Page 15 of Bound in Debt

“Angelo Lombardi,” I reply. She pauses in reaching for her mug underneath an expensive espresso machine, a clear indicator that she’s bullshitting me again. “That ring a bell?”

Her dark brown eyes flick back over to me. She’s not a good enough liar to hide her fear. “Where did you hear that name?”

“From the man himself.”

Marissa quickly rounds the large kitchen island, stopping when she’s in front of me. “You don’t want to get involved, Dante. I’m figuring?—”

“Why?” I inhale a deep breath. I can feel my resolve slipping the more she resists giving me the answer I’m searching for. The last thing I wanted to do was come here. To my dead brother’s house, where everything is a reminder that he’s gone. “Why was Marco involved with the mob? He dealt with investments.”

“It’s complicated?—”

“Why?” I all but shout because this tip-toe shit is getting on my last nerve. I have to call this Angelo prick by the end of the fucking week before he puts a hit on me. I’ve already wasted almost two days trying to sort things out in my own head before confronting my cagey sister-in-law.

“Marco…” She drops her chin as if saying his name is too difficult for her, but I ignore her supposed grief. I just need the answers to my questions so that I know what to do. “He made some bad deals with really powerful people. And he got caught up…” She swallows thickly before continuing, “He was trying to pay everyone back but it got to be too much.”

“Explain.”

She sighs and brings her fingers up to her temples. “He followed some inside tips. Something about making us more money, but they didn’t work out. And that left him short on clients’ money. He needed to put it back.”

“Shit happens,” I retort. “It’s the stock market.”

“Not when you don’t have their permission to change what stocks their money’s in.” Marissa glances up at me. “I didn’t know until he got too deep.”

“Then what?”

“He, uh…I don’t know, knew some guy who could lend him money. I don’t believe Marco knew he had mob ties, but he did. The money came with strings. And then it started to get ugly.”

“How?”

“Strange cars parked outside the house. Random rings at the door at all hours of the night. One of his colleagues called me worried about two men in suits who looked like linebackers beelining to Marco’s office. I confronted Marco about it but he told me it was no big deal.”

Tears brim at the edges of her eyes, and they look real. “I thought he had it under control. But it got worse and I started to get calls. They began threatening Liam’s life…then the car accident happened…”

My nostrils flare but I keep my steady gaze on her. “How much money did he leave you?”

“Nothing. The house will go into foreclosure soon if we don’t come up with something.”

“And what are your plans?”

Confidence suddenly blankets her face as she raises her chin some more. “I’ve worked out an arrangement with one of the wealthiest families on the East Coast.”

“And the debt is going to be paid?”

She nods. “In pieces. It’ll be good enough.”

“And you’ve told Angelo?”

Marissa blanches but holds her ground. “Not yet. One of the parties is being a difficult little bitch. I want to make sure everything is set in stone before I promise him anything.”

Smart.

“It’ll cover the whole thing?”

Marissa nods. “Yes. And enough for Liam and her to live on after.”

My face twists because this is sounding awfully like— “Who’s she?”

“Some rich classmate of Liam’s. They go to Thronewood together. I guess he’s had a crush on her for some time, so it was only?—”