Page 19 of Tangled Threats on the Nomad Highway
“What tribe?” This was new information, andEinstein could kick himself for not having anyone look deeper atthe mother. They’d focused on the male-dominated relationshipsbecause of the Italian connection, and that now felt like amistake. “She still with her old man?” The ease and familiaritywith which Dolph spoke of Luciano didn’t escape Einstein, which wasanother note to keep and follow up on later.Calling him by anickname wouldn’t be a mistake, so it’s something Dolph isexpecting me to catch.“What about the brother? Are you sayinghe’s going to be found with family?”
“Your questions are many.” One corner ofDolph’s mouth pulled back. Not a smile, but not a disappointedgrimace either. “Unfortunately, I only have a few answers. She’sCrow, the only one to have moved away from the Montana family home.As far as her relationship with Luc—”
There’s that diminutive again.
“—that is and always has been tumultuous.William—”
Ohh, got me a name, keep talkin’ oldman.
“—was seen there a few years ago, butapparently dropped off the face of the earth afterwards. He had abad experience with a club—”
“Club?” Einstein could have kicked himselffor interrupting, but all of this was brand-new information.
“Yes, a motorcycle club. Seems he and Scarare somewhat more alike than they’d like people to know, in thatone way. The clubs—”
Clubs, as in plural. If they lost him in BigSky Country, that means he has more than one organization in hisbackground prior to the disappearance. More ground to cover. Maybeit’s tied to that Michigan connection in the transcript.
“—William has been in are nothing like theMonster Devils, however. Which means he’s yet unlike his brother.I’ve known Luc—”
Knew they were tight.He fought asmile at the blooming sense of satisfaction in his chest.
“—for years, and by all accounts William isa good man, much like his father.”
“Tell me about his bad experience.”
A grimace flickered into and out ofexistence on Dolph’s features with the admission, “I do not haveall the details.”
Damn, that had to hurt to admit. Dolph’snearly as anal as Retro is about getting all the dirt.
Expression smooth again, Dolph continued,“But it surrounded a woman.”
“You think the Italians factor into thatsituation at all?” A memory flashed through Einstein’s head. Thereand gone in an instant, but Lauren’s face was clear as day, closedeyes, ruby lips, chest still.
“No. That was pure human stupidity.” Dolphstilled, his gaze drilling into Einstein. “She yet lives.”
Pain cinched around his chest, and he foughtto hide how those words had hit him.So they kill my wife anddaughter but spare the woman of a favored son.“Good.” Thatwould be all Dolph got out of him on that topic, and Einsteinpressed his lips together.
A slow exhale preceded Dolph’s nextquestion. “Do you know the full story of my history with Katrina’smother?”
The unexpected segue had Einstein’s headshaking before he could think. “No.”What the hell does thishave to do with anything?
“I saw her. My attraction to her wasunexpected, because my family had arranged for a marriage for me.I’d known from my teens what my path would be. Learn as much as Icould in America, strengthen the family’s hold on the southeast,and marry the woman groomed from childhood to be my wife. She wasfrom Kiev, and the arrangement would solidify an agreement myfamily had with hers.” Dolph pulled in a hard breath throughflaring nostrils. “I would not have fought the course as laid outhad I not conducted business in a library one day. Deloris”—Dolph’svoice changed, dropping, so it was quiet and soft—“stole my heartwithout knowing or trying. I needed to know her, and then once Ilearned about her nature, I couldn’t live without her.”
Searching through his knowledge of Katrina’smother, Einstein offered up the only detail he could remember. “Shewas attacked after the birth, right?”
“Killed. She was killed following Katrina’sentrance to the world. Killed in a hospital, surrounded by mybouquets and gifts, with our daughter in a bassinet next to herbed. A nurse interrupted the man and resuscitated my Deloris.Brought her back.” Dolph’s nostrils quivered as he sucked inanother breath. “The damage was significant. Many said it wouldhave been better if she hadn’t survived.” He leaned forward aninch. “They were wrong. I will always take her however I can haveher, and the injuries inflicted didn’t diminish my love forher.”
“Why are you telling me this?”I don’tthink Retro knows as much as the man just laid out for me.“Idon’t get what that has to do with Scarloucci. Not sure what youwant me to do with this.”
“It has shit all to do with that cursedfamily. This is about me and how I relate to you. People I lovedtried to kill my woman. Would probably have moved to my child next,if they hadn’t gotten the results they wanted. People who had oncemeant the world to me, trying to gain my cooperation with theirplans, caused pain and suffering for my family. I’m telling you soyou know you aren’t alone. The sense of betrayal never goes away.The anger—the rage will continue to eat at you inside for a longtime. It could kill you if you let it. It will.” Straightening hisshoulders, Dolph lifted his chin and stared down his nose atEinstein. “Do not let it. You…you are a good man. Right now, yousee everything through the lens of your grief, and that is to beexpected. But you will one day have a moment where the rage leavesyou, and what I want you to take away from this conversation isthat it is okay. All of it, those emotions, they will come back butbe lessened. That too is okay. Natural. Over and over, in its owntimeline. What you have to remember is the natural way of thingshas life moving on. When it happens, let yourself be moved withit.”
Einstein kept his gaze on the man as hekeyed the alarm sequence again and opened the door. The broad backnever slumped, the shoulders stayed rigid, and the tall man withquestionable wisdom disappeared into the darkness.
***
Einstein
The sun rose, rays of brilliance spearinginto the shadows inside Retro’s home where Einstein occupied akitchen chair, still awake. He’d made a second pot of coffee aboutan hour ago, when the first shades of pink and blue had appearedalong the edge of the sky. There wasn’t much more than dregs left.With a laptop in front of him, he took a moment to scan the camerafeeds again. Moments away from retreating to the pool house, heleaned forwards and tapped on the keyboard, changing thedisplay.
