Page 5 of Vision of Truth

“I’m Dale Mancuso, director of the task force we’ve put together to locate our agent and protect your sister and Mr. Vesey’s daughter. I think you all know Agent Dawson and Agent Nilsson. They’ve been working around the clock to find out everything possible about the man who attacked your sister and the one who got away.”

Lena cleared her throat and stepped forward. “We’re here to take Julie and Sabrina to answer some questions at the field office. However, we need to be smart about logistics.” Lena’s eyes cast a cold gaze at her boss before continuing. The woman had never been particularly friendly or warm the past two times he’d met her, but the ice in her gaze spoke to some sort of disagreement. “The United Brotherhood is a crime organization that is fifteen thousand strong. They’re responsible for the largest percentage of illegal drugs in North America and have been known to deal in extortion and contract killings.”

“And what was Vesey’s role?” Easton moved behind Kinley and started massaging her shoulders.

“We have reason to believe the organization was branching out—human trafficking.” Dawson’s voice was grim. “Vesey was integrating himself as a buyer.”

“Fuck.” Isaac slammed his hand down on the arm of the chair. “I want Jules nowhere near this shitstorm.”

“Your sister had an intimate relationship with our Agent. She might know more than she thinks.”

“Don’t jump to conclusions.” Julie said she wasn’t personally involved with her employer and that was enough for him. He trusted her implicitly, even if she hated him right now. Fuck, he’d been a bastard.

“After the interview, we’ll set her up in witness protection. We’ve been listening to chatter from various sources and informants. The United Brotherhood believes your sister and the girl saw too much and want to tie up loose ends. Agent Vesey must’ve felt as though something was off when he changed his will. It makes it easier for us to place both Sabrina and Julie together in a new home, new identities.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” Julie’s voice shook with defiance. His girl was sweet, but she was no pushover. When she felt the need to state she wasn’t a doormat, the comment sliced through to his core. There was no scenario where Jules would ever let someone walk over her. She was strong as hell. Sweet perfection. “This is my home. Where my family is.” Julie hobbled into the room. Her hair was pulled up into some kind of bun on the top of her head, eyes puffy and red. Fuck. Were the tears for him or because of the impossible situation she was faced with? Wasn’t sure which was worse. He got to his feet and stalked toward her.

“You shouldn’t be up.” He leaned in, touched the small of her back and knew he’d made a colossal error. Goosebumps broke out over his arms, and he braced himself against her flowery scent. All her soft skin had been willingly wrapped against him mere hours ago, and she’d cut him loose. Good for her. He was a selfish prick who would never be good enough. Selfish, because his insides were still churning into knots, replaying the words she had said to him.Get out of my bed, Isaac. Close the door on your way out.The finality of her tone hollowed him out. Poured alcohol on flesh scraped raw.

“You don’t need to pick me up.” Her nose scrunched when he moved closer, and damn if it wasn’t cute as hell. With one arm wrapped around her back and the other behind her knees he picked her up and gently deposited her on the couch. He covered her with a blanket, and sat on the other end. Jules simply glared at him. Those big, hazel eyes radiating with hurt and frustration. He’d put that look of devastation on her pretty face, and it fucking killed him.

“Julie, I understand this must be hard to hear, but the bureau is optimistic that if the main players are taken care of, you’ll no longer be a threat to the organization.” Agent Dawson’s face softened for Julie. “Intelligence has suggested that the two cousins fighting for control of The United Brotherhood have differing opinions about the future of their business. Mario Greco wants to explore endeavors like kidnapping and trafficking. Victor Greco finds both risky and distasteful. If we can nail Mario with intel provided by our agents, Victor will head The United Brotherhood and any supporters of Mario will slither into hiding.”

“You’re talking about helping the mafia?” Gus raised a brow and leveled his gaze at the two agents.

“Helping? That’s a stretch. More like dealing with the devil you know.” Nilsson leaned back in the chair. “We have several patrol cars outside. Julie, you and Sabrina will ride with Agent Dawson. I’ll be one car behind you.”

“I’m going, too.” No way they were snatching up Jules and Sabrina for questioning without one of them there as backup.

“I’m sorry, but they have to come with us. Alone.” Mancuso snapped. Agent Dawson gave him a pitied look and got to his feet.

“Like hell—” He surged up to full height, but to the director’s credit he didn’t flinch back.

“Isaac.” Julie’s voice snapped. “We’ll be fine with Tyler and Lena. You don’t need to come along for the ride.” Her eyes left his and then slid to the man in question. He didn’t like the way the agent offered her a gentle smile. In fact, he wanted to knock it right off of his Hollywood-esque face. Tyler and Lena had joined them for Thanksgiving a month earlier. He was being irrational, but he didn’t like the level of familiarity Tyler had with Julie. God, he was being a total prick. He knew it, he just couldn’t rein it in at the moment.

The next fifteen minutes were a flurry of activity. Sasha brought a still sleeping Sabrina down from Julie’s room and they bundled her into the waiting car. He still couldn’t believe how huge he’d fucked up with Julie. It was for the best. She needed to move on and find someone far better than the likes of him to settle down with. The mere thought of her with another man made his jaw clench and his heart pound. On impulse, he grabbed Julie’s hand as she was about to step out the door. She glanced down at their interlocked fingers. Something flared in her gaze before she promptly extinguished it and pulled away.

“We can’t leave things like this.” God, she couldn’t walk out this door without knowing. She had to know in her heart how he felt. “There’s so much more I have to say.”

“I disagree.” Her long, straight hair flowed behind her as she turned. A thick waterfall of caramel and burnt gold that he desperately wanted to fist in his hands. “There is absolutely nothing left to talk about.”

Agent Dawson’s hand hovered over her shoulder as he led her to the waiting car. When the door closed and he turned around, two pairs of eyes were narrowed in his direction.

“What the hell did that mean?” Gus’s posture was stiff, his hands balled into fists at his side. “What can’t you leave alone? What do you have to say to my sister?”

“Our sister.” Easton’s voice had gone quiet, but no less hard.

“Okay, before the testosterone boils over, how about everyone takes a nice deep breath.” Kinley stood between him and his brothers with her hands on her hips. Sasha’s arms were folded over her chest, scowling at the three men.

“If she told you something about her relationship with Vesey, the time for secrets is over,” Gus barked. “If they were having some kind of affair, you need to tell us. She could be in more danger than we thought.”

Isaac turned his back on them and drew in a breath, fighting for control. He wanted to follow the agents and make sure Jules got to the field office all right, but instead his brothers were blocking his path, both so sure he was keeping something from them. Well, he was, but it wasn’t what they guessed.

“Did she love him?” Easton’s innocent question made frustration bubble in his gut.

“She didn’t love him.” His voice was too quiet, too menacing not to tip his brothers off. They were entering dangerous territory. He turned, meeting their hostile stares.

“Did she tell you that?” Gus folded his arms over his chest, mirroring Sasha’s stance.

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