Chapter Forty-Three
Reed stood out of the way while the nurse helped Vinny settle into his new room at Southern California Hospice Center. He slid his hands in his pockets, glancing around at thriving potted plants, glossy hardwood floors, and pretty paintings hanging on the soothing blue walls—a major step up from Vinny’s cold, sterile hospital digs.
“There you go, Vinny.” Heather adjusted the oxygen tubing around Vinny’s ears and stepped back. “It looks like you’re all set. Can I get you anything?”
“No. Thank you.”
“I’ll let you and Reed enjoy your visit.”
Reed smiled at the redheaded twenty-something dressed in cheerful purple scrubs. Heather had been nothing but kind since they met Vinny’s transport team at the front door half an hour ago. “Thank you for everything. You’ve been great.”
“You’re welcome. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen.”
“I appreciate it.” He smiled again, waiting for Heather to close the door on her way out.
“It’s about damn time,” Vinny grumbled as he settled more comfortably on the small pile of pillows. “How hard is it to get five damn minutes alone?”
Apparently pretty tricky. They’d been trying to find a quick moment to catch up on the case for over a week, but Reed’s schedule hadn’t offered him many opportunities to make it up to Reseda—and Bella had been with him on the two occasions he’d made it home early enough to tag along. Last night when Bella asked him to meet Vinny’s ambulance at the center due to some sort of work conflict today, he’d jumped at the chance. “That shouldn’t be a problem anymore. I’ll be able to get over here a lot more often.”
Vinny nodded as his gaze tracked around the room. “This place is nice enough.”
“Bella likes it.” Her worries had been put to rest within moments of their tour last Monday evening. “How about some fresh air?”
“Sure.”
He opened the French doors to the beautiful gardens. The whole facility was gorgeous—comforting and homey. Thanks to Grant Cooke, Vinny had been guaranteed a spot at the swank establishment within minutes of Ethan’s phone call to his father. “Do you need a drink or anything?”
Vinny shook his head. “Don’t treat me like a pansy ass. That’s my daughter’s job.”
He smiled, even as he worried. Vinny was still incredibly pale and weak. It didn’t appear that he would be rallying back from his recent surgery the way Reed had been hoping. “And she can have it.”
“Have you heard from your informant?”
“No. He said he would get back to me when he had something.”
“What about the bullet? Did they get any results on that?”
He sat down in the recliner and leaned back, making himself at home. “It’s a match.”
Vinny closed his eyes in what could only be relief. “Thank God.”
“Skylar’s been out processing the warehouses—Al Marini’s and Felice Dioli’s murder scenes.”
“And?”
He shook his head. “She hasn’t come up with anything.”
“What about the field?”
He laced his hands behind his head and crossed his ankles. “The rain’s been making it hard for them to get a whole lot done, but they’ll get back to it.”
“When are they coming—Joey and Skylar?”
“Tomorrow.”
Vinny nodded.
“Are you up for that?”
“Yeah,” he said as he pulled his blanket to his chin, struggling to keep his eyes open.
Reed exhaled a long, quiet breath, wondering if Vinny had weeks or days left in him, because weeks seemed pretty optimistic at this point. “Good. They arrive later tonight. I’ve made arrangements with my coworker to cover me, so we’ll meet here after I know Bella’s settled in at her office.”
“Sounds like a good plan. Are you still looking after that girl—the one who’s being followed or whatnot?”
“For now. Her parents are talking about sending her over to Europe for the summer—get her out of here for a while.”
Vinny frowned. “Are you gonna go with her?”
He shook his head. “Ethan tries not to send us away for more than two weeks at a time if we have families.”
“So you’ll never be away from Bella for more than a couple weeks?”
“That’s always the idea.”
Vinny nodded again. “You’ve got a good boss.”
“I like him.” His phone rang. He reached into his back pocket and grabbed it, smiling at Bella’s face filling the screen. “Hey, beautiful,” he answered.
“Hi. How did everything go?”
“Great.”
“Dad’s all settled in?”
“Yup. He has been for a little while now—probably about half an hour. We’re sitting here watching some TV and telling each other lies.” He picked up the remote on the side table and turned on the television, wanting something about his visit with Vinny to be the truth.
Bella laughed. “Sounds interesting.”
“I’m not hating it.”
She chuckled. “I bet.”
He grinned, feeling himself relax. Tomorrow this was all going to be over. Or at least, the majority of it. They were going to have Vinny’s testimony on tape. Eventually Reed would have to go to New York to testify before the grand jury, but that wouldn’t impact Bella in any way. He would just have to tell her he was going away on business.
“I’m heading your way now,” she said. “I was thinking about stopping off at the deli. We can have dinner and visit for a while before we head home.”
“Sounds great.”
“I’m going to get Dad some soup. They always have chicken noodle. Do you want anything special?”
“Nah. Go ahead and surprise me.”
“All right.”
“Why don’t I let you go so you can concentrate on the road?”
“Okay.”
“See you soon.”
“Reed?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks. For meeting Dad today. For getting him into that amazing place. For everything.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too. I’ll see you soon.”
“Okay. Bye.”
He hung up and shoved his phone away. “Bella’s grabbing some dinner and she’ll be…” He stopped, realizing Vinny was sleeping. Sitting back, he glanced at his watch, already counting down the minutes until Skylar and Joey would help him wrap up the California end of Operation Caparelli Takedown. Vinny was just barely hanging on.
~~~~
Bella moaned and closed her eyes while Reed ran his fingers through her wet hair, rinsing away any remaining conditioner while they both stood beneath the shower’s warm spray. “That feels good. So relaxing.”
“Good.” He pushed her long locks to one side and kissed the back of her neck—once, twice.
“Mmm, that’s nice too.”
He wrapped his arms around her waist and slid his slippery palms up her belly to her breasts. “How about this?”
She snagged her bottom lip with her teeth and purred her satisfaction, relishing the way his touch always brought heat rushing to her center. “Even better.” She turned and faced him, smiling into his eyes as she settled her hands on his hips. “It’s been awhile since we’ve done this.”
“Over a week,” he murmured against her lips, tracing her spine with the tips of his fingers. “Things have been a little crazy.”
She shivered as goose bumps puckered her skin. “Luckily, they seem to be settling down.”
He made a sound in his throat as he held her gaze.
“Thank you again for meeting Dad today. It eased my mind knowing you were going to be there when he arrived.”
“You’re welcome. Now that he’s close, we’ll both be able to get over and visit more often.”
How lucky was she that she’d found a man who was willing to take on the huge and often overwhelm
ing responsibilities of caring for an ill loved one without complaint. He’d promised to stand by her side, and he’d been there every step of the way. “I know I resisted a little at first, but you were totally right about the hospice center.” She let her hands wander up the sides of his waist, then gently raked her fingernails down his abs, loving the way she could make his muscles quiver. “As much as I wish I could take care of him here, I know he’s in better hands with the staff there. His room is beautiful. And the view.”
“It’s an amazing facility.”
“Mmm. I like that Lucy gets to come too.” She smiled, remembering the way Dad had laughed when their sweet puppy edged up to his bedside and kissed his cheek. Unfortunately, he was still pale and weak. It was nice that Lucy could bring him a little joy when he was feeling so poor. “And he’s just minutes down the road.”
“A win-win for everyone.”
“It is.” She swallowed, seeing the desire in Reed’s eyes. “Dad’s all settled in and we’ve had dinner. What should we do with the rest of our evening?”
“We can finish season six of The Office and eat ice cream, or we could go to bed.”
She nodded. “Good ideas. I like option two best, but it’s a little early to call it a night.”
He dipped his fingers inside her. “I don’t think I said anything about sleeping.”
She whimpered, clutching at his shoulders as he played her.
He eased her back against the tile as he used his tongue to tease her nipples. “We could finish this right here. This works too.”
She shook her head. “In the bedroom.” She stroked his erection as she stood on her tiptoes and tugged on his ear with her teeth. “But tonight I get to be in charge.”
He lifted his brow. “I like the way that sounds.”
“You should. I’m planning on taking very good care of you.”
He reached behind him, shutting off the water, then lifted her in his arms, moving with her to the bedroom.
She laughed. “We forgot our towels.”
“We don’t need them.”
Reed’s phone alerted him to a text as they walked by the dresser.
She snatched it up, reading the screen. “Skylar G. says they made it and everything’s all set.” She frowned, looking at him. “Sounds mysterious.”
“Not really.” He took the phone from her and tossed it into the small pile of dirty clothes. “I’ve been doing a little consulting on an old case she and I were both involved with.”
“I see.”
“I can tell you all about it.” He collapsed onto the mattress and growled, attacking her neck with nibbles. “Or I can do this.”
Laughing, she swatted at his back and bucked beneath him. “That tickles!”
He grinned, staring down at her. “This seems like the better option. Cop talk’s boring.”
“I agree.” She motioned for him to reverse their positions.
He complied.
She sat up, straddling him. “Now, where were we?”
“You were going to be in charge.”
She wiggled her eyebrows. “That’s right.”
He chuckled.
She gripped him in her hand, moving up and down. “I’m going to do all kinds of naughty things to you.”
He grinned. “Who am I to stop you?” In a lightning-fast move, he had her on her back again. “Unless I get to it first.”
She laughed, hooking her arms around the back of his neck. These were her favorite moments—when they spent time together, having fun. Reed told her that she’d changed his life, but he’d changed hers too. Every day was better because he was in it. “You have an unfair advantage. You’re stronger and weigh more than I do. I’m totally at your mercy.”
“That’s true.” He sank himself inside her.
She tipped her head back, crying out, as waves of pleasure careened through her body.
“Sounds like this is working for you though,” he said, his breathing already growing unsteady.
She nodded, still reeling from the onslaught of sensations. “Since we’re already here, how about you have a turn first, and I’ll have mine next?”
He grinned, then kissed her forehead and the tip of her nose, instantly changing the mood of their lovemaking. “I just need you.”
She brushed her fingers through his hair, forever amazed that Reed was hers. That this was her life. Their life. “I need you too.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too.” She captured his mouth and moved with him, more than happy to be wrapped up in Reed’s arms for a rare quiet night.
Chapter Forty-Four
Reed grabbed the large corkboard he was borrowing from Ethan Cooke Security and leaned it against the wall by Vinny’s bedside. He pulled a file folder from his laptop case next and started pinning up documents and various images in a rough timeline of events—the way he’d done more times than he could count at the Brooklyn precinct. Up went pictures of Bella standing next to Dino Asante and Matty Caparelli at Luisa’s grand opening event; the stack of prison letters Alfeo had written to his poor mother; a current map of the field with circles and x’s where corpses had been pulled from the ground; a surprisingly cool shot Skylar had taken of him, Vinny, Joey, and Collin in the four-person ATV with the skyline behind them; photographs of each of the bodies in their unzipped body bags on the anthropologist’s table; and the knife. They were all parts of the whole—all parts of connecting the dots and drawing final conclusions before Vinny couldn’t answer their questions anymore.
“So this is what you guys do in your cop shops.” Vinny played with the straw in his water glass as he lay back against his pillows, his color slightly better than it had been yesterday. “Make posters for the walls.”
Smiling, Reed added two more photos to the top—one of Nicoli Caparelli in his heyday and another of Nicoli and Alfeo caught by FBI surveillance. “It puts it out there in a nice little line—lets us all see the big picture.”
Vinny sat up farther in his bed. “How are you gonna explain all this if one of the nurses walks in?”
Reed snagged a blanket and set it at the top of the board in a way that would allow him to drape the images quickly if anyone entered that they weren’t expecting. “Hopefully they won’t. I told them that a videographer and her assistant were coming in to capture a keepsake video.”
Vinny grinned as he shook his head. “You don’t miss a trick.”
Not when everything was on the line. They had one shot at getting this right. “It pays to be thorough.”
“I guess so.” Vinny sipped his drink. “When are they coming?”
There was a knock at the door and Skylar and Joey walked in, both carrying equipment.
Reed shoved his hands in his pockets, never quite so happy to see his buddies. “How’s that for an answer?”
“Hey,” Skylar said to Reed as she set down the bulky case and walked over to Vinny. She was dressed in tailored gray slacks and a fitted blazer—the constant professional and hard-ass. “It’s nice to see you again, Mr. Pescoe.”
Vinny accepted Skylar’s hand. “I thought we decided you were gonna call me Vinny.”
She smiled. “I guess we did. I’ll get things set up.”
Vinny nodded. “Cop number two,” he said to Joey as Joey shut the door.
“What’s going on, Vinny?” Joey shook Vinny’s hand, dressed far more casually in cargo shorts and a T-shirt.
“It’s nice and spacious in here,” Skylar commented as she adjusted the tripod and set the recorder in place like a pro. “Vinny, I want to get a head-on shot of you while I interview you, if that’s okay.”
He shrugged. “Whatever we need to do to get this done. For my daughter.”
“Where’s Bella today, anyway?” Joey asked as he sat down at the small table with chairs for two.
“Working until four.” Reed crossed his arms and sat in the recliner, close by the board, doing his best to ignore the tension creeping up his neck. “She has an
earlier day, so this needs to be wrapped up sooner rather than later.” He glanced at his watch, noting that they had plenty of time to take care of business. Just a few more hours and they would have what they needed for the DA and a grand jury. After this, he got to move on with his life and stop with all the damn lying. Maybe this weekend he would surprise Bella with another visit to her dream house—with a real estate agent in tow.
“All right.” Skylar framed Vinny’s face in the small screen on the camera and grabbed her notes, setting them on the table close to where she stood next to Joey. “I think we’re good. Let’s begin. Today’s date is Tuesday, May tenth, two thousand sixteen. The time is currently nine fifteen a.m. in Los Angeles, California. I’m Special Agent Skylar Grayson, interviewing state’s witness Nicoli Caparelli. Please state your name and date of birth for the camera.”
“My name is Vin—Nicoli Caparelli. Birthdate is August eleventh, 1952.”
“Nicoli, I would like to start our interview with your early life.”
Vinny nodded, sipping his water. “Okay.”
“You’re the youngest son of Patrizio and Isabella Caparelli?”
“Yes.”
“You have a sibling four years your senior, Alfeo Caparelli. Is this correct?”
“It is.”
“You grew up in New York?”
“I did. Brooklyn.”
“You were a resident of Brooklyn, New York, until you relocated with the Witness Protection Program in 1989?”
He nodded again. “Yes.”
“What did you do for employment before your relocation?”
“I worked for the Caparelli crime family.”
“Can you attest to the fact that the Caparelli Family was and is part of La Cosa Nostra?”
“Yes. My grandfather, Sony Caparelli, was the original founder of the five families of La Cosa Nostra. The Capo Di Tutti Capi.”
“Which means?”
“The boss of all bosses. He raised my father, Patrizio, to be Godfather and my older brother, Alfeo, to take over when that day finally came.”
Deceiving Bella: Book Eleven In The Bodyguards Of L.A. County Series Page 48