“You’re right.” Luca nods. “You’re not. The Kings and I had a meeting two days ago. We found out that your father owes Nicholas Royce one million dollars.”
There he goes again.“No …”
“He had proof.”
“I don’t believe it.” I swallow the knot that forms in my throat.
“It was a video. We saw your dad sitting in an underground poker tournament. He was there over twenty-four hours and …” He pauses. “Well, you can connect the dots.”
My knees give out, and I fall into a chair. “They killed him for it?” I whisper. That has to be the only explanation. Why they are concerned about an autopsy and foul play. He made a mistake, owed money, and his life was payment.
“That’s the thing,” Bones starts. “Nicholas didn’t send anyone to collect payment. He gave your dad six weeks to come up with the money, and it had only been four.”
“So … who was the guy at the house?” I sniff, hanging my head. Ashamed that I continued to stand up for him when he had obviously done what he was being accused of.
“We don’t know.” Titan sighs and places his hand on my back. He begins to rub it, but I pull away. “Em ….?”
“He was looking for more than money,” I say.
“He told you that?” Bones asks.
I shake my head. “He didn’t have to. The picture on the wall covering the safe was already on the floor, but when I entered the room, the drawers to the desk were open as well. One on the floor.”
“Maybe he thought the combination was there somewhere,” Luca adds.
“Maybe,” Titan agrees. “Let’s go back and look around.”
“I want to go.” My head snaps up to look at him.
“I don’t think—”
“Let her go,” Bones interrupts Titan.
They exchange a look that is far from friendly. Something is up between them. And I’m that something.
TITAN
“She doesn’t needto go back to that house.” I close the glass doors to my study once she leaves to go change.
“I don’t see why you want to hide what a piece of shit her father obviously was from her,” Bones states.
I run a hand through my hair. “It has nothing to do with her father and more to do with the fact that the house is not safe.”
He snorts. “She’s the safest when she’s with us. And we will all be there.”
“He has a point.”
“I didn’t ask for your fucking opinion, Luca,” I snap.
He throws his hands up in surrender. “I’m just speaking from experience. If you try to hide something from them, then they will go behind your back to get what they want.” His hard eyes go soft. “And that is when things can get very bad, very fast.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
EMILEE
IRIDE WITHBones and Titan back to my house, and Luca and Nite follow us. Titan had called Grave and Cross over to his house to stay with my mother and Liv while we were out. It made me think that there is more going on than they’re telling me.
We pull up to the house and walk inside.
