“Yep. Have fun. Love you, baby girl.” I entered the hotel and tucked my phone into my pocket and then stopped near a bank of elevators, leaning over to fix my shoelace. From the corner of my eye, I saw something that tweaked me. An older guy, trench coat. Comin’ up beside me. He halted when I bent and then he skirted the couple walking in front of him, quickly walking by me, disappearing around a corner in a way that felt unnatural.
It might’ve been nothing but I’d learned over the years to trust my gut. Trench coat done up like that indoors in the fuckin’ desert? I’d lay bets he was following me. And packing. But for who? Denarda? Or, I was being followed by Zack’s fed buddies?
I hit the button for the elevator. One opened immediately. I got on it and hit buttons for the second, third, fifth, and twenty eighth floors.
I let the doors open and close on the second floor and then got off on the third, crossed the long hallway to the other end and then climbed up to the fourth floor and called the elevator. Whoever was watching me wouldn’t know which floor I’d gotten off on, unless they had the elevator camera feed hacked.
As the elevator climbed to my floor, I texted Nino.
“Come to Vegas. Get on the next flight. Arrange security detail for me. Double security for Tia. Tail the goof and toss his house. Thinkin’ he might’ve put out a hit on me.”
I’d not only have Nino arrange security for me but he’d also have Leo Denarda tailed as well as search his office and his house. I entered my hotel room with my gun drawn. The room was empty. But I wasn’t taking any chances. I packed up my shit, changed into jeans and a hoodie with dark glasses and sneakers, and then I switched hotels and checked in under a fake name.
***
It was the next day. I was in another meeting with John, Ben and the other investors for Fete. Ben said Denarda had cancelled their meeting after the start-time. So, my guess? He saw I wasn’t there and that’s why he cancelled.
As we were wrapping up our meeting, I got a call.
Nino and a few other of our guys were checking out Denarda’s place and his office and had nearly gotten caught by Denarda’s security. Nino found a fucking Ferrano inner circle flowchart on the fucker’s home office wall. Tessa’s picture was circled.
He’d called her immediately to tell her to stay put so he could get additional security for her but she hadn’t answered so he called me to tell me he’d have her tracked down. I called her cell. The phone went straight to voicemail. I called Sarah’s cell. Voicemail again.
I phoned the house,
“Hello?”
That was Lisa. Shit.
Lisa and I hadn’t talked much since her meltdown. She hadn’t been back from her retreat for long and had revealed her secrets of her origins to the girls.
Tia had been there and filled me in on how it all went down, how Tessa and Luciana left without letting Lisa off the hook. My sisters were in shock and Dare and I had talked it over. We knew that given time, they’d welcome her back into the fold. Hopefully Lisa knew that, too.
Dare’d told me he’d talked to Lisa and said she was doin’ okay, despite the shock from the chat with the girls. Tia and Angel were being a good support to her, as was Sarah. Though Sarah was pretty fuckin’ angry lately, knowing the truth about all that her girls had been through. She treated all of them like daughters and took it as a personal affront that anyone would hurt those girls.
“Hey. It’s Tommy. You good?” I half prayed she wouldn’t answer that question with more than a yes.
“Hi. Uh. Yeah, Tommy, I’m good. Um… you?”
“Not so good. Listen, Tessa there?”
“Oh, I’m not sure. I think Sarah has the boys.” The volume of her voice got lower and I heard the click of heels on floor and then outside noises, “Wait, she’s got Luc’s girls in the backyard. They’re playing in the snow. Tessa’s boys must be at daycare. I don’t know where Luc and the baby are.”
“Snow?” I asked.
“We got some overnight. You out of town?”
“Yeah. Business. But things need to go on lockdown. Need to find Tess immediately.”
“Oh, uh, you texted her?”
“I called. No answer. Luc isn’t there in another part of the house or something?” Fuck. Both my sisters unguarded.
“I’m not sure but I don’t think so. I’ll ask Sarah.”
“I need to talk to Sarah,” I started and then changed my mind. If Lisa was gonna continue to a be a member of this family, we had to get over this awkward dance and she needed to be able to act quickly in a crisis, “Scratch that. I need you to keep things calm at the house and keep Sarah and the kids there. Find out where Luciana is and text me. Anyone else there?”
“Dex is around somewhere, I think. Unless he is over at your house. He’s been back and forth today. Tessa might be at the restaurant. She’s been helping Eddy with prep a few days a week.”