Halligan’s stomach hurt hearing the fear in Loni’s voice.
“Go on,” Quinton said. Halligan was glad someone was keeping their head. All Halligan could think about was how sad it had to have been for Loni.
“He said that it was high time I quoteearned my keepunquote. At first, I was furious and was going to run in there and tell him all I’ve done. I’ve worked for the division for years. My designs have increased our wins on the racetrack and our profits for the new cars. Gigi wasn’t impressed with my brother, so she only let him run the Rossellini Classic and New Car lot.”
“Earned your keep how?” Quinton prodded.
A shudder went through Loni at Quinton’s words.
“He said that for the small price of one million, the man could have me as his wife,” Loni said softly.
“One million? Would he control something in the company for that? I mean, you’re beautiful, Loni, but one million seems like a lot,” Schaefer said. Halligan hated to have to share the details, but it seemed that it was needed. He wasn’t sure Loni wanted to say it.
“I’m guessing he wasn’t just selling her to be a wife. Was he selling your virginity too?” Halligan asked.
Loni nodded, staring at the floor as if she should be embarrassed, not her slimy brother.
“Hey, none of this is on you,” Halligan said, sliding his hand under Loni’s chin to turn her head.
“I want you to hear this. His sliminess had nothing to do with you, and it was all on him. Is that why you were out on New Year’s Eve?” Halligan asked.
“Yes. I have a suite at the hotel in addition to my quarters at the estate. I noticed you and your friend checking in. I was attracted to you, but you were also kind when that family needed help. I decided I would see if you were interested in helping me get rid of what my brother wanted to sell,” she said softly.
Halligan despised that the confident woman who shoved Judy out of the bar was embarrassed about her situation.
“And it was a wonderful night in my life. I want to end your brother for forcing you to take what you felt was your only option, though,” Halligan said. The longer they talked, the more things came back to him. If he had remembered their whole night, he might have stayed in Las Vegas until he found her. He wasn’t sure. His instincts were still screaming something was off.
“Okay, I love that you like each other, but we need more information. Brother’s name?” Schaefer asked.
Schaefer was the cousin who loved deep diving into everyone’s lives and kept everyone safe with his technology gadgets.
“Franco Rossellini Jr.,” Loni said.
Halligan felt the knot in the pit of his stomach grow when his dad and uncles immediately sat up straighter. His Uncle Burt shared a look with his dad that had him worried.
“You all seemed to recognize her brother’s name,” Halligan said. If it was a threat, they all needed to know about it.
“Not her brother’s but her dad’s. I think what your wife probably doesn’t want to share is that yes, the Rossellini family runs all the motorsports and classic cars but there’s another side to the Rossellini empire,” Burt said.
Halligan stared at Loni. She’d flinched when his uncle had called it the Rossellini empire. She nodded.
“Gigi kept me out of that side. She and Papa kept the casino and the protection racket separate since 2003. When Papa passed six years ago, Gigi placed my cousin in charge of it even though my brother is older by four years and thought he was in line for it,” Loni said.
“It’s been a little over seven weeks since New Year’s Eve. Why now?” Quinton asked.
“Oh, pick me,” Schaefer said, raising his hand.
Everyone chuckled. Halligan appreciated him lightening the mood.
“Well, we’re waiting. Go ahead, son,” his Uncle Peck said.
“Seven days ago, Gio Rossellini, head of Rossellini Casinos, passed away when his sports car lost control and careened off an overpass. Five days ago, Manny Rossellini, current CEO of Rossellini Motorsports, was the victim of a burglary and died in his home,” Schaefer said.
“Dang, he’s cleaning house,” Dillon, Halligan’s oldest brother, said.
Loni nodded.
“After Gio died, I started making plans to leave. I’ve grown up with personal security. It’s a fact of life. My personal security has been with me for twenty years and was handpicked by my Gigi. Icilio was helping me plan how to leave, but four days ago, he disappeared. I was working at home, and he never came to pick me up for an appointment. When he didn’t answer his phone, I knew I needed to go. I called the spa I go to and asked if they could fit me in for a nail touch-up. They said yes. I grabbed a cab and went to the spa. It’s a women’s only spa. I walked in, got my go bag I had stored there, changed clothes, and then was picked up by a car service that took me to the airport, where I picked up my ticket and asked the gate attendant about the lounge.I headed toward the lounge, ducked into a bathroom, changed clothes again, put on a wig, and walked out. I grabbed a taxi. I used four different taxis and cab companies to make it to one of my storage buildings. Then I left town. It took me four days to drive here because I backtracked and changed cars twice,” Loni said.
