Page 105 of Royal Flush

“I wish there was something I could offer in the way of information,” Valerio said as the various vehicles pulled into the private airstrip. Justin’s body would be given a ceremonial send off, members of Congress and the vice president present.

However, it had been deemed too dangerous for the president to attend. Given no one knew who was responsible, the conspiracy theories had gone wild.

Jack and his team had remained diligent, doing their best to track down Santini, who’d been safely tucked away in his estate in Australia. Of course, that didn’t mean he hadn’t ordered the hits, which had left eight powerful men dead. The heinous acts were considered one of the worst events in DC’s history.

But as I’d heard more than once, there were still no leads, which had put every member of law enforcement into a significant panic. I couldn’t blame them, but everything within the city limits was in full lockdown mode, which didn’t bode well for so many of the businesses.

Every foreign dignitary who’d been on camera had expressed terror. Somehow, I doubted their lives were in jeopardy, but I certainly couldn’t provide my own theories.

“You can tell me if you’ve found anything out via your contacts,” I told him. Their limo was just now pulling up thirty or so yards from the secure plane, our driver preparing to stop as well. I’d been surprised we’d been given clearance, but we were pretty darn persuasive when we wanted to be.

“I wish I could provide you with something but no one is talking.” Valerio seemed tired and stressed. He’d finally gone into detail about the threats our company and family had received, although they’d amazingly stopped coming on the day the hits had been made.

I was hoping clues could be found by deciphering them one at a time, but none of them seemed to be connected to the other. Maybe the fucker just wanted us on edge after all, concentrating on potential problems instead of paying any attention to the secret book found.

Right now, I wasn’t in the mood to play a guessing game, for the rest of the night at least. With her mother heading back to Australia, I needed time to spend with Jasmine. She would feel alone, more frightened than before.

At least she was staying in the US, but I had a feeling part of that was based on wanting to find out who her father’s killer was. I’d need to watch her carefully or she was likely to do something drastic.

“Yeah, as I suspected. Tomorrow, we start figuring this shit out.”

I noticed Valerio and Jack studying each other. Yeah, maybe they had every right to think I was nuts. If the cops couldn’t figure out the person responsible, how the hell was I supposed to? Didn’t matter. I was more determined than ever.

When the FBI agents stepped out given their official duties, assisting both Jasmine and Jade onto the concrete, I was on the tarmac in a split second.

Within seconds, all four men flanked my side. I knew that I needed to keep my distance until all the pomp and circumstance duties were over. However, all five of us were armed and prepared in case of an attack. Of course the person responsible would be a complete idiot to plan anything at this location. It was heavily armed, the Marines and Secret Service assigned prepared to issue rounds of fire without hesitation.

Jasmine stood with her mother, darting glances in my direction every minute or so. She was so different yet stronger somehow after the ordeal. Yet I sensed the significant impact would change her forever. How so remained to be seen.

As his funeral vehicle’s back door was slowly opened, still following every protocol, I wasn’t entirely certain how I felt. When the casket was removed, the carved wooden object draped in the Australian flag, Jade began to sob all over again.

“Mrs. Sinclair couldn’t provide any details of who attacked them?” Valerio asked, trying to keep his reverence for the moment.

“No. Whoever broke in threw bags over their heads so she saw nothing. No one spoke either, which tells me whoever it was had an accent.”

“Interesting,” Jack said from beside me.

“Yeah, but not earth shattering.” We stood in silence for a couple of minutes as the casket was lowered onto an official gurney, several men guiding it toward the back of the plane. “I hate this shit.”

Justin’s casket was wheeled slowly toward it, everyone standing in reverence. Jade remained hysterical while Jasmine had barely reacted, keeping her head face forward instead of her eyes following the casket’s movement. I suspected much of the guilt she was feeling had to do with her telling her father she’d hated him.

Did any child truly ever hate their parents? Some should but the bond was usually tight, the need to please there from the beginning. Hell, I’d even felt the same way. Still, seeing her face in so much pain was terrible. Not being able to provide the comfort she needed was worse.

I couldn’t take it any longer, turning around to face the others. “We need to get to the bottom of this.”

“For your sake or for hers?” Jack asked.

“Both. I think you were right in saying this still isn’t over yet, even if we don’t know what the hell is going on.” I was doing my best not to raise my voice.

“One way or the other, we’ll figure it out.” My brother seemed so sure. He’d clapped me on the shoulder, even squeezing as he used to do when we were younger. “I know how much you care about her.”

“I do, more than I believed possible.” We were all facing the other way now, Jack and his team using the excuse of keeping a close eye on the perimeter. “She’s very special, a light to my darkness.”

“Yet you wanted to hunt down and kill her father yourself,” he said, almost in jest but I knew he was doing nothing more than reminding me of what I’d said.

“Yeah, I’d wanted Justin dead. I’d planned it in my head but for an entirely different reason. I would have killed him given the opportunity.” There was another moment where the electricity that shot through me wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

Valerio caught my stiffness and glanced over his shoulder. “Shit.” Almost immediately, he backed away, causing the others to do so.

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