Sonny frowned. “I wish things were different for you, Rhi. You should go back to Ireland and live with your grandmother. It would be safer for you there.”
Sonny followed me into the sitting room, and we plopped down on the plush couch by the window. I removed the cupcake from the box, licking the cream cheese icing from my finger.
“I need to talk to you, Rhi.” He sighed. “Shit is going down with the Knights. For your safety, I need you to leave town.”
I scooted across the cushion until our thighs touched, dropping the cupcake box on the table. “What happened?”
“A few of the Knights… They were shot.” Frustrated, he ran a hand through his hair. “They’re fine. No major damage. But our enemies are trying to pick us off one by one.”
My heart raced like a pack of wild dogs, the blood pumping through my veins so quickly, my head spun. “Who’s after you?”
“Bad men,” he groaned. “Men who will come for you if they make the connection between our parents.”
“Why would they care about me?”
“Cillian is missing. Without him, the Knights can’t access the money we’re holding for our clients. Now, they’re trying to kill us.”
I turned my head away from Sonny and drew a breath from between my teeth. This was my fault. If I hadn’t come back from Cork, Cillian would still be alive.
“What are you going to do?”
“We need to find the key. Cillian had it when he disappeared.”
I grabbed his hand and squeezed, letting him know I was here for him. “What kind of key?”
“A bank vault key.”
My mouth dropped in surprise.
I knew the key well.
Cillian wore it around his neck like it was his prized possession. I thought it was strange, and when I asked him about it, he told me not to worry about things that didn’t concern me. When he cornered me in the bathroom, I felt the cold metal against my skin.
“He had it around his neck the night of the masquerade ball.”
His eyes narrowed. “You saw it on him?”
I nodded.
Sonny scrubbed a hand across his jaw and sighed. “This isn’t like Cillian. He would never disappear in the middle of a business deal. It’s making me nervous. I think our associates killed him to stop the transaction.”
I almost blurted out that I knew where to find the key and stopped myself. Sonny and I told each other everything, but I could never admit that I fucked his uncle for money, and then Marcello killed him. Or that we buried him with Luca’s help, which meant Arlo probably knew too.
Yeah, so not going there.
Sonny clutched my hand. “It would make me feel better if you went back to your grandmother’s for a while. I can talk to your dad and help you leave town.”
I considered his offer, realizing it was the smart move. After only a few months back in Beacon Bay, I’d screwed Sonny’s uncle, killed a Founder, and royally fucked up Marcello’s life. This was the best thing for all of us. Maybe it would help me stop obsessing over Marcello and move on with my life.
“Okay.” I agreed. “But I want your help going off the grid. If I’m going to start over someplace new, I want a new life. A fresh start”
He flashed an evil grin. “You’re in luck. Making things disappear is one of my specialties.”
Chapter Ten
Marcello
I wanted to kill Rhi for putting me in this situation. Close to a month had passed since the party, and I kept my word to my father. Our on-off relationship was non-existent. Cillian’s “disappearance” was considered murder, even without a body, and the Knights were in a world of shit because I killed the bastard. But one text message from Rhiannon solved all of our problems.
She knew where Cillian kept the key.
I parked my Maserati down the street from Rhi’s house and waited for her to sneak out. Her father didn’t give a damn about her, but he kept her under constant watch. It was because of the fight we’d brought to Devil’s Creek. Men from the depths of the criminal underworld stormed the town, shooting at everyone in their path. A few of the Knights, myself included, had gotten shot trying to defend our homes. It was just a flesh wound, nothing serious, but I could have avoided all of this if I hadn’t followed Rhi the night of the party.
A shadow emerged from the right corner of the property. Then a black-clad figure moved from beneath a tall oak tree and raced across the street toward me. It was Rhi. She was so dramatic sometimes. Like she needed a special outfit to leave her house. Though, the girl had a habit of finding trouble, even when she wasn’t looking for it.
Rhi opened the door and slid into the passenger seat.