Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 69945 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69945 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)
“So Corey is their star witness?” Val asked.
I nodded.
Vito scowled. “He needs protecting. I don’t disagree, but since when do we work with the FBI?”
“We don’t, but sometimes X does.” Valentino and Vito sucked in their breaths. “Don’t look so shocked, you know he has connections at all levels, legal and not so legal.”
“Yes, but still, how dangerous is it for us?” Once again, I had a perfect opening to mention Lisa, but I didn’t. My sons looked at each other, once again communicating without saying a word. They knew I was holding something back. I used to be able to bullshit them better.
“I don’t know, but I will do what needs to be done to protect Corey.”
Vito grinned. “You like him.”
“I don’t. He talks too much, and he’s annoying, but I’ve given my word to keep him safe.”
“You were nice to him when he came to the door, even though he’d been listening.”
“You caught that too?” Valentino asked.
“I did. I know how to do my job.”
I glared at them. “Corey doesn’t know how to protect himself. He needs us.”
“Us?”
“Me.”
Vito shook his head. “No, you said ‘us’. We’re going to help you.”
“I’ve got this.”
“Whether or not you could do this alone, we want to help,” Valentino said. “This FBI collusion needs to end, and if someone wants Corey dead, then keeping him safe might require all of us, Lucien too.”
I knew that was true. I’d told Corey I would do anything necessary to help him, and I would try, but he was right to question my abilities. I didn’t want to admit that though, not even to my sons.
Valentino held my gaze. “Pops, it’s okay to need help.”
Clearly they already knew how I felt. “I’ve got this.”
“And we’ve got your back.”
I sighed. “Fine.”
“So tell us more about Corey,” Vito said.
“I’ve told you all you need to know. X is working to get the trial date set ASAP.”
Valentino looked at his brother and shook his head. “We’re not getting anything else out of Pops, you know that.”
“Then maybe we should talk to Corey ourselves.”
“Leave him alone.”
Vito huffed. “You vetted the men we were interested in.”
Valentino scowled at his brother, indicating he was pushing too hard, which he was. I should do something about it, but I was trying to be more honest with them, and… Fuck, I did like Corey despite him being a talkative, irritating little asshole. “Corey will do as he’s told.”
“Oooh, so he likes dominant men.”
“Vito,” I growled. “You should shut your mouth before I shut it for you.”
For just a second, he looked like he used to when I’d terrified him. Then he grinned. “Fine, but can’t we just talk to him?”
“No.”
“He’s here in your home. How sure are we that he’s not going to spill any of our secrets?”
“I hope you still trust my judgment. If he were a threat, I would know it.” They looked at each other again. I hated how easily they could communicate with little more than an eyebrow raise. “You’re going to talk to him no matter what I say, aren’t you?”
“Are you going to stop us?”
“You wouldn’t listen if I tried; I’d have to shoot you.”
Val smiled. “Probably.”
“Don’t scare Corey. He’s doing fine. I don’t need you creating more trouble.”
“Yes, sir.” Vito was going to cause trouble. He always did, but I was too tired, confused, and emotional to stop him. What was wrong with me? Maybe I really couldn’t do this job.
11
COREY
“Hello, Corey.”
I startled and turned around.
“He really doesn’t have any instincts for our lifestyle, does he?” Valentino and Vito were standing a few feet from me. I’d been listening to an audiobook and hadn’t heard them come in.
“Always be on alert when someone’s after you,” Valentino said.
“I…I’ve never… Thank you for the advice.” I didn’t like the way they were looking at me, like they were cats and I was a mouse they were toying with. I was certainly no more powerful than a mouse against them. I bet they both knew multiple ways to kill me in seconds with their bare hands.
But they wouldn’t, would they?
“Be careful with Pops,” Valentino said.
I frowned. “He told me to avoid him, so I’m trying to do that.”
Valentino shook his head. “That’s not what he really wants.”
“Right,” Vito agreed. “He’s lonely.”
“He said—”
“You can’t listen to what he says. It’s more about what he doesn’t say.”
Valentino nodded. “You have to ignore the surliness. That’s what we do.”
I thought suddenly of the way he’d looked at me when I’d jumped out of bed naked, then I thought of the cake he’d made. Why so many mixed signals?
“Talk to him, but do not hurt him, or you will have us to deal with,” Vito said.
They were full of mixed signals too. Looking at me like I was prey then talking nicely, encouraging me then threatening me. What was up with this family? “I have no intention of hurting him. I’m only here because I was told your father was the best man to keep me safe. I don’t want to bother him or hurt him or anything. I just want to survive.”