Page 22

9

KILIAN

Ipull up in front of my parents’ estate. My father summoning me after my trip to Sicily. I see my brother’s Mercedes in the drive and I clench my fist. Besides my mother, my brothers Grayson and Liam are some of the few that know I am alive. Even their families think I’m dead. I hate my father and the rest of the board of The Partners for putting me in this position. Making my brothers lie about missing me. My mother heartbroken that our father put me in this position. He says it was a necessity but I know he did it as payback. For getting the Montford’s out of his debt. For having compassion when it came to my best friend losing his brother. For making sure he didn’t endure the same loss with his other brother.

I hate to say it though, it does help with the business The Partners run. We have people who recruit new members, businessmen, entrepreneurs, anyone with a nice price tag on their name. Most join willingly, hungry for power and wealth. Others are more hesitant. But once you know about The Partners, it’s hard to break away from their grasp. I then get sent to make threats, close deals. Most successful businessmen know who I am and they don’t want to end up with my fate.

I go to open my car door when my phone rings, Tomas’s name popping up on the car radio.

“Tomas,” I answer.

“Sorry for the delay Mr. Bancroft but I hit some walls.”

Fuck. I need something. I’m sure my father won’t be happy to hear I only have vague information from a woman in Sicily. “Did you find anything?”

“I wouldn’t have called if I didn’t.” His voice even and calm. “It took some digging on the Di Masio name. It looks like someone worked hard to cover things up. You said the house was occupied by a Mirabella Di Masio. Well that name doesn’t exist. It’s a fake. The house used to be owned by a Di Masio, with a daughter named Valentina that disappeared sixty years ago.”

“And?” I ask impatiently.

“That’s why it took an extra day. She didn’t disappear. She married into the mob. Her records were wiped. Valentina Di Masio was legally dead in 1963. Only seventeen years old. But I recovered photos from then. She was with a young man I can only assume was vacationing out there. Francesco Renzetti.”

“The previous don to the Renzetti Mafia family?”

“The one and only. I guess she ran away with him. Her family didn’t know. She was declared legally dead a few months after she went missing. I am guessing the Renzettis had something to do with that.”

“So Mirabella Di Masio is Mirabella Renzetti. Is she the daughter of Giancarlo? I thought he only had sons.”

Tomas is quick to answer. “Daughter of the late Benito Renzetti. Mirabella seems to have disappeared not long after her parents’ death in 2007. I can’t find anything about the years between 2008 and 2012 when she showed up in late fall in Sicily and took ownership of that house in Cefalù.”

Because she was in Dublin with a different name during that time. A name that someone with a lot of power was able to cover up. Even from my man that can find anything.

“If I find anything out about that time, I will let you know. But her brother Ezio Renzetti is a piece of work. From what I uncovered, he feels like he should be next in line to take over the family. But he doesn’t seem to have much power. And he disappears often then turns up years later.”

Because he is a fucking mole and is running undercover for the Renzettis. “Thank you, Tomas. Payment will be delivered to you by the end of the day.”

He hangs up without a word. I sit in my car and stare out into the garden.

She lied to me. She said she knew nothing about her brother. Which is why I saw the tiny flick of her eyes when I mentioned the name Di Masio. He must never have used it like she does. But that doesn’t mean she had no idea what was going on.

That also means she lied about Venice. The Renzettis live in Genoa. I wouldn’t put it past her if she is covering up for them. Does she work for them? Work for the family trying to tear The Partners apart?

That also makes me wonder if our relationship was a lie? Did she get information from me then disappear? I try to remember what we talked about but nothing that would have made her know what I really did. We never spoke of our families to each other.

That also reminds me that she can throw one hell of a knife. What else is my doll hiding?

I dial Andre.

“Yeah, boss?”

“I need you to go back to Sicily. I need you to watch over that house. I want to know where she goes and what she’s doing. Any visitor that she has.”

“Yes, sir.”

I hang up just as someone starts tapping on my window. I look up and see Grayson.

“You gonna sit in your car all day?”

I take a deep breath and open the door, shoving my phone in my pocket. “I had business to take care of.”