by Lynn Hagen
But Roberto wouldn’t answer him. He just kept staring daggers at Molimo. The temperature in the room had dropped twenty degrees from that single glare. Renny wasn’t sure he wanted to know. His gut churned at the thought of something more sinister going on.
Hadn’t he recently realized that Roberto wasn’t the saint Renny had thought him to be? Hadn’t his brother admitted to a darker side of himself? From the way the two were speaking to each other, they had known one another before the card game. There was too much familiarity in their eyes.
Renny took a step back from Roberto and turned toward the demon. “Tell me what’s going on…please.”
“I’ll kill you,” Roberto ground out. “Say one goddamn word and I swear I’ll cut your fucking throat.”
Renny’s gaze bounced between them as though he were watching a tennis match. Cold dread settled in Renny’s gut. “What are you so afraid of me finding out?”
“That he doesn’t have a soul,” Molimo said.
“I’m warning you,” Roberto snapped.
Molimo appeared unfazed by Roberto’s threats. “That he took the love I had for him and tore it apart while robbing me blind.”
Love? Had Renny heard Molimo correctly? Nothing made sense to him. Renny’s world was spinning and he felt as though the ground beneath his feet had fallen away.
“Shut up!” Along with an intense, fevered stare, Roberto’s face was red and he was sweating. An animalist growl ripped from his throat. Roberto looked as though he were coming unhinged.
“That I’m not his first mark.” Molimo’s features darkened. “That he’s nothing more than a con artist who preys on unsuspecting men so he can steal from them, steal their identity, and rack up thousands of dollars in debt.”
Molimo was seething by the time he finished talking. A vein on the side of his head was throbbing, but Renny saw the pain in the demon’s eyes.
“I would’ve given you the world, Roberto, but that wasn’t good enough because you never loved me like I loved you. You had the money to make your parents flush, but why spend the money you’ve swindled from countless men when you could find some sucker to pay it?”
Renny felt as though he’d been punched in the gut. The air left him in a harsh swallow as he tried hard not to believe Molimo’s accusations. But a part of Renny knew they were true by the hatred in Roberto’s eyes.
“Tell me he’s lying,” Renny begged. “Tell me you’re not a heartless con artist.” As Renny spoke, his voice grew stronger and hardened. “Tell me you didn’t use Sal to pay off our parents’ debt!” Renny wiped at his eyes, pissed he was crying. “The story about the vampire you fell in love with. Was that even true?”
“You’ve traveled all over with your mom and dad,” Molimo said. “I’m willing to bet Roberto conned men everywhere you guys lived.”
Roberto had hidden money? The night they’d come to Maple Grove they were cold and hungry. Roberto had allowed Renny to nearly freeze because he was too selfish to care. “Why the card game?”
Molimo’s eyes narrowed. “Greed knows no bounds. If he hadn’t gotten caught, he would’ve upped the ante and cleaned everyone out.”
“You son of a bitch!” Roberto flew across the room and attacked the demon. “Lies! All lies! You’re just trying to get my little brother to turn on me.”
But they weren’t lies, were they? Even though Molimo had put Roberto in a headlock, there was still pain and sorrow in his eyes, as if he had truly loved Renny’s brother.
“Calm down and I’ll let you go,” Molimo said. That was more mercy than Renny would have given. He couldn’t believe the monster Roberto had turned out to be. How had he been so blind? How had he not seen any of it?
Because you love him and want to believe the best of Roberto. Renny felt as though blinders had been lifted from his eyes and he was just now seeing the real Roberto—the liar, the thief, the guy who had no conscience when it came to swindling men for their money.
In a way, he’d even swindled Sal, who had been trusting and only wanted to help them. Renny felt as though he’d be sick. He pressed a hand to his stomach as he watched the demon release Roberto.
Strangely, Renny felt sorry for the demon he’d thought wanted to kill him. He felt indignant on Molimo’s behalf.
Renny curled his upper lip. “Get out.”
Roberto smiled triumphantly. “You heard my brother.”
Renny ground his teeth at the smug look on Roberto’s face. “I was talking to you,” he said. “I don’t ever want to see your face again.”
Roberto’s smile fell. “You can’t mean that.” His features darkened. “You’re gonna believe his bullshit lies? This is me we’re talking about, Renny. The guy who has always been there for you, and you’re gonna throw that away because this piece-of-shit demon fed you crap that isn’t true?”
Renny felt relief when Sal walked through the door, keys in hand and looking haggard. He stopped mid stride as his gaze landed on everyone. Then he bared his canines, but Renny ran to his mate, holding up his hands. “It’s not what you think.”
“Is this the demon after you two?”
“Well, yeah, but hear me out.” Renny talked bullet-fast before Sal tried to kill Molimo. After all, Molimo was just another victim in a long line of men Roberto had used and tossed aside.
Renny saw the change come over Sal’s face the longer he talked. His scowl switched from aiming at Molimo to landing on Roberto.
“You called Renny, making him think you were in serious trouble. You knew he would come looking for you.”
“A part of his game,” Molimo said. “It was his way of sealing the idea that I wanted both of them dead, that I was such a villain that I needed to be put down.”
Sal curled his lip. “My mate could’ve been killed in that gunfire!”
“Molimo does want us dead,” Roberto argued. “How can either of you believe him over me?”
“I might be a ruthless businessman, but I’ve never gone after an innocent.” Molimo turned to Sal. “Your mate was never in any danger from me. I give you my word. I just wanted him out of the room so I could finish my business deal. I said those things about hurting them because I was pissed, but I never would’ve laid a hand on either one of them.”
“Get out,” Sal said to Roberto. “You put my mate in danger, so you’re no longer welcome here.”
“Fuck all of you!” Roberto stormed out, leaving the door open behind him. The cold sweep of air made Renny shiver, but he suspected his chills weren’t from just the cold.
“Please.” Renny approached Molimo. “I’m truly sorry for what my brother did to you, but I’m asking you not to kill him.”
Molimo gave Renny a sad smile. “I never planned to, but he’s a con artist, Renny. He can’t dodge the inevitable forever.”
With those parting words, Molimo left.
Renny felt relief rush through him. He’d never feared Roberto. His brother had once been Renny’s hero. But the savage look on Roberto’s face had unsettled him. He hadn’t known Roberto at all.
Sal swept him up in a hug, his thick arms just what Renny needed. He pressed his wet cheek against Sal’s chest and drew comfort from his mate. Renny didn’t want to think about what had just happened. If he did, he might’ve made connections to the real Roberto and things his brother had done in the past that Renny had ignored.
“How about a hot bath, some tea, and cuddling on the couch to watch a movie?”
“That sounds good.” And it did. Renny shoved away thoughts of his brother—someone he couldn’t believe he was related to—and concentrated on spending his evening with the man he truly loved.
The following morning they took Marilyn to the vet, who promised to let them know when she was adopted while also promising to make sure she went to a good home. Renny felt teary-eyed at having to leave her but knew it was for the best. Marilyn Monroe deserved to be happy, too.
Chapter Eleven
Over the next few days, Sal kept a close ey
e on Renny. It had to have been a hard blow to find out a family member had been nothing more than scum. Worse, Renny had idolized Roberto.
But so far, other than a few faraway looks, Renny seemed to be okay. Just okay. Not laughing or joking, but not crying either. Just…okay.
Sal looked down the hallway and saw Renny walking toward him. He had on a pair of relaxed jeans and a hoodie that fit him nicely. It was dark green, matching his eyes as he smiled at Sal.
“Since you’re off today, I thought maybe we could get out. I don’t have to worry about…” Renny steered toward the kitchen, clearly unwilling to say Molimo’s name, let alone talk about yesterday’s disaster.
And Sal didn’t push. No doubt his mate was still processing everything. He would let Renny have his space on that subject. There was no need to push for answers, to grill Renny on how he felt. The guy would open up when he was ready to, and if he was never ready, that was fine with Sal, too.
“Getting out sounds like a great plan.” Sal followed his mate into the kitchen, gazing at his tight little ass. “Breakfast at the diner, maybe do a little Christmas shopping, then—”
“No shopping.” Renny poured himself a cup of coffee and then set the carafe back down on the burner. “You need money for that, and I don’t have any.” Renny held up a hand when Sal opened his mouth. “Don’t you dare say you’ll give me some. You’ve done enough already. I still feel horrible that Roberto used you to pay our parents’ debt. I’ll find a way to give you back that money. First, I need to find a job.”
Sal could’ve argued with Renny, tell him that he wouldn’t take a dime from his mate. He didn’t feel used when it came to Renny’s mom and dad. They were in the black now, and that was all that mattered, not who had paid the bill.
“Then that’s what we’ll do.” Sal took a sip from his coffee. “We’ll have some breakfast and then go job hunting. I saw a few windows with help-wanted signs in them. We can start with those.”
That seemed to bring a smile to Renny’s handsome face. “See, things are looking up for me already. In that case, let me change into something more appropriate for job hunting.”
Renny set his mug on the counter and walked away. Sal didn’t want to tell him those signs were in windows of a hair salon and an antique store. But Sal had connections, and he would use them to ensure his mate landed a decent job.
While Renny changed, Sal made a phone call. “Hey, Mike.”
“Sal, how’re you doing?” Mike Cage asked.
“I hear you’re renovating your motel. Sorry to hear about the trouble you had and the damage to your tavern.”
“Thanks,” Mike said. “Was there a reason you called, or did you just want to shoot the shit?”
“You got any openings at any of your businesses? The only reason I ask is that my mate is looking for work. He doesn’t need to get a job.” And if it were up to Sal, Renny wouldn’t. But his mate seemed the stubborn type and refused to live off Sal’s investments. “But you know how some mates are.”
Mike snorted. “Yeah, I do. Mine is driving me nuts with the renovations and insists on running the motel. But it makes him feel useful and gives him purpose. Unfortunately, the motel won’t be ready until spring, and I have more than enough help at Tilted. Sorry, Sal.”
“No, no. Don’t be sorry. I was just putting some feelers out.”
“Wait,” Mike said. “I heard Sabrina is taking a leave at the police station. Something about her ailing mom. I’m not sure how complicated her job is, but it’s worth talking to the sheriff about it.”
Sal felt better, even though he wasn’t sure Renny could get the position. “Thanks, Mike.”
“Bring your mate to Tilted and dinner is on me,” Mike said before he hung up.
Maybe, after talking to the sheriff, their meal at Tilted could be a celebratory feast. Sal hoped so, because he hated seeing Renny just…okay.
* * * *
Renny felt as though he was walking on cloud nine when he exited the police station. Sabrina wasn’t scheduled to leave for another few weeks, and Sheriff Copache had said she could train Renny until she took her leave of absence. Renny was not an idiot. He knew the sheriff was doing this as a favor to Chief Sal Monroe, but Renny would take it. He just had to make sure he got everything down pat so he wouldn’t make Sal look like a fool and would convince the sheriff that he hadn’t made a mistake hiring Renny.
He was supposed to meet Sal at the coffee shop after the interview. When Renny stepped outside, he got a phone call from his mom. She wanted to know how they were flush with the bank and wanted to know if Roberto had anything to do with it.
Renny ground his teeth but didn’t tell her about her golden son. His parents thought Roberto hung the moon and the stars. Up until that conversation Renny had overheard in Sal’s office when everyone thought Renny was passed out, he’d thought the same thing about Roberto.
He definitely was a con artist. He’d even had his family fooled. “I have no idea,” he told her. “You’ll have to talk to him about it.” It had taken concentrated effort not to snarl while he talked. Renny didn’t have the heart to tell her the truth.
But one thing was for sure. He’d make sure Roberto never conned them. Their parents were off-limits, and if Roberto tried anything, Renny would beat the living daylights out of his brother.
Yep, he was still pissed the hell off.
“Will you two be here Christmas Eve?” his mom asked.
That was a damn good question. He couldn’t very well tell her that he’d found his mate. She had no idea something like that even existed, and there was no way Renny would spend Christmas without Sal.
“I have to call you back, Mom. I love you.” He hung up before the guilt of lying to her made him confess every vile thing about her “golden” boy.
Renny had started across the street when he noticed the red sedan with the dented trunk parked at the curb. Curious more than cautious, he walked over to it and peered inside.
With a gasp, Renny pulled back. On the floor behind the driver’s seat were two cans of gas. Was the driver insane? Did he have a death wish? It was dangerous as hell to carry those cans inside the car.
Even a moron should know that.
He looked around for the driver, although Renny had no idea what he looked like. Then again, it could be a she. The fumes alone had to be eating away at brain cells. Renny felt the need to warn the person and also give him or her an earful for nearly hitting him.
“Walk with me.” The guy who had rescued Renny from the warehouse gave him a wide, friendly smile, as if they were good buddies. He slipped an arm around Renny’s shoulder and steered him down the street. Anyone looking at them would think they were having a jovial conversation. The guy kept laughing like he was a lunatic.
“What’re you doing?” Renny started to wrench free, but the man’s arm was like a steel band around him.
“Saving your life,” he said. “I’m Elliot. I’m a friend of Sal’s. I have a team of men watching the car, and I don’t need you getting hurt.”
“Getting hurt?” Renny was confused. “How can I get hurt looking into someone’s car?”
He supposed the owner could get angry that Renny was being nosy, but the way Elliot made it sound, Renny would suffer worse consequences.
“Just let me get you to your mate and I’ll explain.” Elliot looked around. “Where is Sal?”
Renny wanted this man’s arm off him, and he wanted his mate. “Bistro.”
With a nod, Elliot casually led Renny to the coffee shop. Once they were inside, Elliot still didn’t let him go. He scanned the room before sliding his arm free.
Sal had gotten up from a table, a deep scowl on his face. “Mind telling me why you’re all cozy with my mate?”
“I was asking the same thing,” Renny said as he moved to Sal’s side. He took Sal’s hand in his and squeezed it, needing the reassurance. Renny had just gotten out of a bad situation with a demon. He didn’t want to jump into another
one. And Elliot looked as hardcore as they came.
“We’ve got a suspect,” Elliot explained in a voice just above a whisper as the three of them took seats at one of the tables. It was in a corner, and Elliot had his back to the wall. Renny suspected it was because he wanted to keep an eye on everyone coming and going.
“But you can’t arrest him yet,” Sal surmised.
Elliot shook his head. “Unfortunately we have to catch him in the act. My team is watching the car. We’re gonna follow him, and if he’s the arsonist, we’ll take him down, hopefully before he sets something else on fire.”
Sal cursed. “It’s the guy who owns the red sedan, isn’t it? I saw him at the four-plex fire. He was wearing the black baseball cap, the same cap the guy who ran from me was wearing. The one who shot Deputy Benton.”
Renny gasped. “The guy who nearly ran us over is the arsonist?”
How many times had he seen that car around town? He’d seen it parked a few driveways down when Mr. Pearl’s house was on fire. Renny felt like he’d be sick. Then a thought popped into his head.
“But doesn’t he have to catch something on fire to catch him?” Renny asked.
“We can get him with the gas can in his hand and going into a building he has no business entering,” Elliot said. “We want to catch him red-handed to seal his case.”
Renny didn’t like this plan. What if someone got hurt or died before they could get the culprit?
“We need you to have your men on standby,” Elliot said to Sal. “I’ll call you when the guy picks his next target and we know what it is. That way you can get there faster.”
It still didn’t sound like a foolproof plan to Renny. So many things could go wrong. He imagined the arsonist throwing a Molotov cocktail in through a ground window before Elliot and his team took the dirtbag down.
“We’ll be on standby,” Sal reassured Elliot. He pulled out his cell phone and started texting as Elliot got up and walked away.
* * * *