“Yes,” I answered.
“And where are they now?” Mr. Covington asked.
“She knew yesterday, but that doesn’t mean they won’t move today or tomorrow,” Luke answered for me. “She met with the woman yesterday, and that might alert them to ditch the place.”
I sighed. Sylvia deserved to be treated like the criminal she was, but deep down, I knew she’d cared for me, and I could have been much worse off. She’d made a terrible mistake with Dom, but in her own misguided way, she was looking out for both of us.
“Right,” Mr. Covington said. “That’s why we flew out last night. Time is of the essence. I’ll get a meeting with the US attorney this morning and see what I can hammer out. Debbie, you’ll need to come in to sign the paperwork and do an initial interview.”
“Hold up right there,” Luke said. “Maybe you didn’t understand. She’s not going anywhere without a signed deal, and I want to see it first.”
Mr. Paranoia was protecting me again.
“Oooohkay,” the lawyer said. “Then this is what we’ll do. I’ll call them to get a preliminary approval, and we’ll set up an afternoon meeting wherever you feel comfortable—you, Jay, me, and them, and when it’s signed, Debbie can join us there to make it official. Does that feel safe enough?”
Luke nodded. “That’ll work. What time?”
“Let’s say four o’clock. Where should we meet?” Mr. Covington asked.
“Drive out to Fairfax, Virginia. Give me your number, and I’ll call with directions just before four.”
He rattled off a phone number, and Luke copied it down.
I put a hand on Luke’s arm. I couldn’t wait any longer for the question I’d planned to ask this morning. “Before we hang up, I’d like a number to call my parents. I don’t want to wait any longer to talk to them.”
There was silence on the line before Josh said, “That’s an item best left for later.”
“Now is later,” Luke told them.
“I have some bad news,” Josh began.
Suddenly, my heart deflated. I’d hoped that what she said happened to my parents had been another one of their lies.
“Both your parents have passed away,” Josh finished.
My eyes remained dry. I’d cried a river over them the first time and mourned their loss as a child. But the realization that this was true still knocked the breath out of me. “The car accident?”
Silence on the other end led to still more confusion on my part. Why was the truth so hard to find? “It wasn’t a car accident?” I asked.
“I really think it’s better we talk about this in person,” Josh said.
I was done waiting. “Everything about my life has been a lie up until now. And lately, the different lies conflict with each other. I deserve the truth for a change, don’t you think? Can’t you just give me a straight answer?”
Josh started again. “I’m really sorry—”
“I don’t want sorry,” I said angrily. “I want to know the truth.”
“Your mother went first. It was a little over a year after you were taken. We all thought the therapy was helping, but we were wrong. She couldn’t live with your loss, and she combined too many sleeping pills with alcohol on what would have been your seventh birthday.”
The words stole my breath. Not only had our family been torn apart by the monster who raised me, but she’d as good as killed my real mother. I gritted my teeth, wishing I could take out my rage on her here and now.
I tried and failed to swallow. “And Dad?”
“He went later. Two years later,” Josh said glumly. “Pancreatic cancer.”
It had to have been terrible for him to have lost me and then Mom. I took a deep breath and asked my last question for today. “Do I have any brothers or sisters?”
“No, Deb. You’re an only child,” Josh said.
I spent another few minutes on the line with him, learning about my real aunt and uncle, Josh’s parents. That side of the family was populated with names that didn’t hold any memories for me.
Anger boiled in my veins, and I cut the call short before I spewed too much venom and embarrassed myself. Being angry and talking with someone I’d only just remet after all these years wasn’t a good combination.
I was the last of my family alive, and my real mom and dad had gone to their graves never knowing what had happened to me. Today I finally knew why Dominic Fortuzi had come into Sylvia’s life. Karma had intervened, and she’d gotten stuck with him for what she’d done to me, to us. She and Dom were more alike than I’d ever realized, and they both deserved all the punishment coming their way.
I looked forward to testifying. Their convictions and sentences wouldn’t give me back the years she’d stolen from me, or the parents she’d effectively killed, but vengeance was all I could have at this point. I was not in a forgiving mood.
I needed to calm down. More than anything, I needed Luke to hold me, to anchor me in his embrace and assure me it would all work out.
Chapter 40
Luke
Thursday afternoon came, and it was time for me to take a chance and meet with the lawyer Josh had set up for Debbie.
I hated lawyers almost as much as cops, but this was the last step before getting my woman the immunity deal she deserved.
“I think you’re being overly paranoid about this,” Debbie said for the millionth time.
“Better safe than sorry, as they say.” I hugged her and hoped it wasn’t for the last time. “If you get the call, you’ll take off, right?” I expected they might be monitoring my phone from the minute I arrived, and so I’d arranged to have Nell call her if things went sideways. The phone Debbie carried was a fresh burner I’d gotten her.
She lolled her head to the side. “I guess.”
“Not good enough.”
She nodded. “Okay, I promise.”
If the meeting went well, I’d make the call. If she heard from Nell instead of me, there was a problem—and with my family name, anything was possible when dealing with the FBI.
“Love you,” I said before putting on my helmet.
She blew me a kiss. “Love you too.”
I cranked up the bike and hoped for the best.
When I walked into the Hilltop Diner, Mike and two other regulars from Pete’s were in the first booth. “Guys.” I nodded to them as I made my way to the back.
They’d been recruited as some muscle in case I needed it to make a quick escape. I’d just told them I had a meeting, and that if it got rough, I’d give them each a hundred to enter the fray on my side. Being prepared never hurt.
The guy at the far end of the restaurant stood as I approached. His picture from the website I’d searched was spot on. “Steven Covington.” He extended his hand.
“Jay.” I took his hand and gave him a prison death grip of a shake.
He passed his first test by returning the pressure in equal measure without flinching.
After a few seconds, I released my grip, and so did he.
He smiled. “I hear you don’t like lawyers.”