Page 77 of The Pretenders of Copper County
His eyes widened. “Oh. You got… you got proof?” He swallowed. “About Danny?”
“Yes. I’m sorry it took so long. If I hadn’t been trying toprotect you, I would have forced things along sooner. I just…” I brushed his hair back, combing my fingers through the silky strands, unable to stop touching him. “I need you to know it’s not because I thought you couldn’t handle it. Jesus, look at how much you’ve handled this week alone. I just hate seeing you hurt.” I set a hand on his thigh and rubbed my thumb under the hem of his boxers. “Not your weakness. Mine. Okay?”
Chris bit his lip and nodded. “Yes. Very okay.”
I grabbed my phone off the nightstand and blew out a breath. I was tempted to keep touching him. To kiss him. To make him forget all about his uncle for a little while. I knew I could do it. I knew he’d let me.
But I wouldn’t.
I unlocked my phone, opened the email, and handed the phone to him.
“I’d like to sit here while you read it.” I adjusted his glasses. “Answer any questions you might have.”
“Yeah,” Chris agreed. He scooted closer so we were hip-to-hip on the bed and both staring down at the screen. I wrapped my arm around his shoulder…
And I felt the shudder move through him as he began to read.
“United States of America v. Dante Mario Andrea Fromadgio,” he whispered. “So… official, you know? Double middle-named him and everything. And it makes it sound like he’s got the whole c-country against him.”
I nodded but said nothing.
“Parties and Charges…” Chris skimmed the first section of the plea. “Illegal imports. Bribery. Money laundering. Tax evasion—” He looked up at me. “See, that’s just crazy talk. He filed his taxes every year! His accountant is Mrs. Rose’s nephew?—”
“But did he file them on what he actually earned,” I corrected gently. “Including any income from illegal business dealings. That’s probably what they’re talking about there.”
“Oh.” His eyes clouded. “I… I don’t…”
“I know, baby. Keep reading,” I urged.
Both of us sat perfectly still except for Chris’s scrolling thumb. I wasn’t sure if he was even breathing.
“This says…” His voice cracked, and he cleared his throat. “The Defendant admits to knowingly conducting financial transactions designed to conceal the proceeds of… of illegal activity. When they say admits, they mean he… he confessed? He agreed that he—?” He broke off, shaking his head. “I know that’s whatadmitsmeans, I just don’t understand…”
“I know,” I agreed. “It’s a lot.”
He leaned into me further and continued swiping. A moment later, he uttered a broken noise and glanced up at me, eyes shiny. “This… this says Defendant agrees to forfeit assets obtained through illegal activities, including the Cellar. He didn’t sell the business because he retired; he’s going to have to give it to the government?”
“That’s what it says.” I squeezed his shoulder tightly. Eleven days ago, when I’d been frustrated as fuck at Chris’s escape attempt, I’d have given a metric shit-ton of money to be able to shove this document in his face and show him who his uncle really was.
Now, I’d pay that same amount of money to have Dante Fromadgio actually be in the remote Alaskan village where Chris had expected him to be. “I’m so sorry, Chris.”
“It says he’s waiving the right to a trial and he can’t appeal. He’s going to testify against someone named…” He consulted the phone again.
“Robert Evanovich,” I supplied. “Yeah.”
“That’s the danger?” he whispered. “Like maybe this guy—o-or his people, I guess—would want to prevent Danny from testifying?”
“Maybe. Actually…” I ran my hand down his arm. “Yesterday, Janissey told me the Evanovich organization has no feud with your uncle. They’ve washed their hands of this Robert—” I nodded at the screen. “—and they supposedly don’t care if Dante testifies and puts him in jail. On the surface, it doesn’t look like they have any reason to move against you.”
Chris huffed out a laugh that was a little high-pitched and a little wrong. “So… so I was right? There’s never been a threat? We… we came to Copper County for nothing?”
“No,” I said firmly. “I’m telling you that the Evanovich family isn’t officially taking action, but for all we know, Robert might still have loyal lieutenants out there. And Dante named names and pointed the finger at plenty of other people. Any one of them could be more angry than we realize. My instincts have been telling me there’s a threat since the very beginning, and that’s not overprotection,” I added quickly. “That’s real talk. And we can’t forget what happened in Springfield at the flamingo house. Something’s not adding up, but I can’t put my finger on it.”
Chris jumped up and began pacing the three feet of empty space between the bed and the door. When he passed the hand-knit sweater lying exactly where it had landed when I’d stripped it off him yesterday—just before laying him down, kissing the smile off his face, and sucking him down my throat until he screamed my name—he gave the garment a vicious kick. Then he stopped, picked it up, shook it out, and put it on, pulling the sleevesdown his hands.
It felt like watching someone put on armor.
“Chris.” I jumped out of bed and grabbed him by the shoulders. “Talk to me. Please.”
