And when I heard her dad offed himself a year ago, I... I felt bad. Bad that the kid was alone. Bad that she lost everything. Or so it might seem for her.
I know that her fortune might be tied up, but she will get it back one day.
And I was too aware she was a target.
So, full-on protection mode activated again, that old obsession back in a grown-up way.
Lola doesn't know she is in danger, and I have been quietly erasing her online footprint, with help from Cade when I need it.
And this is all her fucking father's fault. The coward panicked and took his own life because it was torture by the mafia or torture in a lifetime's worth of prison and losing his kid anyway.
But that didn't erase the shit he put her in.
I bring the fucker to life just to kill him myself. Slowly.
It is hard making someone disappear when they don't even know they have to disappear.
I didn't have a hard time getting that manager at Data Stables to put the idea in her head to change her name to get a job and to guide her to apply at Barwon.
I guided her here, and Lola's skills did the rest.
But however much I have accomplished in keeping her hidden, the one thing I haven't been able to do is uncover the identity of whoever is hunting for her.
Fucking fake names and covered tracks—those are old-school offline things.
It might be Rebecci, but getting Louie to hand over the names of new hires is so ham-fisted it sounds like Dom was doing a job that had to do with Edoardo.
And what does fucking Edoardo have to do with anything concerning Lola?
I don't fucking know.
It might not have anything to do with him.
I should just leave it be and help Louie.
But I have already gone to a lot of trouble to protect Lola, and I can't just take this at face value.
An idea comes to me where I can kill both issues with onewell-aimed stone. Though maybe I shouldn't use the word kill... not where Lola is concerned, anyway.
"Tell you what, Louie. I will protect you."
"You?"
"I have got clout."
And he knows it, too. After all, why call me in? He would have asked straight out about Uncle Gino if that is what he wanted.
I'm guessing he was thinking Gino was a back-pocket final gasp ask.
I lean forward. "But your company is mine."
He frowns. "No?—"
"Do I look like a man who wants to run this fucking company?" I have no wish to be a fucking CEO for life. There are better ways for a man like me to make money.
If Louie wants my help, he can damn well take me at my word.
There is silence.
