Atonement (Master's Protege 2)

“Perhaps we can barter services. Master Enterprises has the most reputable name you’ll find in the Northeast.”

He nods. “While I’m disappointed I can’t have you, Violet, I thank you.” He gets to his feet with a bored yawn. “And thank you for your offer to barter. I will tell you only this. Yes, I knew your mother. Her eyes were unforgettable. She worked for us for a time until her demise several decades ago. We suspect we know who was responsible for her death, but unfortunately, I can’t give you that name since you’re an outsider. I do wish you the best with your endeavors.”

“But I—” It isn’t enough. We need more.

He inclines his head. The door to the room opens and Skylar, looking a bit disheveled but wearing a shit-eating grin, comes in with Mario. The men nod at each other, and Romeo leaves.

“So sorry you couldn’t get what you came for,” Tosca says. She places a well-manicured hand on Cain’s shoulder. I want to slap her so badly my fingers tingle. How dare she touch him?

Doesn’t matter. Doesn’t matter!

“Do come again?”

Cain bends and kisses her cheek. “Thank you for your hospitality. And we will.”

I clamp my jaw when I realize it’s unhinged. I’m staring at him as if he’s sprouted a second head. How could he kiss her cheek like that? With me standing right here?

I look to Cain. Is that it, then? We just leave without getting what we came for?

“Thank you,” he says, turning his back to me and heading for the door. “Please tell your husband I said hello.”

She freezes. “I will, thank you.”

We make it to the truck before I lose my shit. “How could you… just… leave?” I nearly scream at him. “We came here for a reason. And you promised me!”

“Hush, Violet,” Cain says in that stern voice I normally heed. “Get in the truck.”

“Fucking no,” I hiss. “I need answers. I’m not leaving here until I get them. I didn’t come here for a cup of fucking tea and a trip to what feels like a damn escape room or obstacle course. I swear we just left a goddamn insane asylum.”

“Get in the truck, Violet, or I will pick you up and strap you in myself,” he says through gritted teeth.

“Babe,” Skylar says pleadingly, her eyes wide. “Please. Do what he says, okay? Just this one time then you can ignore him for eternity.”

It’s then that I realize every one of the Rossi guards stands in a semi-circle, their hands on their weapons, waiting for us to go.

I get in the truck and close my eyes. It’s all gone to shit. Everything. Everything.

Chapter Thirteen

Cain

I hate the way Violet looks at me, somewhere between fury and hurt; it makes me sick to my stomach. I hate the attitude she’s giving me, though I freely admit I deserve it. Hell, earned it even.

We have a job to do, and I can’t think about us right now.

“Violet, we left because the Rossis asked us to, and when Romeo Rossi asks you to do something, you’d better have a goddamn good reason if you don’t. We also left because I’m confident that Skylar has exactly what we need.”

“So, folks,” Skylar says. She props her feet up on the dash with a wicked grin. I know she’s got intel for us. “I do indeedy.”

Violet blinks. “Go on, then.”

“Your mother was hired by the Rossis for a variety of hits over the course of a decade.” Violet nods. I wish I could read her expression, but her face is a mask. “It was before Mario’s time, but the family has secret records, and he was able to access all of them. For a price,” she says with a nod. “But it was not a hard price to pay, believe you me. He has this thing where he—”

“Skylar.” Violet and I both say in unison. She looks at me briefly, then flips her head away so she doesn’t have to look me in the eyes.

“Okay, right. You guys don’t like to think about sex even though you’ve probably christened every single place in that entire mansion of yours but whatever. So anyway, he says that there was a priest or minister or something by the name of Descamps who got into big trouble with a rival mafia group, the Castellanos. As a favor to Descamps, Rossi hired your mother to do this hit. Rival mafia group found out, paid back the Rossi family with a hit of their own, but then tortured one of the cousins until he gave them your mom’s name…” her voice trails off until she finishes in a voice that hints at a whisper. “And the rest is history.”

“Castellano,” I mutter to myself. “Castellano.” I know I’ve heard it before, I just don’t know where. “Where have I heard that before? I know I’ve seen it. Read it, even… and something tells me we need to know more about this.”