by L. P. Dover
“It’ll be okay,” I assured her.
A tear slid down her cheek. “What if that bullet was meant for me?”
Her hand trembled so I placed mine over hers, squeezing it tight. “No one’s going to hurt you, Layla. I can promise you that.”
My phone rang, but I didn’t recognize the number. Layla looked at it displayed across my dashboard screen, and gasped. “It’s Isaiah.”
I pressed the accept button so she could hear through the car speakers. “Yeah,” I answered.
“I’m coming up behind you, Collman.”
Looking in the rearview mirror, I could see a set of headlights coming up on us quickly. “I see you. What’s going on?”
He sighed. “I’m heading to the estate. Dom’s on his way too. He’ll meet us there. You can follow me.”
He pulled up beside us, and I acknowledged him with a nod. “We’ll be right behind you.”
Once he sped up, I shifted over to his lane and followed him. Layla leaned her head back and it wasn’t long before she drifted off to sleep. I wanted to call my brothers, but it wasn’t going to be safe to now, not with going to the Corsino estate. I had no doubt Anthony had that place on twenty-four-seven surveillance. For the first time ever, I was going to have to officially work alone.
*
We weren’t far from the Corsino estate when Layla jerked awake, grabbing her chest with a gasp. She looked over at me, and groaned. “I was seriously hoping this was all just a bad dream.”
Knowing I had no words for her, I turned my attention back to the dark road. There was nothing around for miles. “How much land does your father own out here?”
She blew out a sigh, and glanced around. “All of this. It’s about a hundred acres. He has it sealed off by a giant brick wall. No one can get over it without being detected. I used to think he was just being overprotective, but tonight proved me wrong.”
Isaiah turned down another road that was lined with large oak trees and the brick wall Layla had been talking about. At the end of the road, there was a large wrought-iron gate. Isaiah pulled up to it, and punched in a code at the call box. The gate opened, and we followed him toward the house. It wasn’t just a house, either—it was a fucking stone mansion that looked like a castle. The whole place was lit up with security lights everywhere.
I parked beside Isaiah and got out while he opened Layla’s door. “Do you need help getting to your room?” he asked as she got out.
Layla shook her head. “I’m fine.”
I opened the trunk, revealing all of our bags. “I’ll carry her stuff up there,” I said, meeting his stare. Isaiah nodded and then walked up the stone steps, disappearing inside. Layla draped my jacket over her arm and joined me. She reached in to grab one of her bags, but I got it before she could. “I got it, Layla.”
Crossing her arms over her chest, she stepped back and held my jacket closer to her. “Thanks,” she replied, smiling sadly. She nodded toward my duffel bag. “I see you packed some as well.”
I grabbed my bag and shut the trunk. “Nothing wrong with being prepared, especially not knowing what your father had planned for tonight.”
Her gaze narrowed. “He didn’t tell you?”
I shook my head. “Nope. With whatever happened tonight, I’m sure it messed up his plans.”
She started up the stairs. “I had a bad feeling all day about that damn gala. With Julian dead, there’s no telling what’s going to happen now.”
It was going to be a war, that’s what. The other families weren’t going to rest until they got answers, especially the Cartwrights, given the loss of their son. I had a lot of work to do. Once inside, I followed Layla up one side of the double marble staircase, expecting to see other people around, but there was no one.
“Does your father not have people here?” I asked.
Layla shook her head, and turned down a long hallway. “Not really. Francis lives on the grounds, so he keeps an eye on everything for us while we’re away, and we also have a pretty intricate security system. I’m sure Isaiah will be showing you that soon.” She stopped in front of a closed door at the end of the hall and faced me. “This whole area of the house is mine,” she said, looking tired. She waved a hand at the other three closed doors down the hall. “I have my own library, a gym, and a spare bedroom for my guests. I’m pretty sure my father was going to have you stay in the cottage, but…”
“But what?” I asked.
She looked so vulnerable and sexy all at the same time. Maybe even a little nervous. Her gaze shifted to the floor for a second before lifting to mine. “Do you mind staying across the hall for tonight? I’d feel much better having someone close by.”
I had a feeling her father wouldn’t approve, but he wasn’t there. “Sure.” I set her bags down, and she handed me my jacket. I could smell her perfume on it.
“Thanks. It’s been a long night so I’m probably just going to head to bed.” She lifted her bags and opened the door. “If you hear from my father, let me know.”
“I will,” I said.
She set her bags inside and slowly started to close the door. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Layla.” I turned to my door just as hers clicked shut. There was a couple of cameras in the hallway so I had to be careful. As soon as I opened the door, I could see Isaiah out of the corner of my eye, heading toward me.
“Collman.”
I set my bag inside the spare bedroom, and then faced him. “Yeah?”
He didn’t seem shocked to see me putting my stuff in that room. Instead, he nodded for me to follow him. “I need to show you around.”
When we got back to the staircase, he pointed across the way to the other hallway. “Those are Mr. Corsino’s rooms, and his late wife’s. We don’t go in them unless otherwise instructed.”
It made me wonder what kind of things he kept hidden in them. The FBI and the Circle of Justice had all the information we needed to indict him. Unfortunately, he always had a way of escaping us. That was the power of money.
I followed Isaiah downstairs. Behind the staircase, the space veered off into two hallways. One led to the kitchen and other brightly lit rooms, but we ended up going down the dark hallway instead.
“There are cameras all over the property,” Isaiah began, “and we have access to all of them.” He opened the door to one of the rooms and revealed a wall of over two dozen different screens, each showcasing a part of the house and the grounds. From what I could tell, there was a camera in each room, except for Layla’s part of the house. I could only see the outside of her doors. Isaiah handed me a notebook and a small black phone. “The gate codes are in here, and the phone is linked to the security system. If there’s any breach, we’ll get an alert. If someone just walks up to the brick wall on any part of the land, we’ll know it.”
I was impressed, but it was going to make my plan to kill Anthony that much harder. I focused on the screens, and Dominic’s car came into view at the front gate. Isaiah and I waited for him in the foyer.
He opened the door, his white button down stained with patches of blood. “Is Layla okay?”
“She’s fine,” I assured him. “She’s in her room.”
Sighing, Dominic walked past us, and we followed him to the kitchen. He pulled out a bottle of bourbon from the cabinet, and poured himself a glass. “Tonight’s been one fucked up nightmare after another.”
“How’s your father?” I asked.
He tossed back his drink and hissed as it went down. “Fine. The shot went clear through his shoulder. Once he’s dismissed from the hospital, he’s going into hiding. The media’s circling around like vultures. It’s all over the news right now.”
Isaiah cleared his throat. “What’s the sheriff saying about it?”
Dominic poured more bourbon into his glass. “Nothing official at the moment. I’ve already talked to Cadoc Cartwright. He and the rest of his family are going to lay low after the funerals.” He sat down at the bar, and ran both
hands down his face. “Think you can figure out who fired the shots?” he asked, turning to me. “You’ve been able to figure everything else out. The sheriff’s going to do what he can, but I think this is above him. You’re the only one who knew how to find Michael.” He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a slip of paper. “This is from my father. He asked if you’d stay here with Layla for a while until everything dies down.”
I didn’t want anything to do with Corsino’s money, but I took the check. I’d figure out what to do with it later. “So basically, he wants me to be her bodyguard? He’s asking a whole hell of a lot of me here recently. How am I supposed to watch over her and figure everything else out? There’s only so much I can do on my own.”
Dominic nodded and blew out a sigh. “I know. That’s why we were hoping you’d ask the other Collmans for help.”
And just like that, the tables had turned…for the better. I wouldn’t be able to call on my brothers, but I knew of another FBI agent who could help. He wasn’t part of the Circle of Justice, but he’d be perfect for the job. Having two of us behind enemy lines would make things so much easier. Not to mention, I’d have someone I could trust. “All right,” I agreed. “I’ll make some phone calls.”
Dominic smiled and held out his hand. “My father will be happy to hear it.”
Gaze narrowed, I stared down at his hand then right back into his eyes. “Before I agree to put my family in danger, I need to know everything that’s going on.”
He nodded. “What do you want to know?”
“What was your father’s plan tonight before everything changed?”
A haunted look passed across his face as he brought the glass of bourbon to his lips. “Let’s just say I’m glad it didn’t happen. There was no talking him out of it.”
“What was it?” I knew it was going to be bad, but I never expected to hear what came out of his mouth next.
Dominic finished his bourbon, and turned away from me to put his glass in the sink. “There was a bomb in the Avery Hall basement.” He looked at me over his shoulder. “My father was adamant that one of the families was responsible for Michael’s death. Since we didn’t know for sure who, he wanted everyone to suffer.”
Evil had stared at me in the face on many occasions, but Anthony Corsino was downright corrupt to the core. I could feel the rage building up inside of me, but there was nothing I could do about it. What kind of a man could massacre innocent women and children? The thought made me so goddamn sick.
“So he was going to kill them all?”
Dominic winced as I said the words. “But he didn’t. That’s all that matters.” For now, Dominic had somewhat of a conscience, but I wondered how long that’d last. I peered over at Isaiah, and his expression was blank as he focused on the wall. Dominic circled around the bar and faced me. “You may not like the way we do business, but it’s how it works around here. Right now, we need your help. Are you in or not?”
He was going to regret asking for it, all of them were. “I’ll call my family in the morning.” Grabbing the notebook and phone Isaiah had given me, I turned on my heel and headed out of the kitchen. The longer I was around them, the more I wanted to rip their fucking heads off. I had to get out of there.
Chapter Nine
Layla
When I woke up, I almost expected last night to have been a bad dream. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. I fell asleep with my phone right by my pillow, and there were a gazillion missed calls and texts from Faith, but nothing from my father. She’d heard about what happened and was worried about me. I texted her back to let her know I was okay and that I’d call her later.
My body felt heavy, resistant to the air itself, as I sat up. Across the room, I could see myself in the stand-up mirror. It was definitely a different sight from last night. I remembered looking at myself in the mirror before getting into the shower and seeing blood splatters on my dress and in my hair. It was Julian’s blood, and I was never going to see him again. As much as that should’ve upset me, it didn’t. I felt guilty for thinking that way, but in all honesty, his death made my life easier. That is, if the bullet was intended for him and not me.
Looking over at my bedside clock, it was eight in the morning. The sun could be seen through the thin slits at the side of my cream-colored curtains, and I could hear the birds chirping just outside. Everything was quiet in the house, but my stomach grumbled when the scent of homemade pancakes and maple syrup wafted into my room.
I slid out of bed and grabbed a pair of denim shorts and a pink tank top from my antique French dresser. My mother had designed my room in nothing but French elegance. The walls were pale green, and my mother had painted a pastoral motif on the wall behind my headboard. She loved to paint, and had made sure my room was filled with it. Seeing it all helped me to feel close to her. It was one of the reasons why I loved being at the estate. She was the one who designed it, from the ground up.
The phone beside my bed rang, and I already knew who it was going to be. “Good morning, Francis,” I answered.
His chuckle echoed through the phone. “Good morning, princess.”
I smiled. It felt good to be home. “I’m on my way down for breakfast. I can smell your pancakes all the way up here.”
“They taste good, too. Now come on.”
We hung up, and I rushed into the bathroom to fix my hair. It was still wavy from not drying it after my shower, so I put it up in a messy bun. When I stepped into the hall, I noted Bryce’s door was still closed. I almost knocked but then pulled my hand away. The thought of him being so close made me feel things I knew I shouldn’t feel. We had a connection, and I had no doubt he felt it too.
I walked downstairs to the kitchen, and Francis already had a plate of pancakes at the table with a glass of orange juice, and a small pitcher of warm maple syrup. “Hey,” he said, grinning wide. Instead of his usual chef’s coat, he had on a gray T-shirt and khaki shorts. His blond curls looked brighter, and he had more of a sun-kissed glow to his skin. I liked it when he could be comfortable around me. Around my father, he always made sure to dress the part. It was the same for the cleaning staff. They always gave him a wide berth, and I realized now it was probably because they were afraid of him. I didn’t want any of them afraid of me.
Sitting down at the table, I took a huge gulp of my freshly squeezed juice. “Has everyone else eaten?” I asked.
Francis came over with his cup of coffee and sat with me. “Yep. Your brother and Isaiah left already, and Bryce finished eating about thirty minutes ago.”
“Left? Where did they go?” I felt so out of the loop.
Francis shrugged. “Not sure. They didn’t tell me. I’m assuming you haven’t heard anything from your father?”
I took a bite of my pancakes and shook my head. “Nothing. Hopefully, I’ll hear something today. Did Bryce mention anything about leaving?” When he shook his head, I breathed a sigh of relief. As much as I wanted to deny it, I didn’t want Bryce going anywhere. “Where is he at, anyway?” I asked, hoping he couldn’t see right through me. Judging by the sly smile on his face, he had his suspicions.
He nodded toward the double glass doors that led to the pool. “He went out there. Said he wanted to take a walk.”
Once I finished my pancakes, I helped Francis clean up the kitchen and then I hurried out the patio doors. It was a warm summer day without a cloud in the sky. I could already feel the heat of the sun on my skin.
There was no telling where Bryce had walked to, but luckily, he was just around the corner of the house, leaning against the stone wall with his arms crossed and his gun tucked away in his holster. Instead of his usual suit attire, he had on a pair of jeans and a snug blue T-shirt that matched his eyes. It was the first time I’d been able to see all the tattoos on his arms.
He looked deep in thought as he stared at all the guest houses on the property. They were stone mini cottages that my mother had built for our family and guests. Francis lived in o
ne of them, but the other two were empty at the moment. I cleared my throat to catch his attention, but he didn’t seem shocked that I was there. As soon as his icy blue eyes met mine, I felt the heat of his stare all through my body.
“Morning,” I said, trying to catch my breath. “Did you sleep okay last night?”
He pushed away from the wall and came toward me. “Not really. Got a lot on my mind.”
I walked over to one of our patio tables by the pool and sat down. The umbrella shielded the sun as I peered up at him. “I understand that all too well. My mind was racing the entire night.” When he didn’t make a move to sit down, I nodded toward the chair across from me. “You can sit down with me if you want.”
His jaw clenched as he scanned the yard. “I don’t think this is what your father had in mind when he asked me to protect you.”
“Since when do you care? I thought you didn’t work for my father.”
He pulled the chair back from the table, and sat down, his serious blue eyes on mine. “I don’t, but there is such a thing as respect. We’re going to be here alone together for a while, and the last thing I need is for your father to think I’m taking advantage of you. He can see our every move,” he said, nodding up at one of the pool cameras.
The cameras didn’t bother me. I had ways around them, but I wasn’t about to tell him that yet. “Speaking of being alone, do you know why my brother and Isaiah left this morning?”
He nodded. “Your father wants them back in the city to keep up appearances while I do my research here. I need to see if I can find out who the shooter was.”
With my father being so protective of me, it was kind of strange how he left me alone with Bryce. “Why does my father trust you so much when you obviously have no loyalty to him? He’s gotten rid of people for that fact alone.”
Bryce’s lips pulled up slightly. “He sees my name and my talents as an asset. It gives him an upper hand over the other families.”