Light from Her Mirror (Mirrors Don't Lie Book 3) (21 page)

Even
the shattered fragments of Makenna’s heart cracked yet again, splintering into
tiny particles. Before she could utter a sound, Hardin slipped out the door and
was gone.

***

The
hours blurred together. Time had no purpose.

Makenna
cried until she made herself sick, and then she cried some more. She cried
until she had no more tears. 

She
would not eat, did not drink, could not sleep. When at last exhaustion and
dehydration overtook her, she slept for fourteen hours straight.

When
at last she woke up, she had no choice but to piece her heart back together
again.

While
her sister’s heart was breaking, Kenzie hovered close by, offering a shoulder
to cry on, an ear to listen, a heart to beat in her stead. She said very little
with actual words, but Makenna found comfort in her nearness.

Not
until Makenna wore herself out and succumbed to sleep, did Kenzie finally leave
her side.

She
showered and dressed for a quick trip into town, where she planned to run
several errands. The grocery store was just one of the stops; without Hardin
there to do the shopping, their food supply was practically non-existent, and
it fell upon her to go to the market.

She
was fastening a rhinestone belt around her waist when the doorbell rang. Tugging
a paisley print blouse over the tucked-in t-shirt, Kenzie checked through the peephole
before answering the door. Their ‘protectors’ screened all visitors, but it
never hurt to be vigilant. That was how Raymond Foto gained access to the
apartment in the first place.

Her
heart began to thud when she saw Texas Ranger Captain Raul Ramirez on the other
side. She knew in that instant that something had happened to Travis. Her
fingers fumbled with the locks until she finally managed to twist them the
correct way and to fling open the door.

“What’s
wrong? What happened to Travis? Is he alright?” she demanded, foregoing a
traditional greeting.

“Travis?”
The Captain looked confused as his dark brow puckered. “I haven’t heard from
him in a few days, but as far as I know, he’s fine. Making progress, in fact.”

Kenzie’s
knees sagged in relief. “Oh, thank God,” she murmured. It occurred to her that
for a person not overly religious, she seemed to be praying a lot these days.

“May
I come in?” Captain Ramirez asked.

“Oh,
sure, sorry.” She stood aside to allow him access. Still reeling with the
residue of fear, it took effort to summon her hostess duties. “May I offer you
something to drink?”

“No
thank you. I just wanted to drop by and update you and your sister on the
case.”

Kenzie
glanced toward Makenna’s closed bedroom door. “I’m afraid my sister isn’t
feeling well right now. Please, have a seat.”

He
perched on the edge of the couch she indicated, as she settled into the nearby armchair.
The Captain arched one eyebrow and made a sage observation. “Must be the same
thing that’s ailing Ranger Kaczmarek. Never seen him this bad before.”

Kenzie
sighed, feeling the weight of guilt press upon her shoulders. She could not
help but feel responsible for their break-up, even though Makenna assured her
the blame was not hers to bear; she had been fully aware of the consequences
when she agreed to accompany her sister to New Hampshire. “Let’s hope it’s a
fleeting thing,” she muttered.

With
a simple clearing of his throat, Ranger Captain Ramirez was suddenly all
business. “I wanted to tell you the latest before you heard it on the news. We
have turned your files over to the Justice Department. The Attorney General is
filing formal charges against all parties involved, including Joseph
Mandarino.”

She
knew charges against her father were inevitable, but the words still stung. She
nodded curtly, finding her throat oddly thick.

“We
will continue to provide protection for you and your sister until the charges
are made public. Once the media gets wind of the news, the threat against you
should be negligible. All parties involved in the scheme will be revealed, so
trying to silence you should become a moot issue. It should also become
apparent that you have no further information on the case or on the whereabouts
of your father. However, just to be on the safe side, we will continue to offer
surveillance until we feel reasonably certain that you and your sister are no
longer in any sort of danger.”

“I-I
appreciate that.” Kenzie sat back with a dazed expression as the long-awaited
news sunk in. After a long moment, she drew a deep breath and asked, “So it’s
really over?”

His
hesitance was notable. “I’m not sure ‘over’ is the right word. In many ways,
this is only the beginning. You do realize there will be numerous interviews,
depositions, Congressional hearings, and public outcry, not to mention all the
trials, and a deluge of reporters and media. They will probably camp out on
your front lawn and shadow your every move.”

Kenzie’s
entire face scrunched in worry. “We-We hadn’t thought of that aspect.”

“You
will still need to be vigilant, Miss Reese. It may take a few days for the all
the players in the game to realize they have nothing to gain by kidnapping or
harming you or your sister. I don’t mean to frighten you, but you should know
that the mafia may still try to do you harm.”

“But…
why? They were hoping to keep our father quiet, to keep him from revealing the
information he had on them. If it’s all out in the open, why would they even be
interested in us anymore? What could they hope to gain?”

“I
can tell you in one word. Revenge.”

His
words were cold and blunt. A shiver ran along Kenzie’s spine. “If that’s the
case, we might always be in danger.”

“I
won’t lie to you. That is a possibility. But eventually, even the mafia has
better things to do than play out an old grudge. We will do everything in our
power to help speed that process along.”

His
words brought little comfort. Focusing on the positive, Kenzie asked, “So when
do you think our bombshell will be dropped on the American people?”

“I
understand there is a press conference set for tomorrow afternoon at one.”

Kenzie
rubbed her arms as a sudden chill invaded her. “So this is really happening,”
she mumbled. “The same day the convention starts. This whole fiasco my father
created is about to be revealed.”

“If
it’s of any comfort, your names will be kept out of the initial announcements.
As you know, there is very little information on your past and on your true
identity as Tressa and Tamara Mandarino. Even the media will have no clue of
your connection until the hearings and the depositions begin. I’m afraid
there’s no way to keep your identity hidden after that point.”

“Why
do we even have to be involved? We had nothing to do with our father’s scheme!”
she said indignantly.

“You
were the ones to uncover the truth. If not for you, we might never have known
the truth behind the scam.”

“It
was our mother who documented the facts and left the information for me to
find,” she murmured.

“Yes,
even though it incriminated her own husband. And herself, for that matter, as
an accessory to crime. We are also looking into the possibility that your
father was coerced into doing what he did. In order to exonerate him, however,
we must find him.”

Kenzie
held her hands up in a gesture of innocence. “Believe me, I have no idea where
the man is.”

The
uniformed man studied her for a long moment. With a slight nod, he finally
said, “Ranger Merka assured me that was the case, but I needed to be certain.”

“If
you should find him, I have some questions of my own!” Namely, who was
that
woman
who raised her? And what happened to her real mother? Kenzie almost
brought the subject up to the Captain, thinking he might be able to help solve
the mystery, but in the end, she remained silent. Enough details of her sordid
past would be drug through the spotlight, enough shameful secrets revealed.
This, the most sacred of her heartache, was one small piece she could keep to
herself, at least for now.

The
Texas Ranger Captain stood from the couch, signaling the end of his visit.
“Please, do not hesitate to call me if you need anything. If you think you are
still in danger, if anything seems out of character or out of sorts, call
immediately. It is better to be safe than sorry.” He handed her a business card
with his personal information.

“You
sound like Hardin and Travis,” she said, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

“If
anything should happen to you or your sister, I know I will have to answer to
those two. They are two of our best.” A smile teased the corners of his mouth
and he leaned in to add a confidential note. “I wouldn’t want to be on either
man’s bad side. They can be scary when riled up.”

Kenzie
laughed outright, understanding why both men spoke so highly of their commanding
officer. She walked the Captain to the door and bid him farewell, but not
before making a heartfelt plea.

“Please,
if you hear anything from Travis…” she begged him before he left.

“You
will be the first to know, Miss Reese,” he assured her.

“Is-Is
what he’s doing terribly dangerous?”

He
did not - could not - answer her directly, but his answer gave her comfort.
“Lieutenant Merka is very good at what he does, Miss Reese,” he assured her
with confidence.

“Thank
you,” she acknowledged softly. With a glance toward Makenna’s closed bedroom
door, she added, “And if there’s anything…”

He
interrupted her with gentle reproach. “Things have a way of working themselves
out, Miss Reese. Just give it time.”

Kenzie
gave a reluctant nod. “Thank you for stopping by, Sir. I appreciate the heads
up.”

“Good
luck with the fall out, Miss Reese. Things may get rather hectic around here.”
He tipped his cowboy hat and said in parting, “Give your sister my best.”

***

The
political convention was set to begin the next day, meaning Craven would be
returning to Austin.

Per
their two-week hiatus - and because of Kenzie’s impromptu trip - they had not
spoken since his last visit. After only a handful of brief text messages
between them, Kenzie found herself missing her friend. A part of her was
anxious to see the auburn-haired man, but another part of her, the part that
knew she would soon be breaking his heart, dreaded his arrival. She had truly
missed him, but only as a friend. Her decision would be a blow to him personally,
but tomorrow’s bombshell would rock his professional world.

Thoughts
of Craven were pushed aside when she returned from her errands and found
Makenna awake and milling around the kitchen.

Seeing
her sister with a skillet in her hand, Kenzie arched a skeptical brow. “You’re
cooking?” she asked warily.

“Don’t
sound so frightened. My cooking isn’t that bad.” She poured a bowlful of
whisked eggs into the too-hot skillet and winced at the telltale hiss and
sizzle. Wrinkling her nose, she amended her claim. “I hope.”

“Breakfast
for supper? Yum. What can I do to help?”

“Biscuits
are in the oven and the bacon’s already done, but you can get the drinks.”

Without
having to ask, she poured milk for Makenna, orange juice for herself, and
coffee for them both.

“You’ll
never guess who dropped by today,” Kenzie said as they sat down to eat. Seeing
the hopeful look that sprang into her sister’s eyes, she immediately regretted
her opening sentence. She placed a hand on Makenna’s trembling fingers and
gently shook her head. “Captain Ramirez,” she told her.

“Oh.”
The one word held a sea of heartache.

“Let
me call him, Kenna,” she urged, not needing to clarify whom she was referring
to. “It’s all my fault anyway.”

“I
wish you two would stop acting like I cannot think for myself!” Her green eyes
flashed with indignation. “I knew exactly what I was doing when I lied to
Hardin, first about being you, then about going on that cruise. I have no one
to blame but myself.”

“But
if I hadn’t talked you into either situation…”

“I’m
a big girl, Kenzie, and I can think and act for myself. End of story.” Her
voice brooked no argument. Buttering a flaky biscuit that her stomach was too
queasy to eat, the action at least kept her hands busy. “What did the Captain
want?”

“To
let us know that tomorrow afternoon at one, all hell is going to break loose.”

Makenna
sucked in her breath. “They’ve pressed charges?”

“There
will be a press conference tomorrow, with all the sordid details.”

“So
this thing is nearly over?”

“Not
necessarily. In many ways, Captain Ramirez says it is just beginning.” She told
her sister about the Captain’s visit and the things he had discussed with her.

Makenna
bit on her lower lip. “I don’t think I ever considered all the consequences.”

“Me,
either, but what else could we do?” Kenzie sighed. “We had to tell the truth.
We had to expose the scam, especially Bernard Franks and his partners in
crime.”

“Which
included your father,” Makenna said softly. She corrected herself and said, “
Our
father.”

Kenzie
shoved a handful of dark curls off her face, even as she pushed her uneaten
dinner aside. “The Captain said they were looking into the possibility that our
father was coerced into his part of the scheme. He hinted that he might be
exonerated.”