CHAPTER 17

Isobel

“I’ll be here.”

My stomach clenched at the thought of lying to Brock, but with Jimmy in charge, I knew it wouldn’t be long before the asshole went after one of the Haweses. And if I had to hazard a guess, I would’ve said Miller. From what I knew, all of this shit was centered around Miller telling Nathan to back off his girlfriend. If there was a way I could stop that, I had to try. Which wouldn’t happen with me sitting around Brock’s house hiding from Jimmy and Malcolm Hawes. The only way I could stop it was by going back and taking my place as the leader of Marcello’s businesses, at least until I could divide up all of the assets, leaving the little pricks who helped to make my life a living hell with nothing but their dicks in their hands. It was the least I could do for Brock. Miller and Ashton were like his brothers, and I couldn’t let them be taken away in some vindictive asshole’s need for revenge.

Brock bent at the waist, placing a kiss to my lips. “I’ll see you tonight.”

I forced a smile, hoping all the years of trying to convince Nathan I was happy by his side were enough practice to fool Brock, or at least I had to hope he was distracted enough having to talk to Ashton tonight about me. More than once, I tried to convince him it was a bad idea, but he was determined to be up front with him, which I had to admire. Unlike Nathan’s crew of backstabbing goons, there was a level of respect I hadn’t thought possible in this world I got stuck in. I breathed a sigh of relief when Brock straightened and grabbed his keys from the table.

“’Bye, Brock,” I whispered when I heard the Chevelle rev to life.

I kept quiet, listening for the sound of the car pulling away from the house. Malcolm had asked Brock to stop by on his way to the game with Ashton tonight. It would give a small window when he wasn’t following Jimmy, then the game would give me another couple of hours to get out and back to Nathan’s home before anyone on either side realized what was going on. And that was under the assumption that Brock didn’t leave the game early. I still had Malcolm Hawes looking everywhere for me, and understandably so, but even with Brock assigned to that job, I had a pretty good feeling others would also be looking for me. On the other hand, I had no idea what Jimmy would think about my return. The distinct rumble of the car backing out of the drive hit my ears, yanking me from my thoughts.

It was time.

I glanced down at my outfit, something I was infinitely more comfortable in, but nothing Isobel Marcello would be caught dead in. The dress I’d arrived in had been shredded that first night with Brock, and nothing I’d bought since then fit the image. I honestly never thought I’d be finding myself back there again, but like the last time, I put myself in the line of fire to protect someone I cared about.

For a moment, I thought about leaving Brock a note, something to tell him where I was going and why. In the end, I decided against it. I didn’t want him coming in, trying to save me when it wouldn’t help me stop them from going after Miller, or worse, killing Brock. I looked around and grabbed the few things I’d need to pull this off, including the rest of the cash Brock had given me to go clothes shopping with. I grabbed the phone I’d purchased from the night stand and looked up the car service Nathan used to make me use. After I scheduled a pickup at a nearby store in an hour, I dropped the phone back onto the bed and left it there.

There was a certain presence I needed to maintain if people were going to take me seriously as the next leader of the Marcello family. A role, even after only a week, I was sure Jimmy Delgado had already stepped into in my absence. To get the others to back me instead of him I had to put on the persona. People wouldn’t stand behind Amanda Renville, but Isobel Marcello knew how to wield her power.

The only option I had was to walk to the closest store where I didn’t know anyone, and buy something I could convince the girls in my regular shop that I would wear. If my plan was going to work, I needed to bring home enough clothes to make it look like I’d been away for a week. Once I bought the first outfit and changed, I waited for the car I’d scheduled. I didn’t have the car pick me up at Brock’s to reduce any suspicion about where I might have been.

After he dropped me off at the boutique, I had the girls put the purchases on my account, a week’s worth of clothes and a suitcase. I climbed into the back of the car and meticulously folded the clothes into the case, while trying to keep myself calm on the ride home. Although it wasn’t really my home. That was a place I started to find with Brock again. A place, after this was all over, I hoped to go back to.

The car pulled through the main gates and up to the front door. Before I had a second to get myself together, the driver was already making his way around the side of the car to open the door and help me out. I sucked in a few calming breaths before the door opened, flooding the inside of the car with light. He reached in, offering me a hand, which I took and stepped out of the car. The house seemed so quiet in the evening night air, it was chilling. Usually, this early in the night, Nathan would be surrounded by his goons. Not tonight. Tonight, the house was practically dark.

The driver followed me to the door, setting my suitcase down beside it while I punched in the code to unlock the door. When the door swung open, I was surprised not to hear the distinctive beep of the alarm waiting to be deactivated.

I took the suitcase from the driver’s hand and handed him a tip. “Thank you. I’ve got it from here.”

The man nodded and left, no doubt trying to avoid Nathan’s wrath. If only he knew the truth. He’d never have to deal with that asshole again. Time to put on a show. I walked in and shut the door behind me.

“Nathan, I’m back,” I said in the most seductive voice I could muster. It was easier when I thought about it being Brock who I was coming home to.

A man came charging around the corner. Exactly as I had expected, Jimmy had already situated himself in the house. He stormed forward and grabbed my arm. “Where the fuck have you been?”

I ripped my arm from his grasp and threw my right fist into his face, making direct contact with his nose. He dropped to the ground. My knuckles ached, but it was worth the pain to make it clear that I was in charge now. “That will teach you not to touch me. Nathan will cut your hand off for that.”

He sneered, standing from the floor and rubbing his nose. “Nathan can’t do shit when he’s missing. Now tell me, where the fuck have you been?”

His gaze stayed focused on mine, probably looking for any sign of weakness or lies. Luckily for me, I’d had enough practice hiding my true thoughts and feelings from Nathan. It had become second nature to me.

“What do you mean, he’s missing? Where the hell is my husband and why the fuck haven’t you found him yet? He goes everywhere with security.”

Jimmy reached for me again, but this time I was expecting it and shoved him away before he could lay a hand on me.

“You haven’t answered my question.”

I stepped toward him, menace clear in my tone. “Why don’t you spend less time worrying about where I was and more time trying to figure out where Nathan is?”

Jimmy didn’t bother to back down. He stood his ground, facing off with me right in the foyer. He crossed his arms over his chest, bracing his feet apart. “Nathan goes missing the same day you do, yet you’re the only one who comes back unharmed.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “And you think somehow, I’m involved?”

“I don’t know, Isobel, you tell me. It’s not like you wanted to be with him in the first place. Remember, I was here when he brought you home before and after you were married.”

I scoffed. “Doesn’t mean shit. That was a long time ago and things have changed. How do I know it doesn’t have something to do with you? You’ve done whatever you could to become Nathan’s second-in-command. How do I know it wasn’t you who helped get rid of Nathan to try and take over?”

He shoved his finger in my face. “I’ve been loyal to him longer than you have.”

I slapped his hand away from my face. “If you want to keep that finger, I suggest you keep it down by your side. And what the hell is that supposed to mean? You’ve just had more time to plot against him.”

“And you stand here”—he gestured with his hand toward me—“like none of this is bothering you.”

“What, ’cause I’m not here breaking down into tears? Crying is a weakness. But trust me when I say heads are going to roll when I find out who’s responsible.”

Finished with the conversation, I pushed my dominance even further. I bent down to pick up my suitcase and thrust it at Jimmy. He just barley caught it before it slipped to the ground. “Follow me.”

He opened his mouth like he was going to argue with me, then promptly shut it. I didn’t give him another chance to speak, turning my back and heading for the stairs. Once we reached the top landing, I continued walking down the hall, wanting to cringe at my reflections in the abundance of mirrors on the walls. We passed by my bedroom, and I stopped for a brief moment. “Leave it here.”

Jimmy dropped the suitcase next to the door, his lip curled into a sneer. I ignored him and his antics and turned to continue walking down the hall. I entered Nathan’s office and did my best to push down my reaction to being there again. To keep up appearances, I took the seat behind Nathan’s desk. It needed to be clear to Jimmy that I was the one taking over and he would have to learn to deal with it and follow my instructions. I gestured to the seat in front of me, making it more than obvious that I expected Jimmy to sit down whether he wanted to or not.

He did, but not before leveling a gaze on me that should have stopped me cold. Years of practice were on my side. I leaned back in the chair, trying to make myself seem as comfortable as possible in a completely uncomfortable situation.

“I want to know everything you know.”

He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his own chair. “Not until you tell me where you’ve been.”

With as many times as he’d asked the question since I’d arrived, it was becoming easier to assume they truly had no idea where I’d been the entire week. Keeping my ass planted in the chair, I slowly brought my head around to face Jimmy. “Are you ignoring my request?”

The question, soft as it was, whipped through the room like a snake. Jimmy’s face dropped for the briefest of seconds. “Is that a threat?”

I leaned forward, placing my elbows on the desk. “What do you think?”

We sat there staring at each other, neither of us moving. Finally, Jimmy put both his hands up, palms facing out. “Look at it from my perspective. You and Nathan disappear the same day and you’re the only one who comes back, but you want to hide where you’ve been.”

“I’m not hiding anything. I just don’t believe it is your business, but if you’re not going to drop it, Nathan gave me an early birthday gift. A week at the spa. I didn’t know about it until that night when he gave me the tickets and the car came to pick me up.” Thankfully, this sounded like something Nathan would do. He loved to flaunt his money, show me how much he had and how he could spend it.

“Doesn’t explain why you didn’t answer your phone when we tried to call you.”

“That’s because it’s in my room where Nathan told me to leave it so I could relax without worrying about everything at home. He had the number to the room if anything important came up. I never expected to come home and find this.”

Jimmy nodded and stood, moving to the side bar and filling two glasses. He handed one of the glasses to me. “You’re going to need this.”

I tipped the glass back, needing the alcohol to calm my frayed nerves and not for the reason Jimmy obviously thought. I already knew everything he was going to tell me.

“On Tuesday night last week, the driver dropped Nathan off and he hasn’t been seen or heard from since then.”

I watched him for a moment, noticing the small tick at the corner of his eye. “What aren’t you telling me?”

He knocked back his own glass and refilled it again. “His arm was sent to one of the motels.

“And what makes you think it’s his? Nathan’s smarter than to get caught by the Hawes family.”

Something passed over Jimmy’s eyes, but it disappeared too quickly for me to figure out what it was. “Fuckers sent the arm with Nathan’s tattoos.”

I shuddered at the thought I’d never asked Brock for all the details. Knowing Nathan was dead was all I needed. “Do you think he’s still alive?”

He sighed, resting his elbows on his knees. “It’s not likely.”

I picked the glass up and threw it across the room, watching as the last few drops of liquid inside ran down the wall when it broke. “Then who do I blame for this?” I snapped.

Jimmy’s feet slammed into the ground as he paced the floor. “Someone from the fucking Hawes family.”

“Are you telling me my husband is dead over a spat with Miller Hawes?” I asked in a voice so low I was surprised he heard me.

He stopped and spun to face me. “That would be my guess.”

“Your guess?” I snapped. “You haven’t bothered to figure out who it was, so you’re just gonna guess?”

“Who else would it be?”

“I have no idea, but I would expect you to have more than a guess.”

Jimmy stormed toward the desk. “I don’t need more than a guess to know it was them.”

I slammed my hand down on the desk. “I’m not staking an all-out war with the Hawes family on your guess.”

“Then you’re a fool.” He headed for the door, but there was no way I was letting him get the upper hand on me, including the last word.

I moved around the desk in a flash, grabbing his wrist and twisting it up behind his back until his was forced to his knees.

“Goddammit,” he shouted.

“No, you’re the fool to think you have any say in the decisions I make. I’m not dumb enough or suicidal enough to attack the Haweses with only your hunch. I’m in charge now and we’re not doing a damn thing until you show me proof. Now get the hell out of my house and get me some answers.”

Once I was sure he heard me, I let go of his wrist, allowing him to stand. “And, Jimmy, I expect you to meet me at Aversano’s for dinner tonight. We’re going to go over how I want things done.”

At first he didn’t move and for the briefest of moments, I thought Jimmy was going to push back and claim he should rule over everything, but he didn’t. Instead, he said nothing, throwing the door open, letting it slam into the wall on his way out. When I heard the front door slam, I moved around behind the desk and dropped into the seat. Showing disdain for those assholes was easy. Pretending to be upset about one of them being dead was not.

I knew Brock was going to be pissed when he realized where I was. He still needed to understand I wouldn’t let him suffer because of me. For the moment, this was the best way for me to keep his family safe.

Hopefully, I could say the same about myself in the end.