Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 83994 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83994 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Casey darling, if you’re reading this, I suppose all the bad things I feared came true. Your father and I must be gone. And now I guess my sister gave you that silly key for this silly box, and while I feel silly right now, maybe you don’t feel that way. Maybe you’re afraid and you need help.
Darling, I love you, and so does your father. We never should have gotten ourselves involved in this ugly mess, but here we are. What’s in this box should help if you need it. On the back of this page, I’ll list some names of people who might still owe a couple of hardened criminals a favor and just might lend you a hand. But most important of all, there’s the evidence.
Senesi is a menace. His obsession went too far. It didn’t matter what I said or what I did. He couldn’t release me. I’ve known it for a long time, but the underworld turns a blind eye to men like him. I can’t do it anymore. I can’t live like this. Senesi deserves what he’s going to get, only I’m afraid, Casey. I’m very afraid of what he might do.
This is my only chance at freedom.
So here is everything we have on him. If that helps, wonderful. If it’s just nonsense, throw it all into a fire and never look back.
I love you, my darling. I hope you never read this. But in case you are, good luck, my love. Do what you must do to survive. I’m always here, even if I’m not.
Love forever, Mom.
I read it over a few times before I take the last object from the box. It’s a thick manila envelope stuffed with documents. Slowly, my hands shaking, I start to take a few out.
Police reports. Credit card statements. Call transcripts. And a few gruesome photographs of what look like crime scenes. There’s more, a lot more, but I shove it all away with shaking hands.
My mother knew this was going to happen.
Or at least she strongly suspected.
Senesi was a terror even in her day. She was aware that she was going up against a real monster, and she thought she might not survive it.
And she was right.
I put the cash, the gun, and the passports back into the box. I keep the envelope and the note. I shove the box back into its slot and lock it again. Once that’s done, I take a minute to compose myself.
It’s strange reading my mother’s note. I don’t have a whole lot left of her, but hearing her writing in my head is almost like listening to her speak all over again.
I cry for another minute before composing myself. When I’m done, I wipe my eyes and step out into the hall.
The clerk smiles at me. “Everything alright?”
“Totally fine.” I grin back, aware I probably look like a maniac. My eyes are red and puffy. But they probably get people sobbing away over safe deposit boxes all the time.
“Wonderful. Well, if that’s all, have a great day and let me know if you need anything else.”
I thank her and head back out into the lobby. I feel sick but strangely hopeful as I walk straight toward the gorgeous man sitting alone in the back corner.
He never quite fits the rooms he’s in. Declan always seems too big. He sucks up all the air and draws the eye even when I’m trying not to stare. His face lights up as I approach and that smile is everything. Boss Bastard never looked at me like that.
But my husband does. Like I’m the sun peering out from behind a rainstorm.
“Are you okay?” He instantly comes to me and pulls me into his arms. He hugs me tight. “You look upset.”
“I’m fine. Totally fine. It’s just a note my mother left for me.” I kiss him lightly. “But there’s something else.”
He takes the manila envelope with a frown. “Documents?”
“Evidence. Everything they had on Senesi.”
His eyes widen in surprise as he looks inside. “This is useful.”
“Think we can do something with all that?”
“Maybe. I don’t know.” His hand feels strong against the small of my back. “But if it’s possible, we’ll figure it out.”
Chapter 34
Declan
The Maguire family is an old Irish clan from deep in South Philly. They started out life as a group of bank robbers and car thieves before pissing off the police commissioner back in the fifties. Their leader at the time, an old craggy Irishman from the seedy part of Cork, was pretty much stuck up shit creek without a paddle. His name was “Craggy” Lorcan Maguire, though most just called him Crag, and he was a real piece of shit.
But back in those days, my father was just coming into his own as the boss of a crime family, and he saw something in the old bastard.