Page 102 of Reckless Promises

My throat tightens as realization creeps like ice up my spine. “Fallon.”

Mom might not see this clearly, but I do. The Morenos tanked their own shipment, blamed it on my father, pretended to want more money than they knew he was immediately good for, and then used it to hold a gun to his head.

Money was never the end game. They always wanted Fallon. They wanted the entire Cross estate. Which means when my father found a way out of his deal, by helping Gabriel with an unexpected shipment, they were probably pissed.

All this time I’ve been focused on the Bardot’s and their connection to the night my father died. But it turns out, they weren’t the only family who knew it was happening.

The Morenos knew because my father was about to settle his debt.

“Joseph was surprised I returned.” I replay the conversation in my head. “He said he assumed I’d settled into my new life and would let the family dissolve at that. But he wasn’t asking out of curiosity, he was testing me. He wanted to know if I’d read the fine print.”

“What are you saying, Cillian?”

“Joseph wanted Dad dead to force the deal he put into play. He killed him to ensure it. He wanted Joey to marry Fallon, so he could sweep the estate and all our assets.”

“But you came back.” Mom starts to process what I’m telling her. “And you wouldn’t sign off.”

Exactly. I wouldn’t.

And now I’m the one standing in his way.

“Odette.” Her name rushes from my chest as I realize none of this falls back on Gabriel. Not even Sascha. It was Joseph all along, and he’s the one who owns this hospital.

37

Cillian

“Daniel.” My heart thundersin my chest as I approach Odette’s hospital room. “Where is she?”

Daniel glances at his watch. “Still getting checked out. It’s been—”

“I know how long it’s been, that’s not the issue.” I brush past him, but he’s on my heels the moment I turn toward theEMPLOYEES ONLYdoor. “Joseph Moreno still owns this hospital, correct?”

“As far as I know.”

“And the doctor didn’t clarify what the test was for?”

Daniel shakes his head. “Fallon said Odette started looking pale again and was holding her stomach.”

My fists clench.

This is my fault because I wasn’t here. It doesn’t matter if I was away trying to make sure our home was safe forher. I wasn’there. Where she needed me, all because it hurt too much.

“What’s this about, boss?” Daniel’s walking ahead of me now, guiding me in the direction he must have seen them go.

“I don’t think it was Gabriel who killed my father. It was Joseph.”

“Why?”

“Fallon.”

One name, and I don’t miss that it has Daniel tense. The only reason those two piss each other off as much as they do is because of whatever happened back in school that neither of them is willing to talk about.

“What about her?” Daniel’s voice is even, but he’s walking with more purpose now.

“He made a deal with my father to clear up some debts, and my dad was about to pay it off when he died.”

“What does Fallon have to do with money your father owed?” Daniel asks.

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