Page 30 of The Boss

Gregory.

Another complication I didn’t need.

A strangled laugh rushed to the surface and I was barely inside before both Christos and Havros accosted me.

“What the fuck have you found out?” Christos pushed.

“Not enough at this point. Shane is nowhere to be found.”

“That’s not good enough. We won’t be able to keep Leandro’s death under wraps for long.”

My breathing was becoming more labored and while I understood Havros’ anger, I wasn’t going to accept being questioned. “We work through the channels. Willow has already made contact. A voicemail.”

“I hope you have that woman under control. She knows something!” Christos pointed his finger at me and I got up close and personal.

“I suggest you calm down. Do you understand me?”

He backed off, but I sensed his rage was increasing. “We need to make plans. What the hell are we going to do about his funeral?”

“We will hold it. Just not for a few days.” I looked from one to the other. “Understood?”

Havros sighed. “And the girl?”

“For now, she will be considered my guest. You do remember her. Keep in mind she knows all of us.”

Havros laughed. “I doubt she’s an innocent child any longer.”

“Havros is right. She’s different than before.” Christos rubbed his jaw.

“Because she’s an adult now. She’s also smart and refuses to take my shit.”

“But does she know something?” Havros pushed.

“Honestly? I don’t think so, but I’m no fool, gentlemen. If she aids our foes, she will be treated the same as anyone else who betrays the family.” The commitment was what they needed to hear. The sentiment was entirely different.

I would never lay a finger on her other than basic discipline.

Never.

“What about the soldiers? The other employees? With the idiot boasting at the club, there’s no telling what kind of crap the staff is talking about. They will be asking questions.” Havros was right.

“Tell them nothing for today.” My answer surprised both. I almost always knew what the right decision was. But right now, I had no clue.

“We won’t be able to get away with that for long,” Christos stated, his voice falling off.

“No, we won’t. But I need to come to terms with his death. We all do.”

We’d never been at a loss for words, our family commitment to each other strong enough to withstand almost anything. However, we’d never anticipated losing one of our own, especially in such an egregious manner.

Havros cleared his throat. At least his hard expression softened. “What about Willow’s parents? Do you know anything?”

Deaths were tragic enough without violence being involved. “From what I heard from one of the contacts in the police, one of the neighbors called it in. They heard a woman’s scream then total silence. When the police arrived, the couple was already dead, but they obviously put up a fight.”

“That doesn’t sound like the MO of the Stalker,” Christos noted.

“No, it rings of a retaliation kill.” It was also more personal, a knife or some other sharp weapon used, which placed the killer up close and personal. “The amount of blood could possibly indicate there was more than one assailant, but that remains to be seen during the investigation.”

“We might be dealing with something entirely different than what we believed.” Havros scratched his head. “If Shane Winters is the Stalker, perhaps he fucked up.”

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