Read Online Bed of Bones (A Sloane Monroe Novel, Book Five) by Cheryl Bradshaw - Free Book Online
Authors: Cheryl Bradshaw
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coming?”
My heart thumped wildly. I didn’t move. I didn’t speak. I just stood there. The door slammed shut. I still hadn’t moved. Plaid Shirt Guy muttered something. A question. But my focus wasn’t on him—my phone was vibrating. I reached over, grabbing it off the table. I had one text message from Carlo in capital letters: DO YOU WANT ANSWERS OR DON’T YOU?
I stepped outside. Droplets of water fell from a tumultuous sky, pelting my face. A black Porsche skidded to a stop beside me. The passenger door opened. Carlo said, “Get in.”
A wave of nausea ripped through my body.
Have I crossed the line? Have I pushed too far? What’s happening now?
“Where are we going?”
“Sloane, you’re trembling and you’re soaking wet. Get in the car. There’s nothing to fear. You know me.”
I knew he was Giovanni’s brother. I knew he was FBI. But did I know him? Really?
I didn’t.
I got in anyway.
CHAPTER 14
“I always wondered if this conversation would come about,” Daniela said. “Only I thought you’d be having it with Giovanni and not with me.”
The two of us sat next to each other on a sofa in Giovanni’s office. Daniela crossed one leg over the other, resting a hand on top of her knee. An emerald ring was looped through a silver chain around her neck. It sparkled like it had just been shined. I hadn’t picked up on it the day before at the hospital. I was sure it was just one of many things I’d missed.
“I’m guessing Carlo dropped me off so we could talk, so why am I here?”
She strained a smile, fidgeted with a crystal button that had popped out of the hole on her blouse. “They know who you are, what you do for a living.”
“ They —who? The Mob?”
There it was. I’d said it.
She met my gaze and smiled. “Cosa Nostra. Yes.”
Finally. The truth.
“All right, they know who I am. So what?”
“Personal relationships—they complicate things.”
“In what way? Giovanni has always kept his business dealings from me.”
“It’s not just a business. It’s everything . Lately he’s been preoccupied—becoming soft. He’s not himself.”
“You say it like it’s a bad thing.”
“It can be.”
Her voice was flat, monotone.
“From what Carlo told me, you sound a lot like your father.”
“I sound like someone who cares about your life,” she said.
“Meaning?”
“My family’s concerns about you are twofold. You’re much more than the average private investigator. The longer you’ve been with Giovanni, the more questions you ask. You’ve been digging, looking into our family background.”
“How did you—?”
She swished a hand through the air. “It’s not important.”
“Giovanni was right, wasn’t he? I am in danger.”
She shook her head. “No one has any wish to harm you. My father is aware there was a time when you saved my life. My mother is dead. I am his only daughter. He’s grateful.”
“Your brothers refuse to tell me about your family. Why are you?”
She leaned back, folded her arms. “Several months ago Giovanni went to see my father. He wanted out. He felt he’d put in his time over the years, and, if you want my opinion, I believe it happened because he felt you slipping away.”
I had no idea.
“How did your father react?” I asked.
“You don’t make a deal with the devil and walk away.”
She was right. You don’t walk. You run .
“Are you comparing your own father to the devil?”
She snickered like I’d just made a silly joke. “I love my father, but he isn’t the kind of person you trifle with.”
“I take it he wasn’t keen on Giovanni’s request.”
“He said no. In fact his exact words were he’d ‘have to be dead before I’ll allow you to step down.’ Giovanni was outraged, as you can imagine. He threatened my father. When he left, my father sent some guys to Park City to find out what had changed, why my brother was acting like a different person. That’s when they learned about you.
My heart thumped wildly. I didn’t move. I didn’t speak. I just stood there. The door slammed shut. I still hadn’t moved. Plaid Shirt Guy muttered something. A question. But my focus wasn’t on him—my phone was vibrating. I reached over, grabbing it off the table. I had one text message from Carlo in capital letters: DO YOU WANT ANSWERS OR DON’T YOU?
I stepped outside. Droplets of water fell from a tumultuous sky, pelting my face. A black Porsche skidded to a stop beside me. The passenger door opened. Carlo said, “Get in.”
A wave of nausea ripped through my body.
Have I crossed the line? Have I pushed too far? What’s happening now?
“Where are we going?”
“Sloane, you’re trembling and you’re soaking wet. Get in the car. There’s nothing to fear. You know me.”
I knew he was Giovanni’s brother. I knew he was FBI. But did I know him? Really?
I didn’t.
I got in anyway.
CHAPTER 14
“I always wondered if this conversation would come about,” Daniela said. “Only I thought you’d be having it with Giovanni and not with me.”
The two of us sat next to each other on a sofa in Giovanni’s office. Daniela crossed one leg over the other, resting a hand on top of her knee. An emerald ring was looped through a silver chain around her neck. It sparkled like it had just been shined. I hadn’t picked up on it the day before at the hospital. I was sure it was just one of many things I’d missed.
“I’m guessing Carlo dropped me off so we could talk, so why am I here?”
She strained a smile, fidgeted with a crystal button that had popped out of the hole on her blouse. “They know who you are, what you do for a living.”
“ They —who? The Mob?”
There it was. I’d said it.
She met my gaze and smiled. “Cosa Nostra. Yes.”
Finally. The truth.
“All right, they know who I am. So what?”
“Personal relationships—they complicate things.”
“In what way? Giovanni has always kept his business dealings from me.”
“It’s not just a business. It’s everything . Lately he’s been preoccupied—becoming soft. He’s not himself.”
“You say it like it’s a bad thing.”
“It can be.”
Her voice was flat, monotone.
“From what Carlo told me, you sound a lot like your father.”
“I sound like someone who cares about your life,” she said.
“Meaning?”
“My family’s concerns about you are twofold. You’re much more than the average private investigator. The longer you’ve been with Giovanni, the more questions you ask. You’ve been digging, looking into our family background.”
“How did you—?”
She swished a hand through the air. “It’s not important.”
“Giovanni was right, wasn’t he? I am in danger.”
She shook her head. “No one has any wish to harm you. My father is aware there was a time when you saved my life. My mother is dead. I am his only daughter. He’s grateful.”
“Your brothers refuse to tell me about your family. Why are you?”
She leaned back, folded her arms. “Several months ago Giovanni went to see my father. He wanted out. He felt he’d put in his time over the years, and, if you want my opinion, I believe it happened because he felt you slipping away.”
I had no idea.
“How did your father react?” I asked.
“You don’t make a deal with the devil and walk away.”
She was right. You don’t walk. You run .
“Are you comparing your own father to the devil?”
She snickered like I’d just made a silly joke. “I love my father, but he isn’t the kind of person you trifle with.”
“I take it he wasn’t keen on Giovanni’s request.”
“He said no. In fact his exact words were he’d ‘have to be dead before I’ll allow you to step down.’ Giovanni was outraged, as you can imagine. He threatened my father. When he left, my father sent some guys to Park City to find out what had changed, why my brother was acting like a different person. That’s when they learned about you.
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