Page 24 of Ashes

“Maybe.” I shrug.

“That would be awesome. You’re going to love it!”

“Hey, do you remember the night Rodrigo died?”

“Yeah.” His smile fades. “I miss him so much.”

“Was there anything else aside from that poker game that angered Alex Esposito?”

Landon looks away, scratching the back of his head. “Um, no. I don’t think so. But I don’t know. I was drunk.”

“So you didn’t see Alex flipping over his chair after he lost and threatening Rodrigo?”

“Not really. Why do you ask?”

Because my father said to me that Landon was the one who told him about what happened at the club.

“Are you sure?” I ask.

“I know you miss him too, but you should leave the past in the past. Bringing it up is not going to help. And you’re married to the Esposito girl.”

“I know. Forget I asked. It was just a random thought.” I give him a smile. “I miss Rodrigo, and I’m always looking for an excuse to talk about him. And since you were one of his best friends—”

“I understand. We can have a drink sometime and talk about him as much as you want. But maybe about some happier times.”

“Yes, of course.”

“It was good to see you, but I gotta run.” He waves and strides to his car.

Lies, lies, and more lies.

How haven’t I seen any of it before?

It’s not like my father hasn’t lied to me more than once.

Maybe those few times when he said he was meeting someone in a certain place and then I’d see the person he was supposedly with somewhere else, he’d been plotting something.

But what? Why hide it from me?

I’ve never managed to catch the person he was really meeting with, and I was busy grieving my brother, so I didn’t think about it.

I should have.

But I know who might have the key to the mystery about what happened at the club.

The club’s owner.

The elusive Gianni Torre.

I head to the front door.

Four men are there, guarding it.

“I need to speak to your boss,” I say.

“Are you a member of the club, sir?”

“No, I’m not.”