Page 26 of Tossed into the Mob
“Dad, no.” Flint held up his hand to Rudy. “This is not a pretty story, but it has a happy ending. Your dad is okay.”
He dialed a number, and when someone answered, he said, “Put him on.”
“Brock? Is that you?”
My dad’s face appeared on the screen. He was in bed and hooked up to a machine. I couldn’t speak, and my sobs drowned out what he was saying. I rubbed my fingers over the screen, wanting to feel him and hold him and never let him go. I wanted to forget I’d become involved with the mafia.
Dad gave me a thumbs-up and told me to come home. His face vanished, and a voice said Dad had to rest but he was going to be fine.
“I have to get on a plane now.”
“I’ll arrange that, but first you should hear me out.”
Flint launched into an explanation. He’d heard rumors that my alpha fatherhad a family and had sent Riggs, one of his men, to find us. But Dad got spooked and pulled a gun, and Riggs shot him.
“Riggs thought he could fix his mistake by eliminating you.”
“He was your guy?” Treyton’s words floated back to me where he said Riggs was one of them. “That was who shot me and Dad and I killed?”
I needed to get out of this place fast. These mafia people were who they were portrayed to be. I’d grieved my dad, and my excitement at him being alive shouldn’t make me forget what I’d been through.
Flint told me he’d been informed of the incident and had gotten Dad whisked away to a shifter clinic and declared dead until he could find the would-be killer. I was supposed to be with him, but I’d vanished.
“I couldn’t admit Niles was alive until we found Riggs. But you did that for us.”
“You’re welcome,” I snapped. “You need to up your tracking game if you lost both me and Riggs, and Treyton and I escaped from the apartment complex.”
Everyone in the room, except Flint, stiffened. They’d probably never heard anyone talk like that to him. But he chuckled and agreed with me.
“But just so you know, it was more than that. He hated me because of what my father had done.”
Flint sighed, and I got up, wanting to get to the airport. I had the photo and letters, and I’d read them together with Dad.
“And my alpha father? Did one of your men kill him?”
Flint brought out a photo similar to the one on the wall at the apartment. He flipped it over and showed the list of names. One stood out: Emilio Santoro.
“Your father was my righthand man, and I trusted him with my life. He objected to me mating a human, and he conspired with others to kill me and my family. Your father and I fought as our wolves, and I killed him.”
Taking deep breaths, I yanked at my hair ‘cause the pain was a distraction from what I’d been told. “Is this what your life is? Death, near-death, treachery, and secrets? So many secrets.”
No one said anything, and I caught Treyton’s eye. Except him. Yes, he’d fibbed to the bodyguard and tricked the person on the phone, but that was nothing. And he’d done it all for me. Not for any personal gain. But once he was rid of me, he could return to doing what he did best: helping omegas give birth.
“Being part of La Luna Noir is who we are. We accept the good and the bad, but ultimately, the only people we can trust are family.”
I quirked a brow. “Except the in-laws were a bunch of outlaws.”
Treyton raised a hand andspoke for the first time since Flint told me about my dad. “I told him about your mates.”
“Thanks, Treyton. Remind me to bleed you for that.” Ranger grinned. Perhaps that was a mafia joke or the man who’d looked after me was going to lose a lot of bodily fluids.
“Please don’t hurt him,” I begged and sidled closer to Treyton, needing the warmth of his body to lower the tension.
“Awww, shucks. Okay.” Ranger let out a belly laugh.
“Why did you want to find me?” I asked Flint. “Do you believe in the sins of the father?”
“No. You knew nothing of him or his life. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
