Deceiving Bella: Book Eleven In The Bodyguards Of L.A. County Series

by Beauman, Cate

  “If he’s smart, which he is, he didn’t say much—at least, not in writing.”

  That’s not what he wanted to hear. “We know he’s been running the organization from inside. We need proof of his activities—leads we can follow. Something that’s going to help us get to Matty as well.”

  “Is he allowed visitors?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Then that’s when he does his business. He wouldn’t have written anything down.”

  “I want you to look anyway. What about the recordings? Could there be something there?” He glanced toward the windows when Bella pulled up in the driveway.

  He nodded. “Maybe.”

  The familiar rush of excitement was coming back. “I’ll email Skylar and have her send stuff our way.”

  “Where will we meet?”

  “Here—maybe once a week or something.”

  “I don’t know how many weeks I have left.”

  “Then twice or three times until we get what we need.”

  “What about Bella?”

  “I’ll take care of that.”

  “Don’t you hurt her.” He pointed at him, the protective father back.

  “I’m not planning on it. This thing here,” he gestured between himself and Vinny, “has nothing do to with what she and I have.”

  Vinny shook his head, letting loose a humorless laugh. “You’re a fool if you believe that.”

  He needed to believe that this would never come between them.

  The door opened, and she walked in with a bulging cloth bag. “Hi.”

  Reed smiled. “Hey.”

  “There’s another bag in the truck. This one’s heavy or I would have brought that one too.”

  Reed stood. “I’ll go grab it.”

  “Thanks.” Bella started toward the kitchen.

  “Between you and me,” Vinny muttered, subtly mimicking the firing of a gun at Reed.

  He walked out the door and grabbed the second bag. They were heading in the right direction. He could do without the threats, but he was willing to put up with just about anything if Vinny was going to give him what he needed.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Reed sat on one of the cushy lounge chairs on Bella’s back porch, finally accessing his email account after one hell of a long day. He’d been waiting hours for this opportunity—since Skylar’s text came through earlier this morning—but getting a moment alone to take a peek at the files she sent over had been impossible. Sadie had been his priority until four thirty. Then Bella had pulled into her driveway just as he’d tried to sneak over to his place right after he got home.

  He glanced toward the French doors, watching Bella dump kibble into Lucy’s bowl while she talked on the phone. Now appeared to be his moment. He clicked on the first attachment, waited for it to load, then scrolled through a dozen letters written in Alfeo Caparelli’s handwriting. Stopping randomly, he scanned one of Alfeo’s many correspondences to his mother—mostly bitching about lumpy pillows and cartons of milk that tasted like cardboard. Reed had read through these before—dozens of times in New York—trying to find some sort of code among the words that would have given him and Joey insight into the Caparellis’ world and helped them take the fuckers down, but as he stared at Alfeo’s chicken scratch, he remembered his conversation with Vinny yesterday. Perhaps there was nothing here—no clues to the Godfather’s biddings. Maybe Alfeo really was just a miserable bastard, unhappy with his less-than-stellar prison accommodations. That was something he needed to figure out once and for all.

  He grabbed his phone from his pocket and shot off a text.

  Got what we were waiting for. Can you meet tomorrow around six?

  His phone dinged with Vinny’s reply.

  I’ll be here.

  “Hey, you.” Bella smiled as she stepped outside, carrying a glass of lemon water.

  “Hey.” He shut the laptop and set his phone screen-side down on the cushion as Bella sat next to him, handing him the glass. “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome.” She kissed his cheek. “What are you doing out here?”

  He hooked his arm around her shoulders. “Catching up on a little work.”

  “Do you need some space?”

  He had what he needed for his meeting with Vinny. That was good enough for now. “Nah. I can be done for the day.”

  She settled more comfortably against his side. “Dinner’s ready whenever we are.”

  “I love your Cobb salads. The shrimp is a nice addition. Thanks for making them.”

  “You’re welcome. How was your day?”

  “Not too bad.” He sniffed her neck. “You smell good. Look good too.” He loved when Bella changed into sexy short shorts and simple tees after work.

  “Thanks.” She played with his fingers. “How are things going with Sadie’s case?”

  “They’ve been better. Tyson intercepted another letter last night.”

  Bella looked at him, the concern in her eyes clear. “How’s she doing with that?”

  “She doesn’t know.”

  She nodded. “Could he—could he hurt you?”

  “No. Probably not,” he amended, finding it imperative to be honest with Bella any chance he could. “All I can do is keep my eyes open and communicate everything with Tyson.”

  “I hate that this is happening to her—and you. I worry.”

  “You don’t have to worry.” He pressed his lips to her temple. “Every time he writes, it gives us more insight into who he is—helps us build a solid profile of who we’re looking for. Hopefully one of these times, he’ll make a mistake.” He kissed her again. “They all make mistakes eventually.”

  “That’s not very reassuring.”

  “I’m being careful. I want you being careful too—keep the doors locked when I’m not home.” He wasn’t concerned about Sadie’s stalker focusing on Bella, but the Caparellis were an entirely different story. It didn’t hurt to make her aware of potential threats in the only way he could. “I want you paying attention to your surroundings.”

  She nodded again, her shoulders stiffening.

  “I’m not saying he’s coming after you, Bella. Those are things you should be doing anyway, but when you’re dealing with a whack job, nothing is entirely out of the question. Because I handle Sadie’s protection, it makes me a bit of a target, which can make anyone I’m close to a target too. If you see anything suspicious, I want you to tell me about it right away.”

  She swallowed as her fingers tightened on his.

  “Hey.” He snuggled her closer. “There’s no immediate danger, but I feel better saying that out loud. It’s something to keep an eye out for, but it’s nothing I want on your mind all the time. If I was still doing police work, I would say the same thing. I’m sure all the employees at Ethan Cooke Security have had a similar conversations with their significant others. If you’re going to be in a relationship with someone who does what I do, that’s a standard precaution.”

  “All right.” She licked her lips as she sat up more. “Let’s talk about something different.”

  “Okay. Like what?”

  “Mmm, how about ice cream and a walk on the beach after class tomorrow night?”

  Shit. “Cooking class.”

  She frowned. “You forgot.”

  He sighed, pissed at himself for getting so caught up in Alfeo’s letters that Bella’s favorite night slipped his mind. “I did.” He picked up his phone. “Let me see if I can rearrange some things.”

  “No.” She set her hand on his. “It’s fine.”

  His guilt compounded when she smiled at him with her eyes full of understanding. She was being good about his screw-up. If there had been any other opportunity for him to meet up with Vinny this week, he would have changed the schedule, but there wasn’t. “Can someone else go with you and fill in for me?”

  “I’m sure I can find someone. I’ll ask around at yoga tomorrow morning.”

  “I’m sorry, Bella.”

 
; “Don’t worry about it. It’s fine.” She lifted his hand, pressing his palm to her cheek. “Truly. Hopefully you can make it to the next one.”

  He would make the next one. The investigation wasn’t going to interfere with his and Bella’s life. This was the first and last time he would allow that to happen. “Definitely.” He played his fingers through her hair. “This week is going to be pretty busy. Sadie has an away game and I told Ethan I might be able to cover a couple of evening shifts, but I’m free Friday night. Will you be my date? I’ll take you to dinner and we can have ice cream for dessert.”

  “You’ve got a deal.”

  He smiled and stood, pulling her to her feet. “How about we go inside and I’ll set the table?”

  “I think that sounds like a great idea.”

  He grabbed his laptop and phone, then hooked his arm around her shoulders again. “Come on.”

  Chapter Thirty

  Bella’s phone rang as she carried her brown rice spring rolls from her cooking station to the table set for two. She set down her plate and glanced at the screen, grinning at the picture of Reed’s gorgeous face. “Hello, there, handsome.”

  “Hey. How’s class?”

  “Good. Fun. I’m just about to bite into a freshly made spring roll.”

  “Man, that sounds good.”

  She dipped the first fried wonton wrapper into the peanut sauce she’d whipped up and sampled, moaning as the melding of pork, shrimp, and herbs hit her tongue. “Oh, my gosh.”

  “That good?”

  “Mmm. Even better.”

  “And what does… Who did you end up bringing?”

  “Actually, I’m on my own. Everyone was busy.”

  Reed muttered a curse. “Bella, I’m sorry.”

  She shrugged as she took another bite. “It’s not that big a deal. Chef filled in during the couple of spots when I needed an extra hand.”

  He sighed. “I wish I was there.”

  “Me too, but it didn’t work out this time.”

  “Next week.”

  “Next week when your schedule’s better,” she agreed, wiping her fingers on a napkin. “I’m saving you your half. Do you think you’ll be home before I’m in bed?”

  “I hope so. I’m going to try to be.”

  “I’ll wait up.” Eyeing another spring roll, she picked it up and bit in, unable to resist. “How was your day?”

  “Okay. Sadie broke up with her boyfriend after biology class, so that got a little intense.”

  She smiled, imagining Reed standing around the hallowed halls of high school, dealing with teenage drama. “Uh-oh.”

  “Apparently he was cheating on her.”

  Her smile vanished. “That’s awful.”

  “Yeah, it wasn’t good. He begged me not to punch him, and she spent most of third period in the bathroom crying, which made for an interesting situation from a security standpoint.”

  She couldn’t help but grin. “I bet, but I’m sure they’ll work everything out and be back together again by the time you walk into school tomorrow.”

  “I don’t know. It was with some cheerleader—sounds like it was going on behind her back for quite a while.”

  “Ouch. I’ve been there and it’s no fun. Hopefully she won’t waste too many tears on a toad.”

  “Who was stupid enough to cheat on you? Dumb jock.”

  “He wasn’t a jock. Linc was a financial analyst. Although technically I was the other woman and had no idea.”

  “What? How have I not heard this story?”

  “I guess it never came up.”

  “I’m going to need details.”

  She glanced around at the other couples enjoying their appetizer course. Talking to Reed on the phone instead of having him here wasn’t ideal, but it wasn’t such a bad alternative. “It’s pretty boring—pretty pathetic.”

  “I need deets, Bella.”

  Chuckling, she rolled her eyes. “We’d been dating for a couple of months. I went to the mall to pick him out a gift for his birthday and saw him with a woman. At first, I thought maybe she was a sister or a friend, and then they kissed. Turns out he’d been engaged to her for two years and he was seeing another woman on the side besides me.”

  “Jesus. I’m sorry.”

  “I’m not. Breaking up with him was pretty much the catalyst that helped me realize I was ready for some big changes. Mom had died a few weeks before that, so it wasn’t hard to pack up and leave Vegas behind—finally go after a fresh start.”

  “I kinda feel like I should track the guy down and thank him for being so damn stupid.”

  She laughed. “I’m happy—the happiest I’ve ever been. That’s all the revenge I need.”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  Bella glanced toward the front of the room when Chef Paul spoke to the class. “Oops. I have to go. It’s time for the next dish.”

  “I’ll let you go, then.”

  “Okay.”

  “Hey, Bella?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Later on, you’re mine.”

  Butterflies fluttered through her belly with the rush of anticipation. “I can’t wait.”

  “Have fun.”

  “I will. Bye.” She shoved her phone in the back pocket of her jeans and put Reed’s portion of the meal in a container, wishing he was there with her, but that wasn’t how things were. Work was busy for him right now. Being a bodyguard wasn’t a typical nine-to-five career. If they were going to be together, she would have to get used to that. And she was willing to make sacrifices if it meant keeping Reed in her life. Tonight, she planned to wait up for him, and Friday they were going out on a date. That was more than good enough.

  Chef walked over. “Are you ready for the next step, Bella?”

  She smiled. “I am.”

  “I’ll work with you.”

  “That’ll be great. Thanks.”

  ~~~~

  Reed hung up, clenching his jaw as he thought of Bella sitting by herself at their cooking class. He’d messed up big-time putting the investigation first, especially when it was getting him nowhere. So far, he and Vinny were coming up empty. Two fucking hours and eighteen years of letters later, and they had nothing. Alfeo Caparelli had bitched endlessly, cursed his rat brother’s name several times, and vowed revenge, but that was all he and Vinny had taken away from his rants.

  They needed something rock solid the DA would give a second glance—something the Caparellis’ high-powered attorneys wouldn’t be able to reduce down to time served or get dismissed entirely. At this point, he and Vinny were off to a rough start. He steamed out a long breath and looked over his shoulder at Vinny, keeping his distance on the edge of the back patio while he filled his lungs with smoke. “Are you ready to get back to it?”

  “Yeah.” Vinny tamped out his cigarette. “For what it’s worth.”

  Reed moved closer, eager to get on with it. “Hopefully the last four years of correspondence will give us something.”

  “I doubt it.” He shrugged. “Alfeo’s a smart man. I haven’t been in the life for over two decades. My wits aren’t as sharp as my brother’s when it comes to breaking the law—or at least, not anymore. After Bella came along, I knew I didn’t want any further part in organized crime.”

  Reed shoved his hands in his pockets, trying to stay patient and keep his shitty mood in check. Vinny was talking. They were building a tenuous rapport. In the long run, that was going to serve him better than Alfeo’s damn letters. “That couldn’t have been easy.”

  “Anything’s easy once you set your mind to it.” He jerked his shoulders again. “I was never the criminal my brother was. For a long while I tried to be, but he was always better: brutal, cunning—a cut from my father’s cloth.”

  “And you?”

  “I loved the hell out of my mother and brother. Still love my mother—God rest her soul.”

  “And your brother?”

  “He’ll kill my daughter if he gets a chance. What do you thi
nk?”

  “Let’s go see what we can do to make sure that never happens.”

  Vinny stood, gripping the chair as he struggled with his balance.

  Reed rushed forward but stopped himself from reaching out, knowing that his attempts to help wouldn’t be appreciated. Vinny’s color looked better than it had Sunday afternoon, but his weight wasn’t good. He was wasting away to nothing—dying before Reed’s eyes—but he still had his pride. “Are you all set there?”

  “I’m fine.” He started down the hall toward the kitchen table. “I’ll go through what’s left. Then I can look at everything again. Maybe I missed something.”

  He followed Vinny, making sure he made it to his seat without passing out. “I’m going to contact my old informant in Bensonhurst—see if he’ll talk to me,” Reed said.

  “Who is it?”

  He shook his head as he sat down. “I can’t say.”

  Vinny frowned. “What do you mean, you can’t say?”

  “I have an obligation to protect the people who take care of me. He’s been hooking me up with information for a long time.”

  “Alfeo’s gonna reign with an iron fist—make sure people realize he hasn’t lost his touch, hence the bodies they’re finding in the streets. You don’t need your informant for that. I can tell you that.”

  Reed nodded. There were probably very few people who knew the inner workings of the Caparellis or Alfeo’s mindset better than Vinny.

  “I don’t like that you’re involving more people.”

  “It’s one person—someone I’ve worked with before. I’ll keep in contact with him on a burner phone. I know how to be careful, what questions to ask. I’ll have Joey send him a package from a dummy Manhattan address so no one knows I’m communicating from LA.”

  “I don’t like it.”

  “It’s a piece of paper with my name and a phone number on it—a few hundred dollars in cash to help him remember how much he likes to talk. He’s the one who has everything to lose if he gets caught.”

  Vinny held his gaze for several seconds, then picked up the next letter Reed had printed out after his quick trip to the office this morning. “Let’s get back to it.”