“Tristan Lucarelli. I haven’t seen you in ages.”
Surprised at her words, he chose to stay quiet. There were memories of Beverly Sperry floating around his brain.
“You were just a small little thing when I held you in my arms. Of course, that was when your beautiful mother was still alive.” Stepping back, she opened the door wider, allowing him to enter the home.
All he could do was smile at her. Tristan didn’t know she knew his mother. He thought the relationship between the two families had only involved the men. Not the women. Interesting. Looking around, he noticed the house was smaller than his uncle’s, but it was homier. More lived in. He could see family pictures and kid’s drawings in silver frames covering the walls. Itching to get closer to confirm the kid drawings were done by his Camille, he took one step before Beverly called out to him again.
“Raymond was finishing up some calls, but he knows you’ve arrived for a visit.”
At the last words, her eyebrows lifted in a combination of question and challenge. He’d never darkened their doorstep before, so stopping by for a friendly visit would be unheard of. They both knew he was there for another reason. Since he wasn’t giving anything away, and neither was she, they were at a standstill.
“Tristan? Son, what are you doing here? Unannounced, I might add.” Wearing a pair of black workout pants, a royal blue pullover, and a pair of black leather slippers, Raymond looked like any other man relaxing inside his house on his day off. Who knew that underneath that everyday man façade, lay the heart of a killer?
Did Mrs. Sperry know what her husband was capable of? Glancing at the beautiful older woman as she watched her husband approach, he wondered just how much she knew? She’d known his mother, which must mean she knew how her husband and his family were connected.
“Tristan? You didn’t answer my question,” Raymond interrupted his internal musings.
“Yes, I know this is unexpected. Something has come to my attention, and I wanted to speak with you about it.” He continued speaking in code since he wasn’t sure how much Beverly knew. Briefly turning his gaze to her, he smiled, before turning back to Raymond. “Is there somewhere we can talk?”
Raymond glanced at his wife before turning towards a room off to the side. “Let’s go in here. Want a drink? Oh, before we get to talking. Do your men need anything? Water?”
Tristan shook his head. “No, they’re fine. I have full coolers in all my vehicles. Just in case.”
“Okay. Drink?” He asked again, walking over to the corner bar.
“Yes. That’d be fine.” Gazing around the dark-paneled room, he noticed the décor of this room also boasted family photos, hand-drawn pictures from a child in places of high honor, magazines, and what looked to be business papers and reports strewn around.
“Please, have a seat.” Beverly came up beside him, motioning to one of the leather chairs across from a small loveseat. Raymond brought her a drink, then walked back to the bar and picked up the liquor-filled glasses for him and Tristan.
“Here you go,” he said, before sitting down in the other leather chair next to Tristan. “Now, what did you want to talk about?”
Tristan looked over at Beverly Sperry, pausing before speaking. Beverly spoke up. “Don’t let the façade fool you. I know what my husband’s been up to for more than thirty-five years. We have no secrets. None. That you’re here means something’s happened. That something either involves our beautiful little girl, or it means my husband will be coming out of retirement. Either way, it’d be best to tell us both at the same time.”
Laughing low as he took a sip, Raymond chimed in. “She’s right, you know. People don’t realize just how involved she is. It’s her beauty that fools you. No one thinks someone who looks like her could ever understand or be involved with the things best left in the dark. Hell, this woman could lead a damn army of demons and not bat an eyelash.”
Tristan shook in his head, shocked. Beverly was blushing from that sorta-somewhat-crazy compliment. No wonder Camille had her own way of thinking about the world.
“Go on, son, we’re listening. What’s going on?”
Since Raymond had asked the question, that’s who he addressed. “Marco. He’s going to betray the family. Uncle Roberto has been tagged. As have I.” Looking back at Beverly, he noticed her eyes were hard, focused, and she was waiting for the rest.
Smiling at him, she nudged him to continue. “There’s more, right? Unless why come to us? If this were only related to your family business, we would have no need to know this information. What else did you come to tell us?”
Oh yeah, she was just as deadly as her husband. “He knows I’m with Camille. That I—that she—holds a special place in my life. You, Mr. Sperry, are also on that list. As is Camille.”
“Over my dead fucking body,” Beverly spoke up.
Tristan wouldn’t tell her that was a distinct possibility. No, he didn’t tell his aunt, and he wouldn’t tell her. Not because they couldn’t handle it because he knew they could. It was more that he knew it was his job to protect the women of his family. And with how he felt about Camille, Mrs. Beverly Sperry was going to be part of his family very soon.
“Honey, slow down. Just hold on a second,” Raymond interjected. “I’m sure Tristan has a plan for how he wants to handle this, right?”
Leaning back, Tristan smiled. “I do. Just need to make sure I keep Camille safe.”
“Does she know what’s going on?” Raymond asked.
Shaking his head, he sighed. “Not yet. But she will. I needed to set some things in motion first.”
“Tristan, you need to tell her,” Beverly snapped. “My baby knows how to handle whatever comes her way. But only if she’s prepared.”