The frown lines in my brow deepened. “Now you’ve lost me.”
“When did you find out about your marriage promise to Gianna?”
I thought back to that moment. My father had been lying on his death bed for a week and Leo mentioned that my father asked Leo to hand me the document in the event of his death. “The day before my father died, Leo handed me the agreement and something I knew nothing about.”
“Did you read it?”
I clenched my fists. “What are you not telling me?”
“Leo made a deal with Cassius to take out your father.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” I stood as Marco pulled up and cut the engine. I never found out who’d shot my father and knowing these fuckers sat right under my nose made me see red.
Julian got to his feet and glanced at my driver. Sensing his need to continue the conversation in private, I stopped Marco as he jumped out of the car. “Give me a moment, Marco.”
“Sure, boss.” He slid back behind the wheel.
“Spit it out, Julian,” I gritted, anger carving a line down my spine. I knew Leo wasn’t to be trusted but killing my father wasn’t something I’d seen coming. I just assumed he’d wanted my power.
Julian didn’t flinch, he probably understood my anger. “Leo knew your father was in a sixty-forty partnership with Cassius. Leo then offered Cassius a fifty-fifty partnership. Greedy, Cassius tried negotiating the terms with your father. When he refused, Cassius killed your father. Gianna was at the time and witnessed the shooting. She went into shock. The trauma influenced her ability to remember numbers and six months later, her mother planned the whole kidnapping to get her away from her father.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” I raged, ramming my fist into the tree trunk, my blood on a red line to overload.
“The deal was to take down you and your father. Only, you slaughtered all those men that came after you,” he continued.
Eyes narrowed, I swiveled to face him, remembering that night my father was shot. Just before we got him home, our cars were ambushed. I’d killed all the motherfuckers that came after me and my father. Breathing hard, I waited for him to go on.
“Leo underestimated your power. He didn’t count on you being so commanding with strong allies behind you. To safeguard himself, Leo gave Cassius the fifty million since he couldn’t give him the partnership then changed the agreement. The clause now read that your father loaned Cassius fifty million and repayment would be your marriage to Gianna.”
Raking a hand through my hair stiff with dust, I shook my head. “How the fuck do I know you’re not making this shit up because I sent Gianna away?”
Julian scoffed. “Why would I make this shit up, sir? Honestly, Gianna is much safer where she is until you can safeguard her return—”
“Safeguard her return. Fuck, Julian, I have no fucking idea where she is and why would she be safer.”
“Trauma helps Gianna forget her abilities. Her father knows once she’s happy and living a normal life, her abilities will return, and plans to use her once more. It’s the only reason he changed his mind about you marrying her, but you refused. So, sending her away is helping her.”
I shook my head, frustrated. “She could be in a fucking prison or worse. This wasn’t my plan, but someone fucked it up, royally.”
“I can give you just one guess.” His intelligent blue eyes studied me and I wondered about the man’s simple position as a bodyguard.
I knew he referred to Leo. Who else would have the balls to go against me except the man that worked right beside me every day even if it were under pretense?
“Back the fuck up a second,” I growled. “How the fuck do you know all this shit? If I’m to trust this information is true, who’s your source?”
He sucked in a deep breath. “She’s dead.” At my frown, he added, “Gianna’s mother.”
“Gianna’s mother shared all of this with you?” I asked, incredulous. “Why the fuck would she?” Why would she trust a man employed by her husband? Then, it clicked. “You were in love with her?”
Slowly, he nodded. “We were in a relationship.” He turned away and I figured emotion had gotten the better of him.
“Jesus, I’m sorry, Julian,” I muttered, not sure what else I could say.
He faced me once more, his rigid expression back in place. “To protect himself, Cassius records all his conversations. He has those recordings stashed someplace safe. Gianna’s mother was approached by the FBI to help nail her husband. She did but he had a fall guy and got away. I have a feeling Cassius had a hand in her death,” he ground out the last part, the burn of vengeance in his eyes.
“Then you know she came to see me the day before she died?” I asked, not sure if I should be telling him anything further.
To my surprise, he nodded. “I waited in the car for her.”
