Page 171 of Dagger in the Sea

My fingers ran through her hair. “You’re being taken care of, and I’m right here. I’ve spoken with Marissa. We’ve got this. But we need you. You wake up. You’ve got to wake up though. Make that choice.” And when she did wake up, she’d learn the horrible truth that she’d lost her husband.

I planted a kiss on the side of her face, and my vision blurred. I sucked in a breath. “I’ll be right here with you.”

“Turo?”

I jerked back, pivoting. Marissa. Short dark blonde hair, blue eyes gleaming, elegantly cut suit over a slim figure. We shook hands. “Marissa. Good to see you. Unfortunately.”

She let go of my hand. “Yes, it’s a huge shock.” A heavy breath heaved from her, her glance averting to my mother. “Absolutely horrible,” she whispered.

“Yes,” was all I said as she moved to the table in the room and opened her briefcase. She opened a folder and slid it in front of me. “James is gone. You are the only beneficiary in the will other than a number of her favorite charities. You would get the personal and commercial real estate holdings in the city which include their apartment, the parking garages James owned, the house in Michigan, the condo in Aspen—”

“Marissa—”

Her gaze flicked up at me. “You need to be prepared if she does pass.”

Acid seeped through my mouth. I only nodded.

“We’ve worked together before, Turo. You know what it takes to run Erin’s corporation, and you know her style. You’ve been on the inside. Your instincts were always good, and I’m sure with your recent professional experience, they’ve only sharpened.” She paused, the silence crackling, her eyes opaque, an eyebrow arched. “But, again, I don’t trust you.”

“I don’t blame you. One step at a time,” I replied. “Know that I’m committed to making this work for my mother.”

“Good.” She tucked the folder back in her briefcase and snapped it shut. “She was never afraid of him, you know. No matter what he said to her, or did. I’ll bet it pissed him off, made him keep trying to hit her harder, in new ways. You need to know that she always fought for you.”

“Now it’s my turn to fight for her.”

Marissa pushed back from the table. “I’ll see you in the office tomorrow morning?”

“I have something to take care of first. No one can know I’m back in Chicago. Our meeting today is between you and me.” I got up from the table. “I’m trusting you, Marissa.”

“Nobody will know. I promise,” she said.

“Our priority is that the new restaurant be cleaned up and fixed up, I don’t care how much it costs. We’re opening on schedule.”

She shook my hand firmly. “I’ll get right on it.”

52

Turo

The faded jeansbunched and wrinkled at my ankles. The waist gapped. I ripped off the black hoodie, the surfer boy sunglasses and threw them on Mishap’s lumpy couch.

Mishap’s clothes didn’t fit me properly. He was much bulkier and taller than me,but I didn’t give a shit. They were clean, and I was dressed appropriately for my day.

My one burner phone beeped with a text message. Marissa.

Got your suit & shoes—will have them at church

She’d bought me a black suit and shoes as per my specifications from Barneys. I’d change at the church. I couldn’t go to James’s funeral dressed in a hoodie and jeans.

I flicked a thread off the thick cotton black T-shirt. So many funerals in my future.

Mishap had been gone for the past two days, laying down the plan we’d come up with along with Finger while I stayed put at his place except for a quick errand just now. Marissa kept me informed of what was going on at the company, and we’d arranged for James’s funeral for today. Erin’s vitals remained strong and steady. There was hope for her to wake up very soon.

Wake up, Mother. Please wake up.

My other burner phone beeped. Finger.

“Yeah?”

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