Page 62 of My Best Friend's Dad

I felt a chill run down my spine. “Set me up? How?”

“Ricci is making up some bullshit about you being the real boss instead of him,” Logan explained. “Claims you’re a big arms trafficker, running guns to North Korea or something like that. It’s way over the top, but it’s enough to get himself off the hook with the FBI. The hitman was planting evidence and disabling some cameras.”

My mind reeled. “So, the hitman was here to frame me, not kill me?” I asked, my voice wrought with disbelief.

“Exactly,” Logan said. “They’re trying to shift the focus onto you, make you look like the mastermind behind Ricci’s operations.”

I took a deep breath, trying to process the information. “Why didn’t he just kill me?”

“Probably because a dead Vincenzo wouldn’t serve their narrative,” Logan replied. “They need you alive to pin everything on you.”

I clenched my fist at my side, trying to keep my anger under wraps. “Ricci is trying to save his own skin by throwing me to the wolves.”

“Looks that way,” Logan agreed. “I’m digging deeper, but you need to be careful. They’re not going to stop until they’ve got what they need and that’s you behind bars.”

“Thanks, Logan,” I said, my voice tight. “Keep me updated.”

“I will. Stay safe, Vincenzo,” Logan said before hanging up. I pulled my shoulders back with a growl and turned back to Tony.

“Come on, Tony. I’ll introduce you to Jenna.”

He nodded once, forever the faithful soldier, and followed me inside.

CHAPTER 16

Jenna

Once Vincenzo left the house, an overwhelming loneliness settled over me. I knew he was coming back, but with both him and Bella gone, it was more than a little of a downer. The quiet house felt too big, too empty. Bored, I wandered aimlessly from room to room, trying to find something to occupy my mind.

In Bella’s room, I found a book on her nightstand—Birthday Girlby Penelope Douglas. I had heard good things about it, so I decided to give it a try. I curled up on her bed and started reading. Before long, I lost myself in the story. For a while, it worked, and I was able to forget about the uneasy feeling gnawing at me, but it didn’t last as long as I would have liked.

After a few chapters, I needed a break. I put the book down and decided to watch something on Netflix. The new season ofBridgertonhad been on my watch list for a while, and it seemed like the perfect distraction. I settled on the couch in the living room, wrapped in one of Bella’s cozy blankets, and hit play.

The vibrant costumes and romantic drama of the show were pretty captivating, but I found my attention drifting anyway. With a frustrated sigh, I paused the show and glanced around the room, feeling a strange mix of belonging and disconnect. This house had been a second home to me for years, but now, it felt different.

More significant, somehow.

Like I belonged here more than I did before, but somehow, I didn’t.

Feelings were weird.

I decided to explore a bit, hoping it would make me feel more at ease. I walked through the familiar rooms, touching the furniture and remembering all the memories I had shared with Bella and Vincenzo here. The kitchen, where we had countless late-night snacks; the dining room, where we had celebrated special occasions; and the living room, where we had watched movies and played games together time and time again. Although everything was the same, it still felt different in a way.

I didn’t understand it.

Maybe it was because the two most important people to me were missing, and it was just me here all by myself.

Maybe it was because everything was different now that I’d fucked my best friend’s dad.

I sighed with frustration. I needed a distraction.

Badly.

As I wandered back into the living room, my phone rang. It was Sophie and I picked up right away, despite the fact that she wasprobably mad that I’d blown her off the other day and missed the party she’d invited me to.

“Hey, Soph,” I answered, trying to sound cheerful.

“Jenna! There you are! It’s about time that you answer your phone,” Sophie said, her voice a mix of relief and irritation. “Where have you been? We missed you at the last party. It was super lame without you.”

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