Page 141 of What's Left of Us

The smallest smile curls his lips. “Your mother said the same thing.” The smile drops. “I had to remind her that we do not control the world. They do.”

I sit in the leather chair across from him. “So, how do we take it back?”

He leans forward, resting his arms on the edge of his desk. “I have done everything I can to ‘take it back,’ Georgia. I’ve learned that there are only three ways to do that. One of you must die, get arrested, or find a better item to trade.”

Everything in me says to walk away from this and let my father lie in the bed he made for himself. But my gut tells me it wouldn’t matter.

“Then we find a better item.”

“You are a Del Rossi,” he murmurs. “To him, there will never be a better item that would hurt me.”

Swallowing, I reach up and feel the necklace that hangs from my neck twenty-four hours a day. “I’m not a Del Rossi anymore.”

His head picks up, watching me fiddle with the custom piece of jewelry, then to the ring on my finger. “Much to your dismay, you will always be my daughter.”

There’s a nervous knock at the door, then a squeaky, “S-sir? Your lunch is ready.”

My father’s gaze drifts to the new help before waving her off rudely. When she disappears, he stands and flattens his wrinkled polo. “I should have never fired Ricci. The new help is useless in comparison. If I knew where she was, I would give her more money to clean up what little I have left.”

Find her? “What do you mean? I’m sure you have a number on file for her.”

He walks around his desk, stepping on discarded paper as he goes. “Your stepmother has reached out with no luck. Nobody has seen or heard from her.”

My stomach drops. “Did…something happen to her?”

He spares me a look. “If you’re wondering ifIdid something, the answer is no. But I would not put it past others. It is notmyjob to make people disappear, Georgia. Remember that.”

Swallowing, I watch as he disappears from the room before gathering myself to get up too.

When I pull my phone out of my pocket, I stare down at the audio recording on the screen.

Wetting my lips, I turn to see Leani standing there. Her eyes go to my phone. “It’s best you leave before he realizes what you’ve done.”

I meet her eyes. “Did you ever reach out to Shawn Hart?”

“Shawn Hart cannot help me.”

“You can leave.”

Her face is void of emotion. “I can never leave. Not like you. Not anymore.”

I may have never been close with the woman standing in front of me, but my heart squeezes when I see the defeat on her face.

Quietly, I say, “I will do everything in my power to help you.”

Doubt shadows her eyes.

“He may have connections,” I whisper, my eyes darting to the hallway. “But so do I. You reminded me of that the day you dropped off that wedding dress.”

Her throat bobs as she straightens her shoulders. “You’re playing a dangerous game, Georgia.”

I take her hand. “So is he.”

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

Lincoln/ Three Years Ago

Asandwich wrappedin plastic drops onto the desk where I’m finishing up discovery before my lieutenant loses his shit on all the backed-up paperwork I have to do.

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