LOREN
His face fell, and I realized how what I said sounded. “No, sorry. What I meant was, I can’t keep this from you. I can’t choose it over all of you. There’s something significant I need to tell you. I believe it’s life or death.”
Once he’d recovered from my dismissal, he nodded, squaring up and moving, expecting the rest of us to follow. He spotted Nicco a few spaces ahead, grabbing him to whisper something in his ear. He took off in the other direction as Sax, Jude, and I followed Attie. He led us to a boardroom, and I watched as Sax and Topher, who I hadn’t noticed, walked over to a panel in the wall and typed in something before a buzz filled the air.
I looked at Jude, and he raised his eyebrows with me. A few seconds later, Immy and Nicco arrived, and I realized what Atticus had done. It made me realize that Nat and Stacy were out there alone. Opening my mouth, I started to ask the question when Nicco answered for me.
“Beau is watching Nat and Stacy. They’re safe.”
Relaxing, I nodded, and he took the opportunity to kiss my cheek. My eyes fluttered closed for a second, and I soaked in the comfort of him. I’d missed him so much. Wrapping my arm around his waist, I pulled him to my side, not wanting him to leave. When I opened my eyes, I found his beaming at me, and my heart took off at the sight. I needed to make it a priority to focus more on each of them.
“Lore, you had something you wanted to share?” Atticus asked, pulling me from the gray-blue depths of Nicco. Licking my lips, I focused on the room and found Imogen snickering at me. Sticking my tongue out at her made me laugh, and it helped me loosen up.
“Sorry, it’s just… Phew, this is hard for me.” I blew out a breath, and Nicco wrapped his arm tight around me, and it helped. “When you revealed your last name in the car, the reason it took me by surprise was… was because it wasn’t the first time I’d heard it.”
I looked up at Atticus, finding him watching me. He nodded. “What have you heard?”
I shook my head, my mouth going dry. “Um, it’s not what I’ve heard, but more of who I’ve met.”
His eyes widened, not expecting that answer. I watched as he shifted his position against the table, attempting to find some sort of control. Atticus really didn’t like being out of the loop.
“So, um,” I started, falling over all of my words. Shaking my head again, I straightened my spine. They deserved to know the truth, and I needed to be brave and share it.
“When you said your last name, it took me by surprise. On my first day back to work after the bombing, I had a new client. What was odd about it was when a man walked in. It confused me because I typically only see women and teens. This man, he insisted on seeing me specifically, stating he’d been referred to me.” At the mention of a man, everyone stiffened, watching me closely with intrigue.
“This client, he was very odd. He never felt genuine, and everything he did felt like an act. He would try to act scattered or shy, but I’d catch a glimpse of a dominant personality shining through. Everything was at odds with him. His speech. His words. Nothing made sense. Quite frankly, he freaked me out.” Gasping, I turned into Nicco, clutching his chest. “Do you remember that day I crashed Ignite Ink with tacos after a weird client session?”
“Yeah, of course. You were really shaken up that day. Is this the same person?”
“Yes!” I turned back to Atticus, almost pleading with him. “For the past month, I’ve been trying to terminate sessions with him or refer him to someone else. I didn’t feel like we were connecting, and he was playing this game with me. On the day I went to see Nicco, he’d been really off, and it seemed like he was going to hurt someone. He played it off as a fantasy when I questioned him, but it never felt right.”
My body shuddered at the memory, needing to clear him from my mind. I looked around the room and found everyone peering at me. Even Jude and Immy were focused on the tale I was sharing. I knew the next part was going to be the hardest, but I had to get it out. I had to.
“I’ve been struggling because, ethically, I’m not supposed to share client details. But this… this seems important. And well, you’re all important to me. Jude has shown me what it means to be a family, and so have all of you. I see that now. I get what you meant about the mafia being a poor word for what you are because you’re right. It’s so much more. When you stood up to my mother like that, you reminded me what was at stake. If I lost any of you, I don’t think I’d survive it.” I took in a deep breath, fighting back the tears. I’d cried so much this evening from happiness it was overwhelming to think about.
“I think I found a loophole. A way for me to technically not break confidentiality and help you stay two steps ahead, but I need you to let me say what I need to say and only ask questions when I pause. Okay?”
“Anything, Lore.” Atticus watched me intently, and I could tell he knew this was important and would either destroy or strengthen the family.
Nodding, I glanced up at the ceiling for a second, gathering my thoughts. Righting myself, I held his umber eyes as I started.
“Is Mascro a common name in Chicago? Or are you related to all Mascros through some line?”
“It’s a rare name, and every Mascro I’ve ever met here is family through bloodline to some degree.”
“Okay, so by me saying, you’re not the first Mascro I’ve met…”
“I can assume your client is part of my family.”
One side of my smile lifted, but dropped as I continued. “Who is your biggest enemy?”
“Delgado,” he said without question. I grimaced, trying to figure out how to ask it differently.
“Okay, who would you never want to see again?”
Atticus watched me, understanding he hadn't answered the previous with what I’d intended. “That’s a lot of people, unfortunately.”
Taping my lip, I focused on how to say this. “Let’s say there’s a person, and their existence, if accurate, could irrevocably change the course of things, as well as your own standing and belief.” I started sweating, feeling like I was talking in circles. “Ugh, why do I have to care about morals!” I shouted, closing my eyes. Taking in some breaths, I rubbed my temple.