Page 38 of Jake

When she started to push up from her chair, Don Bonello took her by the wrist.

“Natalie, sit. It’s best we deal with this now. They can help protect you.”

“Protect her from what?” Connor demanded to know.

A glance was exchanged between Bonello and Nat, and a slight nod indicated she gave her permission for him to speak.

“Natalie’s name was Eleanor Hume.”

“Related to Lord Gareth Hume? He and his daughter were killed after a home invasion about a year ago. I remember reading about it in the papers. Hume was killed in the home, but apparently, the daughter escaped with the help of a trusted employee. She was found dead at the scene of a car accident a couple of days later. Her body, and that of the driver, were burned beyond recognition. The police announced it was Hume’s daughter, but the proof of identification as reported in the paper was pretty flimsy. They figured out one body was that of a young girl and the other was an older man but couldn’t positively identify the burned remains. Since the vehicle was one of Hume’s, and the daughter was known to be missing, they announced the deceased people were the daughter and one of the aides.”

I didn’t have a fucking clue who they were talking about, but Connor obviously did. His eyes flicked back and forth between Natalie and Bonello.

“My father,” Nat admitted.

Connor raked fingers over his man bun. “Fuck! FUCK! You’re the daughter?”

Natalie nodded. “The car accident scene was staged to help my getaway.” She looked lovingly at Bonello, no points for guessing the accident had been staged by his people.

“Will someone clue me the fuck into whoever the hell this Hume is or was?”

Bonello answered. “Lord Gareth Hume was a cousin of the Queen. A ruthless man with a lot of enemies throughout England and Europe. He dealt drugs, guns, and porn with complete disregard for the fact he was trespassing on others’ territory. Over the years, some of those enemies attempted to kill him, but he was surrounded by powerful men and royal security. He disposed of them easily.”

Bonello’s voice was scratchy and Natalie fetched him a glass of water. After gulping down half, he continued.

“Nat and Tania started nursery school together, and I met Hume about a year after they began when he summoned me to his estate.”

“What did he want?”

Bonello glanced at Natalie. “He wanted my mafia family to protect Natalie. He knew someone would come for him sooner or later, and they would be stronger and better connected. He feared for his daughter. I agreed, said I would put men on her around the clock, and if anything happened, I would take her into my home.”

“What did he agree to in return?” I was curious as to what the payoff had been. Hearing the story so far, I agreed with Connor, there appeared to be a good reason behind Natalie’s deception.

“He agreed to stay away from my territory in Europe.” Bonello paused to glance at Natalie, the love in his eyes evident. “Natalie has been like a second daughter to me and a sister to Tania. After three attempts were made to kill her father, putting her in terrible danger, she spent even more time with us, only going to be with her father for a few days here and there. She was in our home much more than in her own. The girls did everything together—European holidays, cruises, even attended university and became chemists so they could work in my business together. Natalie helped my daughter through the trauma of her rape and comforted both of us as my wife died.”

“If he was so powerful, why wasn’t she safe in her own home?” I directed my next question to Natalie. “Didn’t you miss your father, and where was your mother?”

Nat touched Bonello’s arm and he allowed her to answer my question.

“My mother is alive and living in France. She is married to Pierre Dumonteri Oriole.”

“JesusfuckingChrist!” Connor’s outburst startled us all and I raised an eyebrow. “Let Nat continue and I’ll fill you in when she’s finished.

“Mama left my father when I was two years old. Pierre’s wife had died giving birth to their son, who was four at the time they met. I don’t know how they met or where. All I knew was my father hated them both and he was a bitter man all his life. I was his pawn. He threatened my mother that if she came anywhere near me, he would end my life. He told me he would do the same if I attempted to contact Mama, and then he would also kill her.”

“Fuck! Who threatens their own child with death?” I couldn’t believe Natalie’s father would make such a threat against his only child.

Natalie turned her gaze on me, her green eyes deadly serious. “It was no idle threat, Jake. He would not have hesitated to do as he said.”

“I can’t say I’m sorry he’s dead. Who did he piss off to bring about his death?”

“Pierre. His son and I met at a masquerade ball and he invited me to meet him for coffee the following day. I didn’t have a clue who he was and he didn’t know my name. When we met at the café and discovered each other’s identity, we didn’t stay for the coffee and chat we’d planned. We both knew that even a clandestine friendship would be deadly. He called me later, on dusk, and asked if we could meet. It sounded like he had something urgent to tell me, so I agreed. I slipped from the house, thinking I’d outwitted my father’s guard dogs. I hadn’t. I didn’t know until later that my father had known about Francois and me spending the evening together at the masquerade ball, and he also found out about our meeting at the café. Fuck knows how. Even I hadn’t known who I was with at the ball and we’d told no one about the café.”

Natalie squeezed Bonello’s hand. “It wasn’t Don Bonello’s men who had passed the information to my father. What I hadn’t known until then was he’d also had his own men watching my every move. Three of those men caught us, and following my father’s orders, they beat Francois almost to death and put a bullet in his forehead. I have no idea how Pierre found out his worst enemy was behind the murder, but the last attack on my father was retaliation for his son’s death.”

“Who is this Oriole?”

Connor answered. “Don of L'égaliseurs—The Equalisers. One of the deadliest cartels in France.”