“If you’re suggesting they somehow staged all of that…” I can’t even finish the sentence. Cherry isn’t the type to be involved in such an elaborate set up, is she? “Maybe he’s stalking her. He was pissed when he got thrown out. It could be as simple as that.”
“Maybe, but I don’t think that fits. He never approaches her, always keeps his distance, and doesn’t intervene in anything she does. If he wanted her attention, he would have approached her at some point. This looks like something else. I don’t know if he’s trying to get info on her or if he’s there for her protection.”
“And you think he’s working for the Ramsays?”
“I’m positive about that. After we ran him off, he abandoned the apartment he had on the east side and moved to the west side. The house he moved into is owned by one of the Ramsay’s shell corporations. He’s been living there over a month now, and when Reid’s hacker checked the rental car, it was paid for out of one of the Ramsay’s accounts.”
“But what exactly is he doing for them?” My own paranoia sets in as I try to come up with a plausible reason this supposedly random guy would be following my Cherry. “Do you think he’s…he’s protecting Cherry?”
“If he is, it means she’s working with them. Either way, we have a problem.”
Cherry working with the Ramsays?
I taste bile in the back of my throat. This can’t be right—it just can’t be. Cherry is sweet and naïve and couldn’t possibly be involved with people like the Ramsays. It’s just not possible.
Is it?
I should have killed that guy when Pops told me to.
“We need to have him picked up,” I say. I glance at Pops, waiting for him to remind me of his previous advice about Cherry’s date, but he just leans against the wall, smirking. “We need to know what he knows.”
“Agreed,” Antony says.
“I want to know who the fuck her real parents are, and why the Ramsays are interested in her. If he’s working for them, he might be able to give us the answers we need.”
“I can pick him up tomorrow.”
Tomorrow. No fucking way. I want that guy right here and right now. Cherry can’t possibly be involved in any of this, and I need to hear that from his mouth.
“I want to talk to him now.” I move around the desk and pull open a drawer.
“Why the rush?” Antony asks.
I reach into the drawer and grab the gun and holster inside. I can’t help but see the black velvet box sitting next to the weapon.
“Antony?”
“Yeah, boss?”
I take out the velvet box and hold it up.
“I was going to do this next week at the end of the festival.” I open the lid to display the brilliant diamond solitaire inside.
“I understand,” Antony says when he glances at the box.
“Do you?” I lean against the desk, place the diamond between us, and force him to look at me. I hope the panic that is starting to rise inside of me isn’t obvious. “I’m serious about this, cousin.”
“We’ll get your answers before then.” He nods, and I can see his throat bob as he swallows. “I swear.”
“We need to get those answers now.”
“I’ll go see if the car is in front of her place.”
“I’m going with you.”
“No, boss.”
“What?” I slam the gun down on the desktop in front of me.