Chapter 8

8

Special Agent Jack Stone

" N ikki and Jack did some digging for me," Fallon tells her sister as we sit at a booth near the window in their mother's diner. "After that cult disbanded, she took off toward Clearwater Springs. She was spotted in a grocery store with an older man. They caught them on the security footage in a parking lot where he was giving her money. They scanned his features. The guy is linked to the mob."

Riley's face goes white.

The man's name is Marco Rossi. He's a known heavy for the Moretti crime family that has a hub right here in Denver.

Smart on Fallon's part for leaving out the details. The last thing we need is her sister going off unhinged, trying to chase down the bad guys herself. The best way to protect her from herself is to limit what she knows.

I glance up just as Jet appears looming over us. Jet is my older brother, older by a year, and has turned going off unhinged into an all-out sport. He's lanky and far too pale for most to believe that he has any blood pumping through him.

He's an alcoholic, who by the world's standards seems to be on the road to recovery, but by mine, he's one second away from finding the nearest bottle of hairspray and shooting it into his mouth, simply for the alcohol content. He's done it before.

"Fallon, nice to see you." He sheds a toothy grin, showing off some discolored and a few missing teeth in the process. But I'll admit, it's nice to see him smile. "Jack." He swats me on the back. "What's going on?"

Riley ticks her head to the side. "My sister thinks she can pull a fast one on me by leaving out critical information about my missing sister."

Fallon scoffs at the thought. "I just gave you critical information."

"Oh yeah?" Riley's voice is laced with attitude. "So what's this guy's name? The one Erin was seen with? The one with the mob ties?"

"This just got good." Jet takes a seat next to me and I grunt.

"Do not do it," I say, shaking my head at Fallon.

Riley's eyes all but launch out of her head before she turns to her sister.

"Are you going to let some dude tell you what you can and can't say? Just FYI, that is one of the many reasons I dumped Ryan."

Now it's Fallon's eyes bugging out. "You dumped Ryan? When? How? I guess I know why." She shakes her head at her sister. "Okay, look, the guy's name is Marco Rossi."

Another audible groan escapes me, and Fallon averts her eyes.

"Marco Rossi." Riley nods with a look on her face that lets me know she's taking mental notes. "And what mob family does this guy work for?"

I shoot Fallon a look that screams say it and regret it . We could be opening a whole new Pandora's box with this one.

"It's the Moretti family," Jet says without missing a beat, and now it's my eyes that are about to leap from my head.

" Geez ." I shake my head. "Do I want to know how you knew that?"

"Probably not." He gives a dark chuckle as he says it, and now I definitely don't want to know.

The bell chimes on the door to the entry and Riley glances up.

" Ooh , a crowd just walked in. I'd better get moving. Thanks for the hot tip on where to find Erin," she says, jumping to her feet. "I'll get your order in first. The usual, right?"

We give a couple of reluctant nods her way.

"I'd better get moving, too," Jet says, following her lead. "And don't worry"—he says, wrapping an arm around Riley's waist like he owns the real estate there, and both Fallon and I take note of it—"I know exactly where to find this guy."

"What?" Fallon gags on the words trying to make their way out of her throat. "Don't you dare," she calls out after them, but it's too late. They've disappeared into the bustle of the diner.

"Good move," I say.

"You be quiet." She folds her arms tight. "I've never held anything back from Riley. I guess I need to rethink my position on the level of secrecy between the two of us."

"Judging by the way my brother just mildly assaulted your sister, I'd say they're both keeping something from us."

Her mouth falls open.

"Okay." She closes her eyes for a moment. "I can't deal with either of my sisters right now. Let's just focus on the case. Nikki mentioned she found a few things. We should meet up with her."

"Agree. But first, I'd like to take a drive out to Briarwood and maybe knock on Owen's door."

"You sure about that? Rumor has it, he doesn't take too kindly to trespassers."

"Good thing I'm packing heat. Plus, we'll have Buddy. Who doesn't like a dog?"

"With a face like this?" She gives him a hearty scratch. "You'd have to be insane."

Whoever caused all that carnage up at Sugar Pine Lake is definitely off the rails.

But then, Fallon and I did sign up for crazy.

Speaking of which, Owen Marcus, here we come.