CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

After another week spend at the cabin, Alan finally called to let Vlad know that the body had not been identified as Andrew but as some homeless man who drowned. Andrew was still missing but Mike had been taken into custody. The coast was clear for them to return home. More police officers had been called in to work on building Mike William’s case.

Vlad held out on telling Cora until about the news until three days after Alan’s call. He was enjoying his time with her too much to just leave. The rain had led up two days after it first started. They got to spend a few more times at the pool. After breaking the news to Cora that they had to leave, Vlad started packing. Two hours later they were on the road and heading back to town.

Cora had been silent all the way home, but she had cuddled up to his side as he drove. They arrived home shortly after midnight. Vlad was glad to find the house empty. All the broken things had been restored. More than anything, Cora was still worried about her father. Vlad knew that he had to tell her sooner or later but he decided to do it later.

It was their last night together before being visited by the police and also the media. They spent the night making love until the wee hours of the morning before finally giving in to exhaustion.

“Mind telling me where the hell you disappeared to?”

Vlad’s eyes narrowed at the detective hovering over Cora. He had addressed the question to her and not to him. He had an instant dislike to Detective Parker the moment they were introduced half an hour ago. The way the man stared at Cora made Vlad want to punch him. He had no right to question them the way he was doing, Detective or not.

“It’s classified,” Vlad spoke up before Cora utter a word.

“Classified?” Parker spit as he turned his attention to Vlad. “When a person of interest in our investigation goes missing, it’s our right to know—”

“Person of interest?” he interrupted. “What does she have to do with the investigation of Mike?”

Parker ran a hand through his hair and turned away from them. He muttered under his breath as he started pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace. Vlad studied him silently. His frown deepened as he noticed how Parker’s hands were shaking. Why was the man so tensed? His stomach rolled as unease filled him.

“It’s been proved that Andrew Weber has been involved in Mike’s businesses. Andrew worked as Mike’s right hand man. He was the man behind the money laundering and the transportation of drugs.” Parked stopped pacing and turned to face them. “Andrew is still missing so—”

“Missing? What do you mean my father’s missing?”

Parker’s eyes shot to Cora. His frown deepened. “Are you telling me that you’re unaware that your father’s missing?”

Vlad internally winced when Cora’s eyes darted over to him. He should’ve told her everything last night. He stepped toward her and reached out to grip her arm to stop her from moving away. She had paled considerably and it worried him.

“Is there anything else you need Detective?” he asked softly.

Parker’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t think about disappearing again. My men will be keeping a watch on you.” He moved towards the front door. “I’ll be in touch Ms. Weber, Mr. De Luca.”

The moment the front door slammed shut behind the man, Cora ripped her arm out of his grip and spun to face him angrily. He took a few steps back and tried to get his bearings.

“You knew?” she yelled. “I asked you and you promised me that he was safe!”

“Listen to me—”

“I don’t want to listen to you! I trusted you and you lied to me. What else have you been lying about?”

“Nothing!” He gripped her upper arms and shook her slightly. “I never lied to you about anything. Just sit down and listen to me before you jump to any conclusions”

Cora shook off his hands and dropped into the chair directly behind her. “Start talking!” she demanded.

Instead of taking a seat on the couch, he took a seat on the coffee table in front of her. Vlad reached out to grip her hands tightly. His eyes locked with hers when she glanced up at him.

“Cora, your father disappeared shortly after he hired me. Do you remember that day Mike showed up here?” She bit her lip and nodded at him. “I was in your father’s office making some calls. As I was leaving, I noticed that the books on his shelf were out of order. I thought that one of the maid had cleaned their and placed them back in the wrong order.”

Her frown deepened with every single word.

“When I moved them into the right order, one of the books fell. I realized that it was a safe in the form of a fake book. When I checked out the surveillance videos it showed your father taking money, a passport and a handgun from it.”

“I want to see it,” she said. “Show it to me.”

“I’ll call Alan and have him bring it over.”

“You don’t have it?”

“I made backups and sent them to Alan before hell broke loose here.” He reached up to cup her cheek. “Mike is the only man that’s looking for your father. Andrew is smart. We suspect he might have something on Mike and that’s why he’s after your father.”

“My father’s really a criminal,” she whispered. “Was he really involved with Mike?”

He gave her hands a squeeze. “We don’t really know anything yet, but it’s suspected.”

“So my father hired you to protect me from the bad men after him?” She sniffed.

“When I came here to meet your father that night, I wasn’t told much about anything. He didn’t give me any explanations as to why he was hiring me. All he told me was that I am to guard you with my life. You’re my responsibility.” He gave her a small smile. “When I realized that something’s off, I made a few calls to some men I had worked with before. They’re investigating your father. It’s unfortunately all I can tell you for now.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about this earlier?” Her eyes dropped to their joined hands.

“You’ve been through so much already, I didn’t want to add to your worries.”

“You should’ve told me.”

“I know and I’m sorry. Forgive me?”

Her eyes darted over his face and then dropped to his lips. He knew what she wanted, and he wanted it too. Vlad leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. He pulled away before it could go any further. They weren’t at the cabin anymore so he had to be awake and alert. He couldn’t afford to have her distracting him.

“I’ll call Alan.”

Cora stared at the screen without blinking. She watched her father hurrying into his office and to his desk where he searched through a drawer. After grabbing some paper, he folded it and stuffed it inside his jacket pocket. Her father then stumbled over his own feet in his hast to reach the bookshelf. Cora’s stomach dropped when he pulled each book out, looked inside and then drop it aside. He grabbed the fake book and unlocked it. Inside were three stacks of cash, what looked like his passport and a small handgun. He took it all, slammed the book shut and quickly pushed them back on the shelf before leaving.

The screen went blank, making Vlad reach over her shoulder to replay it. Cora watched it two more times before she stood and turned her back on the computer. Her feet carried her over to the window. She stared outside unseeingly. So Vlad hadn’t lied to her, but it meant that her father had lied. She barely knew anything about her father, or so it seemed.

“Are you okay?” Vlad asked softly.

Cora shrugged. She wasn’t sure what to feel anymore. “I’ll go through my father’s things and see if I can find anything else.”

He moved closer and stopped a few inches behind her. She could smell his aftershave and feel his body heat. Vlad was so close yet so far. Cora wished that he would wrap his arms around her and hold on tight. What if her father was involved with a criminal? He would be sent to jail and she would be left to pick up the pieces.

She jerked when Vlad’s phone suddenly started ringing.

“Alan,” Vlad answered the call.

Cora turned when Vlad remained silent. His lips were pursed and his eyes squeezed closed. What was he saying? What trouble were they going to have to deal with now? Vlad turned around and said something she couldn’t hear. Her brows furrowed.

She moved back to the desk and gripped the back of the chair. Vlad was pacing in front of the desk. He suddenly stopped and spun around. He hurried around the desk and pulled the keyboard closer. She watched his hands as he started typing. Cora remembered what if felt to have those big hands trailing over her skin.

Her body heated and a blush spread up her cheeks. She wanted Vlad to do sinful things to her body again. It might not happen, but at least she had the memories she could relive at night when she lay in bed.

“Do you know this woman?” Vlad’s question suddenly snapped her back to reality.

Cora blinked and then leaned closer to get a better look at the photo of the woman filling the screen. For a moment she completely froze. It felt like she was staring at a picture of herself. Although the eyes were a different shade and the woman’s hair was darker, she noticed upon closer inspection. But she had the same high cheekbones and body build as Cora.

“Cora?”

“I-I don’t think so.” Her voice shook slightly. “Who is she?”

Vlad pressed a button on the phone and then placed it down on the table.

“I’m sending you her file now,” Alan’s voice drifted through the phone.

Cora’s legs suddenly felt shaky. She had a bad feeling. “Who is she?”

“Julia Woods, formerly known as Julia Weber.”