by Gina LaManna
Carlos wrinkled his nose.
I frowned. “If you want me to find something, you can’t keep it a secret. You have to tell me what I’m looking for.”
Carlos raised one eyebrow. “Fine. Do not tell anyone else. Not Meg, not Anthony, nobody.”
“Understood,” I said, still worried about the rest of the job. Carlos had never asked me to work alone on a serious assignment before, and as much as I liked to think I was up for a challenge, I normally needed all the help I could get.
“A crown. It’s small in size; however, our client claims it is valued at twenty-two million dollars. You do not need to know the client’s name, due to the utmost confidentiality standards for the Luzzi business, but I do have a file for you with information on the artifact. Photos, associations, etc.”
“It would help me to know the client’s identity. Maybe someone is after them, and that would make my job easier – I could go straight to the source.” I paused. “Or, what if the client tried to steal it from you? It’s possible, you know. Things like that happen all the time, people burning down their own businesses to collect insurance money.”
“Nothing burned down.”
“No,” I said. “But maybe it’s not about the money. Maybe your client is trying to make you look bad. It wouldn’t be the first time someone tried to smear the Luzzi name, and he could’ve entrusted you with an expensive item, then had his own people steal it back. Double whammy: he ends up with the goods, while your security force looks bad.”
“I’ve considered it.” Carlos squinted. “Your thinking has improved lately, this makes me happy to see. But it has to be someone internal. I know it. I feel it, in here.”
I waited until Carlos rested his hand on his heart, then removed it, before introducing a new train of thought. “Have you considered The Fish? Because it seems like he has it in for you, judging by that stunt up at the cabin.”
“I’ve considered everything.” Carlos slammed a fist on the table, and for the first time in a long while, I witnessed him losing his cool.
My blood turned a shade chillier, as I realized the impact that the notion of a traitor had on my grandfather’s trust. I’d always thought Carlos had been immune to emotions, but in that moment I saw it all – anger, confusion, even hurt. I could now tell Meg that, without a doubt, Carlos was not a robot.
Carlos left no doubt in my mind about his wholehearted belief that the attack must have come from the inside. He’d been the target of murderers, thieves, and kidnappers before, and he’d always remained calm and collected. Logical. Carlos did his job, and a good one at that, leaving his emotions out of the business. It’s how he remained consistently at the top of the food chain.
But today, something was different. Underneath his fist slamming and angry words lay confusion and hurt, a sadness about him that I suspected had something to do with these recent developments. Carlos valued loyalty above all. He let only a tiny percentage of people into his life, his home, his heart, and even then, after much time and consideration.
Today, it was clear that someone had betrayed his trust.
“It’s okay, we’ll find who it is,” I said, reaching across the table in support.
But apparently he didn’t need me.
Slapping my hand away, he frowned. “I don’t need sympathy, I need the crown. Can you find it?”
“I’ll do my best, jeesh. I was just trying to be nice, for crying out loud.” I rubbed my wrist, even though he hadn’t slapped it hard.
“I’m on edge.” That was as close as Carlos would come to an apology.
“I can see that.” I crossed my arms. “To be clear...you have a missing crown. I need to find the crown and find out who took it. You suspect it’s someone from within your security detail, and I’m not to discuss the assignment with anyone.”
“Not even Anthony.”
I narrowed my eyes. “You’re not just doing this to get between Anthony and me, are you?”
The news about Anthony and my relationship had leaked during a botched secret-keeping attempt while on vacation a few months ago. Since then, it’d become public knowledge, though it remained mostly unspoken of within the house. The other guards walked on eggshells around us, and not a soul had commented on our relationship outside of Nora, Clay, and Meg. We’d asked for privacy, and I think everyone was afraid of what Anthony would do if they didn’t respect our wishes.
“Don’t be stupid.” Carlos blinked. “Nora would kill me if I came between you two. In fact, if you could get married, that would increase my sanity levels significantly.”
My cheeks burned. Usually Carlos ignored my love life, which was plenty fine with me. But Anthony had insisted we get my grandfather’s blessing before dating. Carlos gave it without any argument, though I suspected that had more to do with Nora’s desire for a great-grandbaby than his approval of the relationship.
“Fine,” I said. “Do you want me to actually investigate my boyfriend?”
“Don’t leave any stone unturned.”
“Are you sure I can’t ask for Anthony’s help? He’s dating me and working for you. He’d have to be an idiot to cross you. And he’s not stupid.”
“Don’t leave any stone unturned.”
“Are you going to ask me to investigate your wife next?” I rolled my eyes, not looking forward to working alone on this one. I liked collaboration.
“Don’t be stupid. Leave Nora out of this.” Carlos gave a shake of his head. “Oh, and one more thing.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“The client is arriving in three days to retrieve the item.”
“Three days...so he’ll be here on Friday?” I asked, counting ahead. “That’s Halloween.”
“Is that an issue?”
I ran through a list of To-Do’s in my head. Plan Haunted House, get Halloween costumes, make sure Meg isn’t mad if I don’t dress up as Aladdin...
“That should be fine,” I said.
“Good.” Carlos reached across the table and picked up the lonesome beer. He took a sip, wrinkled his nose, and then took another sip. “And when you find the culprit, make sure you come straight to me. Immediately.”
I swallowed hard. “Of course.”
A twinge of sympathy twisted in my gut. Carlos didn’t take kindly to traitors, and whoever had crossed him would pay, and pay big.
But then again, they should’ve known better. Nobody messes with the Luzzi Family and gets away with it.
Chapter 5
I TOTTERED UP THE STAIRS of apartment number 7, my arms full to bursting with Meg’s box of goodies from Nora. A few feathers dusted the ground in the hallway, and a trail of glitter now led straight to my front door.
The apartment I shared with Clay was neither flashy nor expensive. It wasn’t in the nicest area of town, and the outside structure could be described accurately as “saggy.” A minimum of three bullet holes decorated our window pane, and a spray-painted f-bomb was the only doorman standing guard outside.
But it was home.
I pushed the door open, making enough of a racket that I didn’t feel the need to call out to Clay and announce my presence. After Carlos had written down a mind-boggling figure as future payment to find the crown – paid out only if the gig remained an utter secret and the crown survived intact – I had bid Meg goodbye.
Before leaving, she’d made me promise I’d look into Aladdin costumes online. Once again, I hadn’t scrounged up the guts to tell her about my hopes of convincing Anthony to dress up with me. I’d cross that bridge when we came to it – sometime between now and Friday.
I’d then dropped Carlos off at the estate, finally returning home before remembering I had Meg’s box of costumes with me. I stacked the photo album I’d borrowed from Nora on top and, feeling like a moving dolly, hauled it all inside.
“Clay, what the heck are you doing?” I nearly dropped the boxes as I walked past the living room, where Clay sat with a naked mannequin before him. A definitely female mannequin.
; “What the hell are you doing home?” Clay stood up so fast the mannequin fell over.
I set the boxes down and leapt across the room, righting the upper half of the womanly figure before Clay could stop me. I took a good look before handing her back to Clay, waggling my eyebrows suggestively. “Who is she?”
“Veronica,” he snarled, his eyebrows frowning. “Be careful with her, for crying out loud. She’s not cheap.”
I raised a hand. “I don’t think I wanna know.”
Clay’s cheeks turned brick red. “Not like that. Can you pull your mind out of the gutter for one second? She’s a science experiment.”
“Science, huh?” I winked. “Do you mean biology?”
“Shut up.”
“Seriously, is this our new roommate? If so, she’s responsible for half the rent.”
“You have no say over the rent, since you don’t pay anything.”
“I do, too.” I crossed my arms. “Sometimes.”
Clay rolled his eyes. “I’m building something, and I needed measurements.”
I eyed the figure. It was the neck, chest, and waist of the woman. “What sort of measurements?”
“None of your business.” Clay’s neck turned a shade of red that matched his face. “Just leave me alone.”
“Fine, fine.” I picked up my boxes. “It just threw me off, you see. I’m not used to coming home and finding you with a lady. And in case you weren’t aware, online dating is available, Clay. There’s plenty of nice women out there. Women who are alive. No offense to Veronica.”
Clay picked up the pillow from the couch and launched it in my direction. I ducked just in time and, giggling like a madwoman, hustled out of the room before he could sit on me and smother me with the pillow.
I’d definitely pay for toying with him later, but it had been worth it. Growing up without siblings, it was nice to joke around and poke fun at each other in good spirit. I did wonder what on earth Clay was planning to do with Veronica, but I knew better than to press him on the subject. I’d find out when he was ready to talk; I only hoped the surprise didn’t come in the form of a bomb-dress, or some other explosive piece of clothing.
Slipping into the safety of my room, I found free space for Nora’s costume box in the far corner, just beside the bookshelf. My closet was full at the moment, overflowing with other storage items I’d been meaning to clean out for months. Er, years.
Most of the boxes contained stuff my mother had left for me. We’d never had a whole lot of nice things, and most of them had been tossed after she passed away, since I’d downsized in apartment space. But I’d kept one or two cartons with the most sentimental items.
In the spirit of family boxes, costumes, and photo albums, I pulled my mother’s old things out and set them on the floor next to Nora’s belongings. I sat on my bed, coaxing myself to open them one at a time, to look through them, clean them out, and keep only what I needed.
Still, I hesitated.
Mostly because I didn’t want to cry. Looking through belongings, going through notes and certificates and photos, tended to tap into emotions I preferred to keep locked away. I’d become quite good at pushing unwanted sad memories away, and I had no desire to pick at the threads until one of them came loose, and the floodgates opened.
However, if I wanted to find my father, I had to woman up and look for clues. A name, a forgotten note, the logo of a school or sporting team, an address...something. Nobody else was going to do it for me.
Moving my rear end onto the floor, I pried the first of my mother’s old boxes open. I’d looked through them a few years ago in my search for my family, but at the time I hadn’t been looking for my father, I’d been looking for the people my mother had run away from; I could only hope I’d be as lucky the second time around.
Carton numero uno didn’t contain anything surprising. I’d stored her TANGO costumes here, a few favorites that reminded me of her shiny personality. A sparkly blue pair of undies, a top with a few spikes coming out of it, the usual culprits. I did set aside one purple vest that might work for Aladdin, just in case I didn’t have the guts to tell Meg no.
Box number two contained much of the same, plus a few photos and knickknacks from around our first home. I turned everything – papers, notes, documents – upside down and inside out, looking for telling signs of anything, but I didn’t have much luck.
I found a mug from the local coffee shop that my mother must have adopted, and a photo of her surrounded by a few girlfriends from the club, which I set aside. A pen from a hotel, a pin with a logo and some type of bird on it, and a pad of paper with a few of my mom’s doodles on it made the cut. The rest of her things, I packed back up and pushed into my closet for safekeeping.
So much for cleaning things out, I thought. At least I’d managed to stay dry-eyed during the process, with the exception of a few quick blinks and a swipe of the cheek. But no ugly cry zone for me, yet, and I was halfway done. Now, I just needed to finish going through Nora’s photo album.
I flipped to page one, but frowned when the door to my apartment creaked open in the next room. Clay was already inside...who could it be?
I whipped around, half waiting to hear if Clay screamed. I only felt a tiny bit bad about using him as my alarm system. Then again, he had Veronica around to protect him.
When a minute passed and there had been no scream, no shout, no warning call, I hunched over and crept to the corner of my room next to the door. Had they surprised Clay? What if he was tied up and gagged in the living room? Realizing too late that I didn’t have a weapon of any sort, I pressed my back against the wall and watched the door.
A footstep sounded in the hallway, and the sound of breathing jumpstarted my heart into high gear. I took one deep breath, two, three, and finally a fourth before an unfamiliar shoe stepped into my room.
With an animal cry, I launched myself at the large figure creeping through my door.
I threw my arms around the person’s neck, jumping onto his back before realizing far too late that the intruder was none other than my boyfriend, also known as the head of Carlos’s security detail.
“Lacey, what in the world?” Anthony swung me off his back as if I were nothing more than a stuffed monkey with the Velcro arms clasped ’round his neck.
“Don’t you ever knock?” I asked, a slight gasp to my voice.
“Can’t a guy stop over and surprise visit his girlfriend?” Anthony gave me a quick kiss on the forehead. He frowned at the cut above my eye, but thankfully he didn’t ask questions. “I don’t mind getting attacked, but I prefer you to have less clothes on than...that.”
I glanced down at my thick yellow sweatshirt and fuzzy socks. “That still doesn’t explain why you can’t knock.”
“Doll, I’ve never knocked. This shouldn’t surprise you.” Anthony pulled me close, wrapping his arms around my waist, and placing a few kisses on sensitive areas around my neck.
I sighed. “I expected Clay to say hello to you at the very minimum. When I didn’t hear anything, I got worried.”
“I’m worried, too.” Anthony gestured down the hallway, a grin turning his face sunny. “Clay has the naked upper half of a woman in the living room, and there’s more than one question I’m burning to ask.”
I raised my hands. “Don’t ask me, I don’t know anything about it except that her name is Veronica.”
“Veronica.” Anthony raised an eyebrow. “And this is Clay’s latest...invention? Fetish? Friend?”
“Your guess is as good as mine.” I reached for Anthony’s hand. “On a different note, what brings you around?”
“Just to say hi.”
I narrowed my eyes as I led Anthony to the bed and sat down. “I don’t believe you.”
Anthony fiddled with my comforter.
I laid my hand on his. “You’re not looking me in the eye, buddy. I can tell when you’re lying to me.”
“Only because I want you to know.” Anthony’s eyes flashed up at me, ho
lding my gaze until I looked away first.
The moment reminded me of everything Anthony stood for; loyalty, security, and danger. I knew I couldn’t have one without the others, and I’d never try to change the man. At the same time, the glimpses of his more volatile side served to remind me that I didn’t fully know him at all. I hadn’t even scratched the surface of Anthony, of his past, his history, his origins.
I didn’t let go of Anthony’s hand, running light lines up and down the back of his arm, focusing on his dark skin, the softness of his arms compared to the roughness of his hands.
“Hey, look,” Anthony said, tipping my face upwards. “I didn’t mean anything by it. I just meant that I’d never lie to you.”
I smiled. “Either that, or I’m just getting really good at reading you.”
“Maybe.”
“So, what brings you here?”
“What did Carlos want with you?”
“Carlos?” I feigned confusion at the name.
“Funny, Miss Lacey.” Anthony shook his head. “You’re smart enough to catch me in a lie, you can’t play dumb when I catch you in one.”
“We, hmm,” I paused. “Well, let’s start with what you know. What do you know?”
“I know that my boss crashed into my girlfriend’s car today.”
I winced. “It was an accident.”
“Carlos doesn’t have accidents.”
“How’d you find out, anyway?” I scrunched my nose. “Were you following me?”
Anthony’s face turned amused. “No.”
“What, are you psychic?”
“What do you think?” Anthony was toying with me.
“I think you are psychic.” I placed my hands on his shoulders and tried my best to keep a serious expression as I looked him in the eyes. “And you’re thinking that you’d rather kiss me than talk about this.”
“Well, I think that makes you psychic.” Anthony leaned in, his lips hovering just above mine. “But if I were psychic, I’d say you want to kiss me, as much as I want to kiss you.”
“Now that’s just confusing.” It’d been a few months since we’d started dating, but the butterflies hadn’t subsided in the least; if anything, I liked the guy more than ever.