Page 42 of Her Keeper
I could practically hear the grinding of his teeth from here, but he didn’t show me any further emotion. Probably the type of guy who thought emotion made you weak, I thought. Even when that emotion was over your own sons.
Asshole.
“Where are they?”
“I obviously can’t tell you that. The last time I checked, you had kill teams out trying to shoot all of us.”
He shook his head. “Not them. Just you.”
“Except that they’re on my side, Jimmy. Because they know what I know.”
He was silent for a long tense moment as my words sank in. His sons had chosen me over him, and no matter how hard he tried to be, that had to pinch him a little bit, even if it was only because it damaged his financial outlook. And his ability to hold onto his position of leadership. Joseph and Michael had been talking for a long time about running the family by themselves, and Jimmy had to know that. If they turned against him, for real, how many of his men would stick with him and turn their backs on the boys?
From the look on his face, it wasn’t as many as he would have liked.
“I have things you need to hear,” I told him, trying to take advantage of what was probably a very rare moment of doubt. “Information that’s going to be important if the Rossis are going to survive the next week.”
He didn’t want to believe me. I could see that much. But I didn’t think he was ready to entirely discount me, either. The idea that I might have information he didn’t was too enticing.
“What do you want in return?” he finally asked.
“A deal. I give you my help. You give me my life.”
More grinding of teeth. More glaring. Then Rosella reached out a hand to touch his arm.
“Do it,” she said quietly. “Bring our sons home, Jimmy.”
He cast a glance at her and for just a moment, barely a second, I could see the love and respect that must have once come easier to him. He’d loved her once, I remembered. They’d married for love and had a happy relationship. He’d just gotten too good at hiding his emotions to let anyone else see it.
When he turned back to me, I could see that he’d made up his mind. “Talk,” he said. “And when you’re done, we’ll see if it’s worth your life.”
I didn’t like not knowing ahead of time, and I was sure that if Michael had been there—or Sloane, or Brooks—they’d have told me to get a guarantee ahead of time. I should have settled on the terms before I gave up my information. I should have got his assurances that he’d let me go.
But I had Dante and Duca outside this door, and I knew they were both listening. I also knew that they’d come to my aid if anything went wrong.
And I didn’t have as much bargaining power as Sloane or Brooks.
So I started talking.
Knowing I’d just have to hope that in the end, he held up his end of the bargain.
18
MICHAEL
“You did what?” I shouted.
I was trying to control my temper. Really, I was. But I’d woken up to find Penny missing and stormed out of the room to hear that no one else actually knew where she’d gone. Sloane had said she was just going out for some air and Brooks had sworn up and down that she was just outside, but a quick walk to the window had showed me that no only was Pennynotoutside, but that my car was gone as well.
I had nearly torn the house off its foundations tyring to figure out where she’d gone, and I’d been on the verge of going out to try to find her, but had been talked down by Sloane, who had said very practically that first of all, I didn’t know where she was, and secondly, if I was gone, I wouldn’t be around to shout at her when she got back.
She’d returned three hours after the last time anyone had seen her, and I’d backed her right into one of the bedrooms and started shouting at her.
Penny Lane, the girl who wasn’t supposed to know anything about the mafia world and was supposedly a good girl who didn’t do anything wrong lifted her chin and managed to look down her nose at me. “I went to see your father,” she repeated.
I clenched my hands into fists and tensed every muscle in my arms. I’d heard her the first time but I hadn’t believed her. I hadn’t believed she’d do anything so fucking stupid.
And yet here she was standing in front of me, definitely still alive.
