Atonement (Master's Protege 2)

“Of course,” I tell him, but my words feel hollow.

Chapter Eleven

Cain

I woke up with a plan.

Violet needs to know everything.

I’ve put this off long enough, and now there’s a threat to her finding out in a way I do not want her to. She has to know, because I’m not letting her go. She has to know I’ve wanted her from the first time I ever saw her. She has to know I knew she was the one for me.

But Jesus, the timing on this…

I told her I love her because I do. And when the truth comes out, I need to believe that it’s enough, even if I have to fucking grovel on my knees for her.

We walk hand-in-hand to my office. The house is oddly quiet today, and it isn’t until we get to my office that I see why: all hands are on deck.

Claude, Henri, and Joe, as well as all of my new hires and trainees, and even our damn doctor, wait for me in my office.

Violet whistles. “Whoa. Now this is quite a greeting, you guys.”

I meet Joe’s eyes. He looks grim, goddammit. I run my fingers through my hair and grit my teeth.

Claude stands and gestures for Violet to take a seat, but I shake my head. “She’ll sit with me.” I want her to be as close to me as possible when we hear whatever it is they tell us.

I sit at my desk chair and she perches on my knee, alert and focused, but her hand rests on my thigh. My fingers wrap around hers.

“Not gonna waste time, boss,” Joe begins. Everyone quiets and looks at him. “We found Armand tracking you last night. Seems he hasn’t gotten over being let go, and he’s got an ax to grind.”

I nod. Figured as much. All of my men, like me, were former military. We all have a history together, too. But when Armand threatened Violet’s life last year, I’d had enough. I wanted her brought here, but safely and on her terms. He got her in a car accident and could’ve killed her.

He was the first one I’d ever fired.

“Understood.”

“Armand was the one who got into an accident with me,” Violet says. She frowns. “Kinda thought he was a douche.”

“I seem to recall you calling him that, didn’t you?” Joe asks, his eyes twinkling.

She shrugs. No regrets.

I love this woman.

Claude speaks up. “Armand wanted to be number one with Cain. Never really stepped up enough to get there, so he wasn’t happy when we let him go.”

“Got it.” Violet nods. “Does this have anything to do with what happened at Descamps’ house last night?”

“I’m getting there,” Joe says.

“We don’t have all day, Joe.” Violet’s eyes snap at him, her anger evident.

She needs to be patient. I keep my voice low. “Violet.”

She frowns but nods.

“We interrogated Descamps’ team. They’ve been taken care of. They were all ready to talk once he was out of the picture.”

I nod.

“He’s in with the Rossis.”

I blow out a low whistle.

“They’re organized crime, right?” Violet asks.

“Yeah. They’re the biggest mafia group in New England. Practically run Boston, oversee all imports in the Northeast. They practically own every harbor from here to Newport. Got a family home just north of Boston, too.”

Violet blinks. “Wow.”

“Yeah,” Joe continues. “It seems your parents did some work for them.” He clears his throat and looks to me.

“She knows they were assassins, Joe.”

I wince. Here it comes.

Henri looks to me before he speaks, and I give him a nod. “Her father wasn’t. He was a bookkeeper for them but not a made man. Neither of them were actually in with the Rossi family. Both were contractors that worked for them.”

“She contracted hits,” Violet says in a low voice. She winces. “Didn’t she?”

“Your mother did, Violet,” Joe says gently. She nods. She’s already figured this out.

“So she was an assassin for the Rossis. Then why were she and my dad killed?”

“The Rossis were not responsible for their deaths. They did a hit for the Rossis, but the hit was on one of their rivals. We suspect the Rossi target brought vengeance back to them.”

“You suspect?” Violet’s voice holds a note of anger. “I want more than suspect.”

“We’re working on that, Violet. Descamps’s men gave us everything they knew.”

She nods. “So we go to the Rossis.”

A murmur goes up in the group, and Violet gives a questioning look.

“You don’t just… go to the Rossis, Violet.”

She tips her head to me. “No? And why not?”

“They’re the most notorious crime ring on the East Coast, that’s why. They’ll blow your head off and bury your body, then pour a glass of wine and call it a day before we’ve gotten anywhere.”

“Well that’s rather drastic,” she mutters. “I can play nice.”

“I’ll go with you.” My men all look my way. Claude shakes his head slowly from side to side, and Henri’s mouth drops open.