Chloe turned back to Madeline, whose hysteria had grown from fear to certainty. “As of an hour ago, the casino is no longer yours. Your people are gone and management is back in our hands.”
“Please!” Madeline screamed. “Let me work for you! Let me help you like I helped him!”
Chloe raised the gun and looked at Madeline with incredulity, but couldn’t blame her for trying. “A lot of people who know me used to say that I’m a lot like my father, but I’m not. My father was weak and a coward. I am neither.”
“Renee, please!”
“He was six years old!”
Madeline tried to cry out to save herself one last time, but Chloe was faster at squeezing the trigger, putting one bullet in Madeline’s chest and another in her head, her body instantly going limp in the chair. Chloe stared at the lifeless bodies, knowing she had made the choice to accept her succession in the Family and had unquestionably proven to three of her equals that she was more than willing to follow through with that job. More importantly, all of her friends, and six-year-old Samuel Morris, could finally rest in peace.
After a few heartbeats she removed the cigar from her bag and turned it in her fingers, feeling neither remorse nor pride for what had happened today. She felt relief despite the sacrifices she had to make in her own life once more. She broke the cigar in half and threw it at Madeline’s corpse, then faced all of the men in the room with a stoic look that asked if they would be willing to accept her into the Family.
Their smiles welcomed her home.
Chapter 66
Boston Herald
Tragedy struck early this morning when a fire broke out in the Grand Hotel downtown. Renee Parnell, twenty-eight years old, the only daughter of Matthew Parnell, was trapped on the twenty-seventh floor and died from smoke inhalation before rescuers could get to her.
Fire Marshall Shane Tomack confirmed the fire started due to faulty wiring in one of the guest rooms and estimates the fire started around 1:00 a.m. The only floors of the hotel affected by the fire were twenty-five through thirty. Renovations were being conducted from the twenty-third to twenty-fifth floors, and no hotel guests were injured.
Matthew Parnell, who passed away two weeks ago from a heart attack, purchased the Grand over thirty years ago and was one of Boston’s, and most of the surrounding communities’, largest contributor and support for children and the homeless. After his passing, his daughter, Renee, took over operations of the hotel and announced that she would be passionately continuing her father’s legacy with plans to branch out in surrounding states so that more people could be positively touched by the generosity and caring Matthew Parnell had shown to so many throughout the years.
“I will be taking over operations of the hotel effective immediately,” said Reginald Morris, long-time friend and former business associate of Ms. Parnell. “Matthew Parnell set up a trust for the operations of the hotel in the event of his passing, which would transfer ownership of the hotel to his daughter, and Ms. Parnell designated me to succeed her. I promise that I will do everything in my power to make sure the Parnell legacy, and the hotel, will flourish and never be forgotten.”
Matthew and Renee Parnell have no surviving heirs or family, and Mr. Morris confirmed it was Ms. Parnell’s wishes there be no services for her passing, but instead, a donation made in the Parnell family name to be equally divided among all after-school programs in the state.
***
The newspaper article had not moved from the corner of Chloe’s desk in almost four months. She kept it there to remind herself of the sacrifices she had made, the grief and pain her choices had caused to so many, the gift she had been able to bestow upon her best friend’s widower and surviving son, and that she would never be the person Matthew had been.
Her new responsibilities demanded she maintain stability in one central location and she chose to settle down in Lafayette, thereby transferring Jack to the Bureau in Boston to take over the New England territory. Chloe opened a business consulting office that would allow her not only to monitor both business entities closely, but also to begin living her life rather than running from or avoiding it. Thanks to her many years of experience, her business seemed to explode nationwide overnight. She had convinced her Family counterparts that combining their resources by having various associates working with her firm would profit every region. It took less than six months to prove she was better than Matthew would ever have been.
“It doesn’t sound like that big of an issue,” Chloe said into the telephone as she watched the rain outside her window. “They either want it or they don’t. Have you talked to Stephen? What did he say? Did he actually read the contract? I would, but I cannot stress the importance that you step up. I can only bail you out when there is the necessity for me to step in.”
She suddenly got the eerie feeling that she was being watched and swiveled her chair around to face the door. Her heart stopped for what seemed like days as her eyes locked with Hunter, casually leaning against the doorjamb of her office, one foot crossed over the other, arms folded in front of him with his head slightly cocked to the side as he quietly observed her with a trace of curiosity in his expression.
The second she saw him standing in her doorway, she wanted to slam the receiver on the phone cradle, jump out of her chair, and run into his arms. She wanted to feel his arms tighten around her as he held her to him, wanted him to want her. Her expression, however, gave nothing away as she held the receiver to her ear, trying to pay attention to the conversation.
Not taking her eyes off Hunter, she pulled herself closer to her desk and brought the conversation to an end. “Resolve the issue and I’ll see you when you come back at the end of the week. In the meantime, give Stephen another copy of his contract and tell him to read it closely. Call me if he still has a problem comprehending the fine print.”
She gave Hunter a guarded expression and the tautness of her body language implied their reunion wouldn’t start easily. What he didn’t know was that her heart was racing and her head swimming; her tongue was thick and felt like a bag of cotton, terrified that for the second time in her life she would be facing the brutal consequences of falling in love. For the first time in a long time, she didn’t know how to react except with surprise.
“Quite a place you’ve got here,” Hunter said.
“Hunter,” she almost stammered. “How did you…”
He ignored her question as he advanced into the office. “So, which business is this? I’m assuming you inherited the Family business, that’s why I ask. I was more than a little surprised when I found out you were not only alive, but back in Louisiana. This explains why Jack quietly left New Orleans with hardly a goodbye to anybody. I wish I had the words to explain to you how angry and frustrated I was when Jack came back from Boston. He either couldn’t or wouldn’t tell me anything that could even remotely put my mind at ease. I’m sure he told me what he could, but it wasn’t much. I honestly couldn’t tell if it was the truth or not, but I’ve been living the past six months of my life in hell, Chloe, and I want out.”
It wasn’t until now that she realized just how much her past had hurt him. “I know I’m sorry doesn’t mean much, but…”
His gaze fell to the newspaper article about the fire. “Did you kill him?”
“No.”
“Were you responsible for his death?”
She decided to answer honestly. “In part.”
“Was his death planned?”
“His death was desired and hoped for, but, then again, nobody can predict when someone is going to die. Well, most of the time.” At Hunter’s look, Chloe gave him the short version of the story. “You can’t tell me you missed every article and news story that quoted the cause of death as being massive heart failure due to a congenital heart defect. Did we know it would happen? No. Did we hope it would? Yes.”
“We being?”
“You already know the answer to that question.”
“I’m
assuming since Jack transferred to Boston that he’s running New England now.”
“The fire was necessary, Hunter. Renee had to die in order for Chloe to live.”
“So how—” Hunter started, but Chloe cut him off.
“What do you want from me, Hunter?” This unexpected reunion tore at her more than she wanted to admit.
“Answers.”
“Then ask me questions I can answer. You are a federal agent who knows what kind of world I live in. If this weren’t the last time we were going to see each other, I would give you every detail, but we’re past that now. There are too many truths I want to tell you but can’t and you know it.”
“Have you forgotten that there isn’t anything I can do? The day I was sworn to secrecy the deal was sealed. You could tell me absolutely anything right now—even if there were a body buried under your floor—and there’s nothing I can do. There’s not a body under your floor, is there?”
She gave a small laugh and realized she had been putting all of her focus on trying to fall out of love with him that she actually had forgotten about that fact.
“No,” she answered with a smile. “No bodies under the floor.”
“If you’re really not comfortable saying anything because of who I work for, there is another way for me to get the answers I need and protect yourself at the same time.”
She let out a disbelieving scoff and asked, “How?”
“I quit the Bureau.”
Her jaw dropped in disbelief. “Why would you do that?”
“When you left, I never expected to see you again, convinced Matthew would kill you. When I heard he died, I was relieved, and the thought of your death never crossed my mind again. Then I heard about the fire and it was like a gut punch. But that wasn’t the worst of it because I already know what it’s like to lose someone I love and I thought I would be able to get through it the same way I did when Amy died. But I couldn’t because I didn’t feel the same about your death than I did about Amy’s. It was worse.”
If she had any feelings about how he reacted to the news of her death, they didn’t show, but her breathing had become shallow and she was having a difficult time trying to control the slight tremor in her hands.
Hunter produced a folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Chloe. “And then I got this in an overnight package with no return address a few weeks ago.”
It was a simple typewritten note with one short sentence.
Go back to where you met and love her as much as she loves you.
A knowing smile crossed her face. “David.” She let out a soft sigh. “I’m sorry, Hunter. I know it doesn’t mean much but I’m so sorry I hurt you and caused you so much pain. I regret every lie I told you when I should have seen that you were trying to help me, but I knew everything between us was over from the second you saw my tattoo. For reasons and explanations far beyond my comprehension, it took less than a day for me for fall in love with you and I don’t have any right to love you. It could never work between us. Knowing what you know, would you really be willing and able to set aside everything you believe in to go from fighting crime to participating in organized crime? In the past few months, I have done things that I won’t apologize for, but that you wouldn’t be able to forgive.”
“Don’t you think you should let me be the judge of that?”
He was right and she knew it, but she still didn’t think he would be able to forgive her once he found out she had personally taken a life out of duty and vengeance. “I run things differently than he did, but there are times when it’s necessary to do what I have to when circumstance calls for it. I have a devoted Family that I have earned the trust and respect of in a short period of time, and once they find out you’re FBI—”
“Former FBI,” Hunter pointed out, then said with a smile, “and don’t forget that Jack and I are buddies.”
“It will take time for them to trust you and, I’m sorry, but I selfishly don’t want to give up what I have. Would you be able to look the other way simply because you love me?”
“If it means we can be together, yes.” He held up his hands to keep Chloe from interrupting. “Chloe, this is something that has crossed my mind more than once since I found out who you were, and if this is the only way for us to be together, I’ll do whatever it takes. Who knows? My background could come in handy every once in a while. From the second I got that note, I knew there was nothing I wouldn’t do to be with you. I love you and I’m not letting you get away again.”
There was a thick silence between them as they both considered their situation. She wanted him more than she had ever wanted anybody or anything before, but if she lost him like she had once thought she had, she knew she wouldn’t be able to live with heartache like that again.
“There are a lot of secrets and many explanations that you may not be prepared for, and there are more than a few that you might hate me for.”
“So enlighten me,” he said, spreading his hands, inviting her to shock him. “Right now, tell me one secret you think I may hate you for.”
She let out a deep breath and pushed herself back from her desk, exposing the secret with the most truth and vulnerability—the large, round swell of her belly. She could see the shock and surprise on Hunter’s face and she watched him quickly do the math in his head.
“Six months,” she said as she ran her hands across her stomach, tracing the curve of their child, closing her eyes and sucking in a breath as a hard kick hit her ribs, making her wonder not for the first time if any of her ribs weren’t broken. She watched Hunter’s reaction go from stunned to wonderment as he approached her, silently asking permission to touch her stomach. She nodded and let him take in the shock, expecting his reaction to be the complete opposite of what he was expressing now.
He leaned into her, awestruck, whispering, “You weren’t going to tell me.”
“I wanted to, but…”
“I thought you were dead,” Hunter said, and kissed her, letting her know he wasn’t going anywhere. And she returned that kiss, letting him know she wanted him to stay. Chloe’s phone rang, forcing them to break their passion.
She cleared her throat and reached for the phone, watching Hunter’s curious face. “There’s a fifty-fifty chance this call might be your test, Hunter.”
“For better or worse, we’re in this together now,” Hunter promised as he took a seat.
She watched his face carefully as she answered the phone on speaker. “Good afternoon, Mr. Staton.”
The voice on the other end of the phone was deep and clear. “Good afternoon, ma’am.”
“How are things on the West Coast?”
“I’m sorry to say that I’m calling with bad news, ma’am. We lost Mr. Leonard last night.”
Anger immediately took over Chloe’s features, yet she was able to keep her voice even. “What happened?”
“There was apparently a disagreement between Mr. Leonard and Marco Silva…”
“Silva?” Chloe asked. “Silva, as in one of Mr. Yates’s captains?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She and Mr. Yates of Kansas City had an amicable relationship, and what Staton was saying made no sense. “A disagreement about what?”
“I wasn’t there, but Mr. Collins told me the argument was over who the product collection belonged to. Silva said the contract was issued in K.C.”
“A contract Mr. Yates and I previously discussed since the product was initially coming through my territory. Where is Silva now?”
“Unknown, ma’am, but we are in the process of looking for him. I think you should know that, by Mr. Collins’s account, Silva didn’t seem to be acting on behalf of Mr. Yates.”
Curious, she thought, and then asked, “The body?”
“Cleaned up and cleared out. We said a few words before the fire.”
Cremation, Chloe mouthed to Hunter, and he nodded in cautious understanding.
“Please ask Mr. Collins to call me,” she orde
red. “Find Mr. Silva and keep him under surveillance until you receive further orders from me. If termination is necessary, it had better be for a damn good reason. I will contact Mr. Yates regarding the behavior of his captain.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Chloe disconnected the call and turned to Hunter, waiting for either acceptance or arrest. Finally, he asked, “This is normal?”
“This would actually be considered a good day.”
“I’d hate to see a bad day.”
“Yes,” she said, “you would.”
“So, what’s next?”
Chloe let out a sigh. “I call Mr. Yates and then I call David. Because Mr. Silva is a captain, David will have to authorize the contract. However, since Silva works for Mr. Yates, there is the chance that he may be able to take care of the problem himself.”
“And then?”
“Then nothing. Business as usual.”
Hunter approached Chloe, wrapping his arms around her with a smile. “You’ll have to be patient with me. This will be an entirely new lifestyle and a lot of rules for me to learn. I swear I could see him saluting you with every ma’am he said.”
She smiled back at him, and asked for clarification, “You’ll be okay with all of this?”
He lightly kissed her, then pressed his forehead to hers. “I do have one question. What are the rules and requirements for a wedding in the Lundy Family?”
Chloe pulled her head back and produced the happiest smile she had in too many years. “The first is that you keep the promises you make to one another. The others you’ll learn along the way.”
About the Author
Jennifer Bates was born in Spokane, Washington and grew up in Burien, Washington. Craving an adventurous change in her life, she packed up her son and moved to Idaho. A year later she met the man who would forever change her life and went to Ontario, Oregon where she stayed until another adventure came calling and she found her home in Louisiana.
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