didn’t tell the girl anything about the hit. You asked me to get my associate to give her the contract at that party.”
“Yes, and I thank you for that. That night when I saw him at the Club, I told him I was going to help him and Norah, and that I was trying to put together that deal. Voltaggio gave up his mission to expose Weston when the deal I put together was put into motion. I guess he figured he could tell her when everything was settled between the families.” He rubbed his neck as he spoke again. “I couldn’t let that happen. She needed to believe Voltaggio put a hit on Weston first, starting the whole thing.”
Gee, talk about a master manipulator. I didn’t know whether to be scared or impressed by this young man. “That was quite a risk you took. It could have gone many different ways,” I pointed out.
He shrugged like it didn’t matter anymore, because he had achieved what he set out to do. I guess wondering what could have been was stupid now, and he obviously had planned this well. “That’s what I do Devon. Deals and risk assessment. I’m trained to assess people’s reactions and the probability of what they would do in business and personal situations. I find the deals which benefit the Lappell all the time. It just so happened that I found a deal that would benefit me too.”
Spoken like a true Lappell prodigy.
“Yes, bringing together the Voltaggios and the Rossis for that contraband shipping deal was a stroke of genius. But aren’t you scared that Voltaggio will suspect you in all this and go after you?”
He huffed, almost laughing. “Voltaggio thinks I’m a saint bringing down that family feud and getting the hit called off. He doesn’t suspect me at all. And there is no way he will talk to Weston about this. He probably thinks Weston concocted the whole thing.”
It’s true, he did look like the hero in all this, and for the most part, he was. What he did for this girl was a lot, but I knew from experience that lies have a way of coming back to haunt you. He may have done everything with the best intentions, but he still may not be able to escape how this all began. “You know, she might go back to either of them if she discovers you orchestrated all this.”
He breathed heavily, contemplating the possibility in his head. It no doubt had weighed on his mind. “You are right. She might go back to Clint or even Samuel if she finds out I set this all up. But she won’t, will she? Because I still have that information you need to keep secret.”
It sounded like a threat, but I knew he needed me to protect him as much as I needed him to protect me. It was more an understanding between us. A mutual agreement. “Yes. It’s imperative it remains secret. I never want my relatives’ identities to be revealed.” He nodded at me and gave me a look like two men do when they shake hands, sealing a deal.
“So, how did you find out Tess was my niece?”
I had to know.
“She was always weird around me. She never looked me in the eyes. Always avoided conversation. It was like she was trying to hide something. People who know more than they should about the Lappell usually act that way. Plus, I looked into all of Norah’s friends. I needed to know what I could work with, and when I came across your connection, I knew it could end up being very useful. Tess doesn’t know about my involvement does she?”
He looked at me to study my reaction to see if he could pick up on any hint of a lie. “No, she knew nothing about what was going on except that her friend was caught up in something that could have hurt her. I only encouraged Tess to get her to leave. I didn’t want some innocent girl getting hurt, especially with what her Dad could do to me. But she had no further information apart from that.”
He sighed, sounding remorseful. “Devon, I didn’t want to have to use your niece as leverage but it was all I had. I have no reason to want to hurt Tess. My threat to her and her family was only to stop you. Nothing more.”
I believed him. I believed he used what tools and information he had against two very powerful guys who have a lot more at their disposal. He was probably the weaker opponent of the three, but clearly the smarter. He was very lucky I took his threat seriously.
“You took a huge risk. I could have taken out the Voltaggio boy at any time. It’s what I was paid to do. He tried to get it called off himself, but even his family couldn’t swing it.”
“Well, I’m lucky I found a way to stop you then.”
I shook my head, almost at a loss for words. When he came to me with this information, I did my usual background check. I knew he had grown up with money but lost it when he was nineteen. I would think such a loss would have made him darker, more uneasy about himself, but he was switched on and in tune with people. Th
e way he set all this up, showed it was not all learned from the Lappell. No, this had a different edge to its calculation and I couldn’t help but ask, “Where the hell did you learn to do this?”
His eyes flickered like he was registering some old memory from years past, from somewhere deep inside him that stored his most cherished hopes and darkest dreams. Whatever the thought, it was clearly his hidden super-power. He found strength from something and I was intrigued to know from where, or who it may have come from.
“Devon, I once learned, a long time ago, to get what you want, to have all the power, to be the hero and the good guy, you have to make everyone else look like the bad guy.”
Interesting - I wonder where he learned that lesson?
“So what’s next?” I asked.
“What do you mean?”
“With the girl? That is what this was all about right?”
“Oh yes, Norah. I guess, anything and everything that she wants. Marriage, babies, travelling the world, whatever it may be. I’m my strongest and happiest when she is with me, so all I need is her. I intend to love and cherish that girl until the end of time, and more if it’s possible.”
He held out his hand to shake mine, and I did. His grip was firm, his eyes thankful and relieved that this was all over, and I could relate, because it was the same for me too.
I watched him walk away, out of the darkness and into the light of the street lamps. Josh Hollows. The man with a plan. I had to tip my hat. He hadn’t been completely honest to get what he wanted, but in the end, he only needed a piece of the truth to win the girl of his dreams. He played, he won, and he won it all.
I reached into my coat pocket to grab another cigarette, thinking about what destination I was going to disappear to, and what my fake death would be like. I wanted to hurry, get out of New York and away from everyone. I didn’t want to be around if anything about this was to come out. The truth always found a way after all.
~ ~ ~
Norah
How could I not love the darkness?
It’s a been a part of me, and sometimes the best part.
And I know that even destiny has a dark side.
Because I’ve tasted the lies,
And swallowed the truth,
With my fate falling somewhere in between,
And I know it’s a place where I can be happy,
I know it’s a place I belong.
Six months later...
I could see the door being pushed forward, I could see the weight behind it, trying to force its way in. There were only two options in my head as to who was behind the door, and neither were going to ruin this for me.
I held my Glock pointed at the door, my finger on the trigger, making sure my hand was steady. I wasn’t sure what I would do if this was as bad as I was thinking. Did they really find us? Did they manage to track us down?
Suddenly the door burst open, and Josh came charging through, his shoulders smashing against the wood. Josh’s feet moved forward but he stumbled back as he came face to face with my gun. His eyes almost flew out of their sockets.
“Shit Josh! Why didn’t you use your key? You scared the hell out of me!” I released my finger from the trigger and lowered my weapon.
“Whoa, I scared you? I did use my key. It’s these fucking Czech doors. I think the wood swells with the rise and fall of the temperature and they get stuck.”
I rolled over on the bed, placing my Glock on a bedside table. Josh eyed me as he closed the door behind him. His gaze was all over my see through black lacy bra and panties.
I got up on my knees on the bed. “I’m sorry Josh. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Josh stalked forward towards me, grinning and licking his lips. “Well, I’ve got to admit Nor, you pulling a gun on me, wearing that, is kind of a huge turn on.”
I looked over to my gun and back to Josh. “Would you like me to hold it again? We could play bad cop and bad girl.” I winked at Josh whose eyes were on fire.
His gaze lingered on me as his mind drifted off. Suddenly he shook his head. “Hold that thought, I have something to show you first.” Josh walked over to the backpack he had been wearing when he came in and tossed onto the floor.
He knelt down and opened it up, his hand searching the contents. “I got all the paperwork sorted. Everything is ready for tomorrow. As I was heading back through the markets, I came across this old European merchant who sells the most beautiful things.”
Josh’s hand finally withdrew from the backpack, holding a small black velvet drawstring bag and walked over to me and sat on the bed.
“When I saw them, I knew they would be perfect. I hope you don’t mind that I picked them.”
He opened the little bag and poured the contents into the palm of my hand. I saw two gold rings with gold inscriptions on them.
“The writing is in Czech, and it means, ‘Our love is an adventurous melody, our souls forever as one’. What do you think?”
I was breathing slowly as I took the smaller of the gold rings and slipped it onto my ring finger. I held up my hand, staring at it. “That’s perfect Josh. Perfect for us.”
Josh took the larger ring, slipping it onto his ring finger and held it up so it was side by side with mine. I stared at the two rings next to one another and then I turned my head to Josh. “I still can’t believe we are in Prague eloping. Tomorrow we become one, and I couldn’t be happier at the idea.”
I rested my head on his shoulder, and let out a tiny sigh. Josh noticed it right away. “Norah, what’s wrong?” He slipped his hand around my waist and pulled me closer.
“How long do you think we’ll have here, before they drag us back, kicking and screaming?”
I could hear Josh thinking as he held me. His hand started to rub my arm. “One month, maybe two. Why? You like being in Prague don’t you?”
I moved out of his hold and faced him, moving my hands so they smoothed over his chest. “Well, I’ve got to say, I’ve never been more inspired by a city. I love the influences of gothic mixed with renaissance. It’s romantic and dark at the same time. I kind of feel a kinship for it. I could stay here and draw forever.”
Josh’s eyes darkened. “You know Nor, we don’t have to go back. We could stay in Europe for a while. Take our chances on the road. I have a lot of money saved up from a lot of deals I had cuts in over the past few months. We don’t have worry about that. If you really want to, we can run, together.”
I thought about the idea of Josh and I making a life here, away from my Dad’s work and the Lappell. We could make a good life, we would have a chance. It was no secret that things had been awkward in New York since Josh and I moved in together six months ago. I had heard Clint had gone back to his womanizing ways, but had not had a girlfriend since our break-up, and Samuel had been spending more and more time with my Dad and the business side of things with the shipping deal both families were now a part of. I had also heard he had been going back and forth to Morewell for business too, but I didn’t know what could possibly lead Samuel there. Perhaps new contacts for work.
I avoided Lappell events with Josh because of Clint, and I avoided seeing my Dad a lot because of Samuel. All I was doing in New York was trying to avoid my past, so it was time for me to latch on to what I loved most and create my future. When I suggested to Josh that we should elope, he jumped at the idea. To everyone else, we were just going on holiday, but for me and Josh, this was our moment to move forward, away from prying eyes and forced rules. We also didn’t want to get married in New York where anything and everything could go wrong.
“I like the idea of us being gypsies. We can take on secret identities and live freely. I have to admit, the idea of life without the Lappell is very appealing to me.”
“I would give them up for you Norah. I can find a way out. It was never about what they could give me, but how I could use them.” Josh’s eyes darted to my see through bra. “Just give me the word, and we don’t ever have to go back.”
We suddenly heard the sound of his cell ringing.
I glanced over to his backpack where the ringing was coming from. “It’s probably Tess, she’ll be arriving tonight.” I said.
“She hasn’t told anyone has she?”
I looked at Josh like he was crazy. Tess had promised me on her life that she was keeping our elopement secret. I trusted Tess absolutely. If it was possible, we had grown even closer over the past six months. I had spent a lot of time focused on my freelance work and my art, and with every chance I got, Tess and I were calling or Skyping one another. “No of course not. You trust her, don’t you?”
Josh’s eyes darted only for a second before they met mine again. “If you trust her, then I trust her. I just don’t want anything to stop tomorrow. You have no idea how excited I am to make you my wife.” His fingers played with the edges of my panties.
“You can’t be more excited than me.” As I straddled Josh and his face gazed longingly at mine, I felt him grow in his jeans. The corners of my lips turned up at him. The darkness I had in me had evened out since Josh and I became a couple, and it was a part of me I worked with, rather than against. He had always embraced it and encouraged me to listen to it so I could understand myself better. Josh complimented me in every kind of way, and tomorrow we were going to be married and we would have our whole lives ahead of us. Our souls were perfect together, and our sex life was...well...