Beautiful Thorns (Boys of Bellerose #4)(4)
Author: Jaymin Eve
It was a tense situation, made even worse by the missing Ricci.
“It was my fucking father,” I said for what felt like the twentieth time, feeling sick to my stomach. No one had acknowledged the madness of that yet. Like, did they all think I’d had a psychotic episode? Turning in my chair, I gesture to Jace. “Did you see him? He had Angel over his damn shoulder.”
“How could it be your father?” Vee answered before Jace could. “He died nine years ago, right?”
“I thought he did,” I shot back. “But it was dark and smoky, and I just saw two bodies. Maybe I just assumed it was my father? Maybe my memories are more messed up than I realized.”
“There would be forensics,” Rhett reminded me gently. “They would have identified the victims with more than just who they assumed was in the house.”
“That can be faked though,” Grayson said suddenly, reminding all of us that he was just as involved in the underworld. “Someone completed that hit before me, and that shouldn’t have happened. Maybe Billie’s father had something to do with that.”
The ass dropped out of my world with that one statement.
Grayson had all but said that my father’d arranged to have my mother killed, but that couldn’t be true, right?
But… how would he know to fake his own death unless he knew she was going to be killed?
Fuck. I couldn’t think of that right now.
“We have a big problem, guys,” Vee said suddenly, and I didn’t like the way she was laser focused on me.
“You mean outside of you being a double-crossing snake whose actions and lies got us all nearly shot and Angelo kidnapped?” Jace replied conversationally.
Vee just nodded. “Yes, outside of that. If Billie is sure that the man who took A is her father, then we’re in more than a bit of trouble here.”
“How so?” Gray growled, clearly done with Vee today.
Vee cleared her throat, shooting me what looked like an apologetic stare. Not that it mattered; I knew what she was about to say. I hadn’t forgotten from before.
“That guy who took Angelo is Wilson.” There was an extended pause, so Vee continued, “The Wilson. The one who started the Wilson cartel and has been making unprecedented moves across the underworld for the past near decade. The Wilsons aren’t a family like the Riccis; it's an organization run by Wilson. That man who took Angelo.”
This got their attention, especially Gray, who shifted forward in his seat with a muttered curse. All I could think about was the timing, though.
Nearly a decade. My father had been out there building an army of criminals for a decade.
Basically, since the fire that let him fake his own death. The same one that covered up my mom’s murder and killed my unborn baby. Or maybe even longer?
My father, back from the dead, was the enemy we suspected to be involved in much of the carnage littering our lives lately.
He’d been closer than we realized the entire time.
And now he had my Angel.
Fucking hell.
three
JACE
Billie was in shock. Her complexion had paled to a worrying shade of gray, and her hands trembled despite how tight she held onto Rhett’s fingers. But otherwise, she was handling this truth bomb of epic proportions admirably. Better than I feel like I would have, in her shoes.
Hell, even I was struggling to swallow the information. The Wilsons weren’t a family at all; they were a gang run by Wilson. Billie’s dad wasn’t named Wilson; that would have surely sparked some kind of recognition from Billie, Angelo, or even me. His name was—is—Bruce Bellerose, but I guessed “Bruce” died in that fire nearly nine years ago. He couldn’t very well continue using a dead man’s name, so he must have created a new identity.
“The Wilsons were around before Billie’s parents died, though,” Grayson said, his concerned gaze on Billie. My Rose. His Prickles. She didn’t deserve this twist.
Vee shrugged. “I don’t have an answer for that; I just know that man is Wilson himself. He’s met with my parents on several occasions, and they introduced him as such.”
Billie made a choked sound like she was trying to laugh but couldn’t find the humor. “So he was planning this before everything happened? Didn’t we suspect the hit on my mom came from the Wilsons? That she was cooking their books?”
Gray just frowned, then sighed. “I’ll do some digging. My associate will know more.”
Billie shook her head, her expression falling further. “And what will that cost you? Last time you did some digging, you came back covered in bruises, Gray. I don’t want or need you getting hurt just for my answers.”
“She’s got a good point,” I agreed, fighting the urge to touch Billie. To wrap her the fuck up, sheltered in my arms, as I stole her away from this damn life. “We don’t need to risk your safety, Gray. Not now.” I shook my head, giving him a pointed look.
He seemed to understand what I meant—that Billie was already holding on by a thread without adding the stress of injuries to the rest of us—and gave a nod.
“I’ll see what I can dig up,” Vee drawled, already typing on her phone. “I assume you all don’t care if I get hurt in the process.”
Billie jerked like she’d been slapped, squinting up at Vee in disbelief. “I care,” she insisted, her voice firm if hurt. “Just because you were using us, doesn’t mean we are shitty human beings. Like it or not, I considered you a friend, Vee; so yeah, I’ll be upset if you’re hurt.”
Vee’s hard expression softened, and she gave Billie a sad smile. “It might not seem like it right now, Billie, but I am your friend. I just show it a little differently.”
Billie sank back in her seat, looking exhausted, so I stood to usher Vee out of the room. “You need to leave,” I told Angelo’s wife quietly. “I know you want to help; I believe you when you say you care about her. But right now she needs to process.”
Vee scowled like she wanted to argue, but she was also smart enough to know when to push shit. Now was not one of those times. She shot another worried look over my shoulder at Billie, then sighed.