Page 20 of Tossed into the Mob
I couldn’t take my eyes off the man in the photo.
My fingers traced over his nose, the same one that belonged to me. His eyes were similar to mine, but they had that ancient appearance like Dad’s killer, and I assumed they must be related. My heart sped up with a loud pounding in my ears, and I scrunched my eyes closed, thinking perhaps my now-dead alpha father had wanted Dad dead.
Treyton put his arms around me, and the familiar prickling sensation of his skin on mine slowed my heart rate."I don't know him. But this picture was taken years ago, when I still lived with my parents and Madd.” He told me his parents had moved away when he was a toddler.
My biological father and the Durands appeared to be close. There was no one not named Durand other than him. They were his real family, while Dad and I were a secret that went with him to his grave, until now.
“Your cousins didn’t tell me they were close with my father,” I spat out the accusation as if Treyton was responsible for his family. And he wasn’t, but I was angry my father had been living the good life while Dad brought me up alone.
Treyton responded to my harsh words by releasing me, and his shoulders drooped.“I’m sorry.” He wrung his hands. “I’ll get hold of Flint and tell him you need the truth.” He left the room with the phone tucked under his ear.
I couldn’t take my eyes off the photo. “I need answers, Father. Help me understand the silence around you, your work with La Luna Noir, and your death.” But there was another question. Why did he ignore me and Dad?
“Flint says he’ll be here this afternoon.”
I longed to be at peace with that, to sit with Treyton, drinking coffee and listening to stories of his childhood while waiting for the mafia don—is that what they were called?—to solve my problems and put the world to right. Except the world was shit and Dad was dead and no one could put my life back together.
But Dad had told me to find my father, and though neither man still had a beating heart, I needed information as to why Dad had been murdered and I was next on the kill list.
“We have to find out more about my father.” I spoke with a clear purpose, but inside, I was a wobbly blob of jello. “Where he lived and what his job entailed. Perhaps that will help us understand why someone wants me dead."
I strode over to Treyton. When we first met, I had the upper hand with my gun, unsteady hand and all. But he took over, looking after me and keeping me safe. Now he was downcast with sad puppy-dog eyes, as if I’d snatched away his bone. But I couldn’t and wouldn’t alienate him.
Taking his right hand in my left and enjoying the heat pulsing into my body, I said, “I don’t want to pit you against your family. They’re your forever, and I’m?—”
“Like Grandpa said, you’re family now too.” Bright spots of pink dotted his cheeks, making him look younger than he was. Someone in the future would squeeze and kiss them. Perhaps lick them. They’d be lucky to have him.
Despite my heartache, knowing that someone cared gave me confidence that one day the clouds would part and I’d see the sun and rediscover the good things in life.
Treyton was quiet for a moment, saying Flint would tell us about my father’s work, but some of his belongings might have been stored at La Luna Noir headquarters.
“A man who worked for Ranger died, and my cousin didn’t want some of his stuff getting into the wrong hands.”
I wondered why they didn’t destroy them.
“I’ll see what I can find out.”
He put a finger to his lips, and my skin tingled with excitement. Again I was on the periphery of a mafia adventure, and I was pumped. It shouldn’t be like this, but my father’s blood ran in my veins. I’d figure out the downside of that at the end of this crazed ride.
I hovered around Treyton, circling him as if he was the center of my world, desperate for his soothing touch but not wanting to interrupt him.
He put the phone on speaker and called someone at La Luna Noir headquarters, spinning a story about his grandfather being sentimental about old pack members and wanting mementos. The conversation was brief, and the guy on the other end mentioned a storage unit where they kept items of significance belonging to former members.
“I should check with Ranger or Hunter before I give you the code.”
“But I want it to be a surprise for Grandpa and my cousins. Please can you do this for me? Just this once. Grandpa isn’t getting any younger, and he doesn’t have much joy in his life.”
Wow. I understood why he was good with laboring omegas. He had the guy on the other end convinced he was thinking only of his beloved grandfather.
"Got it.” Treyton tapped a map on his phone “It’s an address in an industrial park belonging to the pa… the family… ummm, La Luna Noir.”
I side-eyed him stumbling over his words, but he wasn’t as used to mafia subterfuge as his cousins.
“Excellent detective work.”
He bowed. “I fibbed and will get a kick up the ass from Ranger, but it feels good to accomplish something.”
“How do we sneak out?”
