Page 65 of Lure

“So, people who know me are dying… might not want to hang onto me, guys.” It sounded as hollow to my ears as it did to my heart.

“I fucking dare them to come at you or us,” Lunchbox said, reaching across the table to lay his hand over mine. Alphabet added his to it and Voodoo stretched to place his there as well.

“No one is taking you, Firecracker. No one.”

For some reason, I looked at Boney Boy. The hardass. He’d been the harshest so far. “Not making you promises,” he said and that seemed fair. “Save one. They’re right. No one is taking you or touching you. Period.”

Chapter

Twenty-Four

GRACE

As hard as that first conversation had been, the next one proved even more challenging. We moved back into Alphabet’s office. Bones was back at the whiteboard and adding data that had been gathered.

Lunchbox dragged a chair in and set me up next to Alphabet so I could look at any images as they were ready. Voodoo disappeared for a few to “take care of a couple of items” and Lunchbox said he was putting lunch in the oven.

My lips twitched at the comment and he gave me an amused look. “You can laugh.”

“I’m trying to not be rude, but… Lunchbox making lunch sounds funny.”

He gave me a one-shoulder shrug. “As long as it makes you smile.”

There was a strange kind of comfort in his ease. It also made it easier for me to snap back, although in this case it was more just a retort, not a slap. “And eat?”

“One can only hope you’ll let me feed you.” Then he winked and headed up the hall.

A sigh escaped me as Goblin bumped my knee and I stroked a hand over his head. He always seemed to know when I needed a distraction or a reminder. When I glanced up, I found Alphabet grinning. More, I caught the understanding.

“He’s a good boy,” I said, then focused on Goblin for a moment to lavish him with love.

“Yes, he is.” His fingers tangled with mine briefly as he added his own pets. After giving my hand a gentle squeeze, he nodded to the computer. “You ready to dive into this?”

Some distant part of me was reluctant but I gagged that part. They were invested and we needed to know who was doing these things. Who killed Eleanor. Who killed Jock and Lloyd. Took Amorette. Took me.

So ready or not, I was doing this. “Yes.”

“What was the name of the man who wanted you to yacht with him?” Bones asked and pulled my attention to him. Definitely not a comfortable topic of conversation.

“Maurizio,” I answered with a new sigh. The older man was a bit much but I’d never seen him as athreat. “Maurizio Gallo. He’s an Italian businessman. I think he actually runs hedge funds. I didn’t really pay attention to that part. I know he’s ridiculously wealthy and he’s invited me to events before in Milan, Rome, Paris, and Nice. I met him during Paris Fashion Week a few years ago.”

“Him?” Alphabet asked and I cut my gaze to the screen. In his sixties, Maurizio cut a fit and trim figure with steel gray highlights overtaking his darker hair. His dark eyes were canny and sharp, and his smile wide and generous. The heavy mustache he favored made him look more like a benevolent grandfather than a rake. Then again, he joked only boys were clean-shaven.

It was an opinion.

“That’s him.”

“Gallo, age sixty-seven. Married three times, twice divorced, widowed once. Currently maintains four residences in Rome, New York, Singapore, and Paris. He tends to travel via his yacht, but he owns four different private aircraft. His net wealth is in the billions.” Alphabet read off the details as more information populated his screen.

A printer spit out several sheets. Bones turned to take the top one and studied it before he put it up on the white board with a magnet.

“He is tied to several figures in both the entertainment and financial worlds. He likes to gamble. Also dabbles in politics. Travels extensively and has ties to three syndicates in Eastern Europe, including one I know for damn certain has Bratva ties.”

“Money laundering?” Bones asked as Voodoo returned to join us.

“Probably.” Alphabet shrugged. “I’ll dig down. I doubt he’s more than an expensive client or investor. Nothing in his profile indicates he’d be engaged in the trafficking directly.”

“You think he’s one of the traffickers?” I leaned forward as Goblin settled on the floor between me and Alphabet.

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