Page 132 of The Moments You Were Mine
NINE YEARS AGO
HER: Spencer has been dead a year today. Sometimes, it feels like forever, and sometimes it feels like yesterday.
HIM: I’m sorry, Ducky.
HER: I can’t decide if he’d love or hate what we’re doing here. Dad has designed a flashy, Vegas-style fountain for the front yard. The centaurs move and everything. I think Spence would have literally pissed on it.
HIM: Or he would have been grateful the land didn’t end up in Puzo’s hands.
PRESENT DAY
Even though we’d stormed past hissecretary, and Parker had immobilized his bodyguard in order to gain access to his office, Lorenzo still greeted us with a suave smile. He assessed us from those dark eyes as he stood behind the sleek desk in front of floor-to-ceiling windows with views of The Strip.
The bodyguard Parker had planted with his face in the carpet jumped up, hand going to his gun holstered below his jacket, but Lorenzo’s dismissive words halted him. “That’ll be all, Rick.”
The man wasn’t happy, but he left, shutting the door with a quiet click.
Lorenzo came around the desk, buttoning his suit jacket withone hand, and said, “Mr. Steele, Ms. Harrington—or should I say Mrs. Steele—what can I do for you?”
The fact he knew we’d gotten married sent a shiver along my neck. I didn’t dare look at Parker, but I could feel the fury vibrating through him.
“Did you know?” Parker growled.
“Know about the wedding? Not until a little birdie sent me that interesting tidbit with today’s report.”
“About Ike, asshole.”
Parker’s curse wiped Lorenzo’s smile away, but his voice was still smooth when he replied. “I play nice with Marquess these days. Let’s not change that, shall we?” He waved a hand at the two chairs in front of his desk—black leather and chrome that matched the rest of his modern office. “Sit and tell me what’s going on with Ike.”
When neither Parker nor I moved, Lorenzo tucked his hands into his pockets and frowned.
“He traded places with Tony Cantori.” Parker’s voice was ice cold. “He’s been out of jail since March.”
Something flitted across Lorenzo’s face, not quite fear but wariness. “I’d wondered, briefly, if it was actually Tony’s body they found. It seemed too convenient that his wife and daughter were in Florida at the time of the fire. But then again, we all knew Tony was slowly dying. I assumed this was his way of ending his misery and ensuring Laticia got a tidy check from a life insurance policy.”
The silence that lingered was heavy.
“He’s working with Ace Turner and the Lopez cartel.” Parker stated it as a fact, even though we had no proof. “Question is, are you in on it as well?”
Lorenzo turned his head, looking at the accent wall in his office filled with black-and-white photographs. The family pictures went back in time to when the Puzos had helped create Las Vegas with several other mob families. But the old images were mingled with newer ones of Lorenzo and the city’s current elite.
“Since Theresa’s death, I’ve made progress with Ike’s side of the family. They know my goodwill and patronage lasts only as long as our feud remains buried. No one would help him.”Lorenzo sounded confident, but another flicker of wariness crossed his face. “I couldn’t understand why Tony would go to work for the cartel, but this explains it. With no one in the family willing to help him, Ike needed new connections.”
Parker closed the distance in a flash of muscle and controlled fury. The move would have intimidated most people, but Lorenzo didn’t even bat an eye as they stared each other down. They were complete opposites, but both radiated strength. Lorenzo’s was hidden beneath a bespoke suit, while Parker’s rippled from muscles pouring out of his black T-shirt and jeans.
When Parker spoke, his voice was dark and threatening. “If I find out you’ve even lifted a single pinky to help him in his vendetta, I will end you.”
Lorenzo raised a brow. “You’re becoming tiresome. Aren’t SEALs renowned for their intelligence? This overly aggressive powerplay is the opposite of smart.”
The two men stared each other down. My stomach, which had been doing ugly flips since Tony had walked into the prison interview room instead of Ike, did another round.
I grabbed Parker’s elbow, tugging at it. “Let’s go. He doesn’t know anything.”
For two seconds, I thought Parker might put his hands around Lorenzo’s neck as he had Tony’s back at the prison. I’d never seen Parker so aggressive. I’d seen him use his strength, but I’d never seen him raw and on edge like this.
He whirled around, grabbed my hand, and strode for the door. We’d barely opened it when Lorenzo’s voice stopped us.
“Regardless of your impudence, I will do what I can to help you find Ike. I’m assuming he’s the one causing trouble for you at the ranch? Spreading those lies about your involvement, Mrs. Steele?”
