~~~~
Bella splashed water on her face in the master bathroom as she tried her best to pull herself together after another troubling couple of hours in the ER. Sniffling, she shut off the water and grabbed a towel from the bar, pressing her face into the soft cotton as she fought another staggering wave of fear. Dad was in bad shape—far worse than she ever could have imagined. She’d been foolishly hopeful when the doctor mentioned the currently benign fluid buildup in Dad’s lung. Then he’d dropped one heck of a bombshell…
“Bella,” Reed called, knocking on the door.
“Um, I was just changing. I’ll be right out.” She took a deep breath and blotted at the remaining drops on her skin, then opened the door to Reed stripped down to his boxers.
Sighing, he held open his arms. “Come here.”
Hearing the sympathy in his voice, seeing the compassion radiating from his eyes, she shook her head. “I can’t.”
He frowned. “Why?”
“Because I’ll start crying,” she choked out, her composure already lost.
He walked to her and wrapped her up. “This has been a tough one.”
She nodded, clinging to him and crying harder.
“Come snuggle with me.” He picked her up and carried her to their bed, settling them both in the center of the mattress. He adjusted their pillows and nudged her down with him, holding her close as they stared into each other’s eyes. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“I don’t know what to— He’s so sick. I thought we were going to have more time.”
He took her hand and pressed her knuckles to his lips. “He’s doing what he can to hang in there.”
“I know.” She traced his ear, finding the familiar gesture comforting. “I think I’m going to break my promise and go see him—”
“No.”
Her hand paused against his skin as she frowned at the sharpness of his tone. “But—”
“You can’t, Bella,” he said, gentling his voice as he took her hand again. “This is what he wants. He wants to think of you out being happy—laughing with your friends or walking the beach with Lucy. That’s what you’ll be doing while he’s still here with us, and that’s what you’ll be doing long after he’s gone. I think he needs to know you’re living your life—that you’re going to be okay.”
More tears fell as he spoke. “I feel like we’re wasting the time he and I have left.”
He shook his head. “Not if what he’s asking of you makes him happy and gives him peace. The best gift you can give your dad right now is going to Abby’s fashion show tomorrow night and watching Lucy chase her gulls this weekend. Call him, tell him about all of the adventures you’re having—the ones he can’t have anymore.”
She exhaled a long, shaky breath. “I didn’t think about it like that.”
“That’s what you’ve got me for.” He winked and kissed her forehead, then turned off the light and covered them with the blankets. “Get some sleep.”
“Okay.” She moved so she rested her head on his chest, listening to his steady heart beating while she stared into the dark. Eventually her eyes drooped closed, and finally she slept.
Chapter Thirty-Six
“Morning,” Reed said to Shane and Jerrod as they filed into Ethan’s office. He shut the door behind them and waited for his buddies to snag their designated coffees from the cup holder and take their seats. “Thanks for coming in early.”
“Thanks for picking up coffee.” Ethan gestured to his cup and took another sip.
Reed nodded, figuring that grabbing Starbucks on his way downtown had been the least he could do when he’d pulled everyone away from their families a good hour earlier than usual. “I appreciate you and Tyson finagling things to cover Sadie for me.”
“No problem.” Ethan sat back in his chair, settling his foot on his opposite knee. “So, what’s up?”
Reed exhaled a long breath, not quite sure where to start. At five, he’d eased himself away from Bella, leaving her in bed to sleep while he called Joey and Skylar, then sent texts off to his coworkers, setting into motion their insane new Operation Caparelli Takedown strategy. By six forty-five, he’d been on the road, heading toward Ethan Cooke Security, eager to make things happen. “Too damn much.” He opened the file folder he’d brought with him and pulled out a picture of Nicoli Caparelli in his glory days, imagining that this would get their conversation moving along.
“Is that Nicoli Caparelli?” Shane asked, frowning.
“Yeah.”
“Why do you have a picture of Nicoli Caparelli?”
“It’s no secret—at least not in this room—that I worked in NYPD’s Special Organized Crime Unit, or that we were focused on taking down the last stronghold of La Cosa Nostra.” He nodded toward the picture he still held. “A couple months ago, my former partner, Joey Holmes, got a lead on the potential identities Nicoli was using during his years in WITSEC—before he abandoned the program. Long story short: Joe gave me some lists, I checked them out, and we found him.”
Jerrod, a former US Marshal and WITSEC handler, frowned this time. “A Marshal leaked Nicoli’s identities?”
Reed shook his head. “Joey overheard a conversation at Walter Hodds’s funeral. Alfeo Caparelli’s set for release in June. Walt wanted to locate Nicoli before his brother could—check on him, make sure he was okay.”
“No one should have been talking about him in the first place.”
“Agreed. But they were, and now Nicoli’s talking to me. I’ve been working with him—feeding information to Special Agent Skylar Grayson with the goal of keeping Alfeo in prison.”
Shane shook his head, huffing out an incredulous laugh. “You’ve been working with Nicoli Caparelli? The fucking mafia legend?”
“Yeah.”
“How the hell did you pull that one off without getting yourself killed?”
He clenched his jaw and rubbed at the back of his neck. “He’s Bella’s father.”
Shane smile vanished.
“She has no idea,” Reed added quickly, noting the surprise in all three men’s eyes. “She knows nothing about any of this. When Bella and I met, I had no idea she was Nicoli’s daughter.” He sat down and stood again, too restless to be still. “Nicoli goes by the alias Vincent Pescoe—the identity he was using when Bella was born. He left just before her fifth birthday, hoping to keep her away from anything that could touch her from his former life.”
“Well, son of a bitch,” Shane muttered.
“He’s sick. End-stage cancer,” Reed continued. “It’s fucking everywhere—tumors in his lungs, kidneys, liver. Bella and I were with him at the hospital for a couple hours early this morning. He doesn’t have much time left.” He picked up his coffee and set it back down, thinking better of adding a jolt of caffeine to his system when he was already keyed up.
“So, what’s the plan?” Jerrod wanted to know.
“We’re in the middle of making some adjustments now.” He went after his neck again, rubbing at the painful knots. “Vinny and I spent a couple days checking out Alfeo’s old correspondence—reading through letters and listening to prison recordings. There’s nothing there—a lot of bitching and a few small-time schemes, but nothing the DA’s going to touch. Since that’s not getting us anywhere, we’re going after bodies. Vinny identified a large field by Coney Island Creek—the Caparellis’ private fucking dumping ground. We’re hoping for some trace evidence, maybe a bullet that we can link back to Alfeo’s gun.”
“It’s a long shot,” Ethan said.
Reed nodded. “But it’s not impossible, especially when the dumbass used the same gun for every murder—the very same nine-millimeter he used for the 1989 hits he was sent away for. It’s still locked up in evidence somewhere for easy comparison. We just need to get the crime lab something to work with.”
“Cocky bastard,” Jerrod added.
Reed nodded again. “Vinny’s sentiments exactly.”
“Why are you bringing us in
on this now?” Ethan wanted to know.
“Because I’m worried about Bella.” He started pacing, needing to rid himself of the pent-up energy he’d been forced to hold on to while he did what he could to comfort Bella throughout the night and this morning. “There are too many questions—too many variables and loose ends that I can’t tie up.” He made eye contact with all three men and went back for another lap to the huge wall of windows. “There was a security breach at the Manhattan WITSEC branch in February. A couple days later, Walter Hodds has a break-in. A couple weeks after that, he’s acting off—nervous, asking his buddy to look after his family if something should ever happen to him. Then he drops dead from a stress-induced heart attack. Alfeo and Matty mentioned some stuff in the last prison recording that led Vinny to believe they know Nicoli has a child. I don’t like it.”
Shane muttered another curse.
“Exactly.” He pointed to his friend, winding up all over again. “We’re dealing with a lot of unknowns—nothing’s for certain, but I still don’t like it. They’ll kill her if they ever—” He shook his head, not wanting to think about it. “Basically we need bodies and something that’s going to keep Alfeo locked away.” He scrubbed his hands over his face. “But we’re not getting very far. Vinny’s having a hard time locating what we need on the map Skylar sent out. He wants me to take him to New York today.” He finally sat down and rubbed at his tired eyes. “He thinks it’s our only shot, and I agree.”
“What can we do?” Ethan asked.
“I need Tyson to cover me until I can get this figured out.”
“Consider it done,” Ethan said.
“I talked to him about it when I spoke to him on my way down here this morning—left it vague but he got the gist.”
“I’ll follow up when we’re finished here.”
Reed nodded. “Thanks.”
“We’ll keep Bella covered while you’re gone,” Jerrod added.
Reed shook his head, even though he wanted to say yes. “She can’t know about any of this. I’ve been lying to her.” He gained his feet again and shoved his hands in his pockets. “I lie to her more than I tell her the fucking truth.”
“It’s a tough spot.” Ethan stood, giving Reed a supportive slap on the shoulder.
“I keep hoping this thing will end already. In a perfect world, we’ll locate something compelling enough for the DA to bring before the grand jury, Alfeo will stay where he belongs, my informant will get me something on Matty, and this will all go away without Bella ever knowing anything about it.”
All three of his friends winced simultaneously.
He looked to the ceiling as he shook his head, well aware that his hopes were a long shot. “We’ve pulled it off so far.”
“A tough spot,” Ethan repeated. “But it sounds like we need to get you to New York—on business.” He hit the button for Collin’s extension.
“Yeah?”
“Can you come in here?”
“I’ll be right there.” Moments later, Collin walked in, looking at everyone as he shut the door. “What’s up?”
“Do you still have access to your friend’s jet?” Ethan asked.
“If I ask real nice and buy him a bottle of his favorite imported vodka.”
Reed finally understood what was going on. Collin had a pilot’s license and access to a plane. “I’ll buy your buddy a case if you can get me to New York.”
“I’ll ask him—”
“Today.”
“Today?”
Reed explained the situation to Collin, showing him pictures and the map of the area they would focus on in Brooklyn.
“Jesus,” Collin said. “There’s never a dull moment around here.”
Ethan pulled another sip from his cup. “We’re lucky like that.”
“When would we be back?”
“Saturday night at the latest,” Reed said. “I have to deliver Vinny back to his place before Bella realizes he’s been gone.”
“Yeah. I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thanks.” Reed blew out a long, slow breath, feeling some of the tension draining from his shoulders. “What am I going to do about Bella?”
“She’s coming to Abby’s fundraiser tomorrow night?” Jerrod asked.
“Yeah. I’m supposed to go with her.” He was going to have to cancel on her. Again.
“She works all day tomorrow, right?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll have Abby invite her over to the house before the party,” Jerrod said.
“I appreciate it. I’m just concerned she’s going to decide to head up to Vinny’s before we can get back.”
“I’ll make sure Reagan and I are busy Saturday,” Shane added. “We usually keep an eye on Faith for Jenny while she’s working. Bella can do it.”
“At my house,” Ethan added. “I’ll have Sarah invite her over for the day. If it’ll make you feel better, we can have someone stay at your place overnight—just to play it safe.”
Just like that, the majority of his worries were gone. “I don’t know how to thank you.”
“This is what we do. We take care of our own,” Ethan added.
Collin walked back in. “We’re all set. I need to file a flight plan, and Reed’s on the hook for a case of vodka. We’ll take off out of Santa Monica. When do you want to leave?”
He glanced at his watch, calculating how long it would take to talk to Bella, make arrangements with Vinny, and head to the airport. “Does eleven work for you?”
He nodded. “Yeah, I’ll get things set up and call Lyla to let her know I have to head out of town.”
“I really appreciate this.”
“It’s what we do.” Collin walked back out.
Reed gathered up his stuff. “I’m going to head back to the Palisades—go see Bella and get Vinny heading toward the airport.”
“Good luck.” Ethan sat behind his desk and picked up his phone. “Bella will be fine here.”
“Thanks.” He hurried down the hall to the elevators, glancing at his watch again when the door felt like it was taking forever to slide open. Skylar and Joey were waiting in New York. His friends here in LA were helping him out in a major way. As much as he didn’t want to leave Bella for the next two days, he was ready to do whatever needed to be done to finish this thing once and for all.
~~~~
“The vitamin C mask is a great addition to your regular treatment. You should see a bit of firming, and the added benefits of the antioxidants never hurt,” Bella said as she applied moisturizing SPF to her client’s forehead and fought to stifle yet another yawn. Typically, the spa music she played during the day soothed her. This morning, it was killing her. She needed something fun and upbeat. Maybe then she could pretend that her heart wasn’t heavy or that the extra sleep she’d been able to sneak in before Reed woke her up with a cup of decaf coffee and a long hug had been enough to battle back the worst of her fatigue.
“Whatever you say. My skin has never looked better.”
She smiled, always pleased when her clients were satisfied with their results. “I’m glad you’re happy.”
“Sweetie, I’m ecstatic. I’ve been seeing you for six months and I look ten years younger. I’ve decided I’m ready to try those laser treatments you’ve been talking about.”
Bella wiped her hands on a towel and gently eased off the headband holding Meryl’s bangs back from her face. “We can set up a consultation if you want, and I can give you a more in-depth idea of what we would be doing. I want you to be completely comfortable before we move forward.”
“I told myself I would never take such drastic actions. I want to age gracefully, but spider veins are my enemy.”
Grinning, Bella helped Meryl sit up, then draped her bare shoulders with a plush white robe. “There’s absolutely nothing invasive about the treatments. No needles, no downtime. The lasers do all the work. We can start with one or two of your most evil veins and see what you think.”
Meryl laug
hed. “I love that you always give me an out. No pressure—just give it a try. And I always end up loving everything you suggest.”
“We can talk more, but let me step out so you can get dressed—”
Meryl shook her head. “You know I’m not interested in all of that fancy hooey and time wasting. I’m not naked, after all—got my shorts on and this towel and robe.”
Bella did know, but it always seemed right to offer Meryl the option. “All right.” She moved to the sink and washed her hands while Meryl stepped into the small curtained-off space to slip her clothes back on. “I’ll send you home with a couple of pamphlets. There are some great before and after photos.”
“I’ll take them with me, but I’m ready to move forward.” Meryl stepped out, fully dressed again with her white top in place. “I’ll book a consultation.”
“Perfect.”
“No, sweetie, you’re perfect. I’m just an old geezer.”
Bella frowned as she dried off. “You’re beautiful. Your skin’s absolutely glowing.”
The forty-seven-year-old shook her head. “Not like you, honey. Some of us are blessed with the whole package. I’m just glad you’re willing to share your wisdom with me.”
“Anytime. Come on. I’ll walk you out, and we’ll get you set up with that consultation and another facial.” She opened the door and beamed at Reed sitting next to Lucy in the waiting area before she frowned, remembering that he wasn’t supposed to be there. He’d never visited her at the office before. “Hey, you.”
He stood, walking over to her. “Hey.”
“Um, Meryl, will you excuse me?”
“Of course. I’ll go make those appointments.”
“I’ll see you next time.” She gestured for Reed to follow her into her workspace and closed the door. “Hi.”
“Hi.” He kissed her. “I’m sorry to bother you at work.”
“It’s okay. Is everything all right?”
He took her hands and steamed out a long breath. “I have to go to New York.”
“Oh.”
Deceiving Bella: Book Eleven In The Bodyguards Of L.A. County Series Page 40