Reckoning (Wolfes of Manhattan 5)

Nieves, to my surprise, obeyed and put her gown back on. Manny and Hoss’s gazes never strayed from her. If they started drooling, I wouldn’t be surprised.

Rock didn’t miss it either. “Stop staring, assholes.” He pushed Hoss and then Manny off the concrete and onto the grass. He steered clear of the pool, as well. Clear of anything where surveillance equipment could have been installed.

“You sit down,” he said to Nieves.

She dropped to the grass, pulled her gown up, and sat cross-legged.

She was determined to show skin. Did she really think Rock and I thought with that head?

Apparently.

Hoss and Manny clearly did.

“Time to get real,” I said. “Who the hell beat up Leta?”

“We don’t know,” Manny said. “I’ve tried to tell them.”

“And you…” I eyed Nieves. “You left her alone in the hospital. What for? To come here? Are you kidding me?”

“It got you here, didn’t it?” Nieves said snidely.

Rock shook his head. “It’s a good thing I draw the line at hitting women. You’d be mincemeat by now.”

“Do you forget we were once in love?” she said.

“I never loved you.”

“Well, I loved you, Rock. If we’d stayed together, none of this would have ever happened.”

“Are you kidding me? Of course it would have. You’ve shown your true colors, Nieves. You follow the money. Somehow you’d have tried to get your hands on my old man’s money.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Sure I do. That’s what you’ve done here. You tried your best, but it backfired, and it got me, Reid, and the rest of us all implicated in the bastard’s murder. I swear to God, I won’t let my wife go down for this.”

Nieves rolled her eyes. “Your precious wife. That uptight attorney?”

“You mention her again, and I’ll have no problem breaking my rule about women.”

I needed to take control of this situation before my big brother did something he’d regret. “We’re all here. Is there anything you haven’t told us? You seriously don’t know who attacked Leta?”

“No,” Manny said. “We don’t. At least I don’t.”

Hoss darted Manny a glare. “You think I’m keeping things from you?”

“I think you and Nieves might be. Leta and I were along for the ride here. You two were the brains behind this whole stupid thing.”

“You didn’t think it was stupid when there was money involved,” Hoss retorted.

“For the love of God…” I rubbed at my forehead. “Rock and I have places to be, so let’s get this settled. Now.”

“Reid’s right,” Rock agreed. “You tell me right now who attacked Leta. And why.”

“We don’t know,” Hoss finally said. “We don’t know why, either, though we’ve speculated that it was because she met with your brother a few weeks ago.”

“Now why don’t I believe you?” Rock said sarcastically.

“I’m with my brother,” I added. “The two of you”—I gestured to Hoss and Nieves—“are still hiding something.”

“You ran out on me in Vegas when Leta was attacked, Nieves. But now you left her alone in the hospital? Doesn’t jibe.”

“Sure it does. She’s going to be fine.”

“She’s still drugged up for the pain!” Rock roared.

“I know, but her life isn’t in danger. To be honest…”

Rock scoffed. “You’ve never been honest a day in your life.”

“For God’s sake, would you let me speak?”

I nodded slightly to Rock. We needed every piece of information out there. If we let Nieves talk, she might slip up and reveal something.

“Fine,” he said. “Go ahead.”

Nieves cleared her throat. “Hoss and I… We talked after Leta was attacked. We admitted that we’d gotten in over our heads. I knew if I disappeared, that would draw you out here, Rock.”

“You’re still deluding yourself that I have feelings for you?”

“You’re here, aren’t you?”

“For fuck’s sake.” Rock advanced toward her.

“Okay, okay,” she said. “We figured it would get someone here. We need your help.”

This time I laughed. Seriously just burst into bellowing laughter. “You’ll get no help from us.”

“You might want to rethink that position,” Hoss said. “If Nieves and I tell our stories, the focus will come off the two of you and onto someone at the NYPD.”

“Right,” Rock said. “And I have some swampland in Florida that I think you want to buy.”

“Not only that,” I added, “the two of you will be hauled in for questioning and possibly charged. After all, how else could you get a phone call that the deed was done before the crime was committed, Nieves? And you…” I turned to Hoss. “You’re an attorney, for God’s sake. You know what will happen.”

“I think I can get a deal for immunity for the two of us,” Hoss said. “We have info the police don’t.”

“Except you don’t,” I said. “All you did was leak the phone call our father made to Rock pretending to be me. They already know that.”

“But if we cooperate—” Nieves began.

“They know who you are already,” I said.

“Maybe they don’t.” Hoss rubbed his jawline