27. Kinsley

27

KINSLEY

“Brought you some company,” Elf says.

“Oomph,” a woman groans as she lands on the hard floor in the cell across from mine.

“He’s gone,” I say once the door closes behind him.

She gingerly sits up and flinches as she pulls off the black hood from over her head. My eyes widen in surprise. What is Cleo doing here?

Her gaze travels over me, and by the sour look on her face, it’s obvious I do not meet her approval.

“Why are you here?” I ask.

“Because I’m an idiot.” Cleo wobbles to her feet and winces as she sits on the edge of the cot in her cell. “I came for my brother. Have you seen him?” she asks, looking bewildered.

I bury my face in my drawn-up knees, unsure how to answer her. I still don’t want to think about how my father died. I desperately need to know more about my parents, and why my mother stayed married to Jude when her heart obviously belonged to my father.

I heard the men talking when they thought I was asleep. They tossed Cannon’s body into the lake. If it’s the last thing I do, I’ll find him and give him a proper burial next to my mother. They couldn’t be together when they were alive, but I will make sure they are together in death.

“Who told you Cannon was here?” I respond to her question with one of my own.

“I knew Rossi planned to take you. Cannon was supposed to be left alone.”

“Why didn’t you warn me?” My voice catches.

“I don’t want a sister. I was always Daddy’s girl, even when he fucked me.”

I gasp, my head snapping up. “He did what?”

Tears hover in Cleo’s eyes. “Cannon found out and put a stop to it. Daddy never touched me again, but I was still his princess.”

My stomach rolls. How could she like the attention from her father after what he did to her?

“I hate you for being born. You will never be my sister,” she says vehemently.

“Good, because I’m your niece,” I snap.

“What?” Her head jerks back, and she bangs it against the wall behind her. She raises a hand to rub the painful spot. “Explain that to me.”

“Pierce was my grandfather. Cannon was my father.”

“He’d have only been?—”

“—Seventeen when he got my mother pregnant. Yes. I can do math. My parents wanted to be together, but your father fucked that up.” I return to staring at my knees.

“That’s why my brother told me he would kill me if I hurt you. You’re his daughter.”

My own tears start to fall. I will never get the chance to know him. Aldo Rossi took that away from me.

I lift my face and let Cleo see my heartbreak. “Rossi killed him.” I burst into fresh tears.

I don’t know why I’m so upset over the death of someone I never really knew, but the pain is unbearable. The thought of the heartache he and my mother must have felt, loving each other but never being allowed to live the life they wanted with me, hurts so much.

I realize Cleo is staring at me in shock. Maybe I shouldn’t have blurted out the truth. I wasn’t thinking. Then again, Rossi would have told her anyway.

Swiping away my tears, I tell her, “Cannon told me everything about him and my mother. Then Rossi came in and shot him in the—” I can’t bring myself to say the words, so I lift my hand and point to my forehead. “I promise you, the moment I get the chance, I won’t hesitate to kill him. He will be dead. It’s a pity there are no crocodiles around here. A painful death would be preferred.”

“He’s…he’s gone.” She cries softly.

A short time later, Veronica enters the room. She gives me only a fleeting glance before her gaze locks onto Cleo.

The moment Cleo sees her, she jumps to her feet. “You lied to me. You said that if I distracted Beckett so your father could kidnap that girl, you would leave Cannon alone. You lied to me!”

“Grow up, Cleo. This is the real world. Cannon is up to his neck in shit because of your creepy father,” Veronica snaps.

“Shut up! Just shut up. Your father killed him. He killed Cannon. You’re a lying bitch.”

Veronica gets in Cleo’s face. “Your father raped me,” she hisses, stunning Cleo into silence. “Do you have any idea what it’s like being held down, thinking you’re going to die while a beast shoves his cock in your virgin pussy? No, you fucking don’t. But I do, thanks to your sick and twisted father. He got what he deserved.” Her face contorts with anger. “Both Pierce and Cannon did.”

I jump up and snap, “You stupid bitch! Use the brain you were born with. If Pierce raped you, don’t you think he’d have been raping his daughter first?”

Surprise flickers across Veronica’s face as she glances back at Cleo with a new understanding. It doesn’t last, though, as her features harden once again.

“You are liars,” she says, and turns for the door.

I watch her leave, knowing she has a target on her back—the one I’ve put there.

Rossi enters the room with a telephone in his hand. I watch as he plugs it into a phone jack close to my cell. His eyes focus on me as he stands near the bars separating us. My heart flutters a little, hoping he is going to let me speak with Tiberius.

"Beckett needs an incentive to bring me what Jude Elliott stole from me. If you talk to him, it will remind him of what he's got to lose if he doesn't."

Nodding slowly, I get to my feet and move closer to the evil man. I hold my hand out for the phone.

He smirks. "I'm not stupid enough to hand you the phone. I will dial and have it on speaker. I will disconnect if you breathe a word about where you are or what happened to Edge."

I swallow around the lump of grief that nearly chokes me and nod. "I understand."

"Good girl."

I watch as Rossi dials. While the call connects, I try to focus on the task at hand and not let my emotions get the best of me. I know Tiberius needs to know that I'm okay. I need to think quickly about how I can give him a clue as to where I am. Do I really know, though? Cannon mentioned a bunker, but was he sure?

The phone connects, and I hear Tiberius’s voice, loud and clear. Tears well up in my eyes. I take a deep breath before speaking, trying to keep my voice steady. Rossi watches me closely, his expression unreadable.

"Tiberius," I say quietly.

"Sweetheart." He gasps in surprise. "Are you okay?"

I start to cry softly. "I'm okay. I have warm clothes, and they're feeding me proper meals."

"Tell that bastard I'm looking for his shit. I promise I'm going to come get you."

A sudden thought pops into my head, and I hope I'm not about to mislead him.

"I've been thinking about where Jude might have hidden the stuff." I glance at Rossi, who nods for me to continue. "I know every corner of that house, and there are a few hiding places, especially in the basement. There are three loose panels beneath Jude's desk. If it's not there, he might have buried it somewhere. Really deep in the ground." I clear my throat. "He wouldn't want anyone to find it." And that is my clue as to where I am.

"Okay, sweetheart. I'm going to find it. I fucking love you, Kinsley."

Rossi disconnects the call.

"Where is my brother?" Cleo grips the bars of her cell. She’s been so quiet, I thought she was asleep.

"At the bottom of the lake," Rossi answers as he unplugs the phone.