Stone Walls (28 page)

“Ben.” He looks at me, waiting for me to speak. “Don’t leave me,” I whisper pleadingly.

He caresses my cheek with his other hand, but otherwise doesn’t respond.

The emptiness in my chest moves to the pit of my stomach. It takes my complete focus to control my nausea as bile rises at the back of my throat.

I’m having a hard time controlling my emotions. This has to be the hardest thing I’ve ever been faced with. The combination of pure hatred, undying love, fear, confusion, all mixed together in a vortex that’s lodged smack in the middle of my chest. The pain must be close to what a heart attack must feel like.

Keeping a pleasant smile on my face, keeping my hand from trembling as I hold hers, and keeping my breathing regulated are almost physically impossible, as the vortex swirls and swirls, gaining momentum behind my chest wall.

The look of terror on her face is one I’ll never forget. I feel as if I’m being punished for some reason. To have to experience this with dual perspectives, half of me as the indifferent cop who is just doing his job, the other half as the loving boyfriend who would kill to protect her. No one should have to endure such conflicting realities at the same time.

After her plea to never leave her, not another word is uttered between us. Her hand is ice cold. Her bottom lip quivers ever so slightly as she stares woodenly out her window. The fear in her eyes can’t be mistaken as she glances my way every so often for reassurance. Every time she does, I squeeze her hand and kiss it gently in an attempt to help her feel safer.

Farley had the fucking nerve to suggest I let other agents handle this. I’m too invested in the victim. It’s a huge conflict of interest. He’s right, and I don’t give a fuck. He may as well put a bullet through my head. It would be the only way I’d back off.

When we pull up to headquarters, she squeezes my hand once again. “Don’t be scared. I’m here.” I can’t confirm I’d never leave her. I promised I’d never lie to her. Even if it’s she who would leave me, I still can’t promise what she needs me to.

I’ve barely had time to digest this fucking mess. Farley plans on telling her everything. If she chooses to enter WITSEC, it will happen immediately. If she chooses not to, she’ll be sent to a safe house. Either scenario has her leaving tonight.

In a fit of rage, I said I’d be going with her. I can’t live without her.

Rob tried to reason that I couldn’t possibly give up my entire life, everything I’ve ever strived for, for a life of hiding, running, and forever looking over our shoulders.

But I could. I would.

Without a doubt, I would.

We empty into FBI headquarters. Rob, her protection detail agents, myself and Ella all wordlessly move through the halls to the same interrogation room where my life was rocked to the core last night. Ironically, her life is about to be rocked even worse.

There are enough chairs to accommodate Farley, Rob, Ella, and me. The two agents who escorted us stand outside. I arrange the chairs, so that Ella is right beside me, without an inch of space between us. She sits tentatively, looking around the room wide-eyed. I lay my arm on the back of her chair, holding her against my side.

Farley enters with the same stoic expression he always sports. His eyes land on Ella. Her eyes widen slightly. He’s a good-looking man. Her reaction is normal.

He smiles warmly, as warm as he can muster. “Ms. Parker,” he says, extending his hand. She trembles as she accepts. “I’m Agent Nick Farley. I’m the supervising agent in charge of this case.”

She nods slowly. I take one of her hands, as she clutches them in her lap and drag it over to mine. She squeezes, but otherwise doesn’t acknowledge me.

“I’m sure you’re confused as to what this is all about.” He sits across from us, beside Rob, and places several folders on the table before him. He looks at Ella for a few seconds before he begins.

“I’m going to start from the beginning.”

Ella sits immobile as Farley slowly, methodically, explains the case surrounding Smyth. He details her mother’s murder, explains my suspicions were accurate, and confirms there is evidence placing Smyth at the scene the night her mother was killed. Ella nods every so often and swipes away a tear or two as they roll down her cheek. When his dissertation becomes graphic with details of the night of the murder, he waits patiently as she sobs. I hold her tighter until she calms.

Farley explains it all except the worst part.

“Do you want a glass of water?” he asks as she tries to regain her composure.

“Yes, please.”

The few minutes it takes for him to accommodate, I bend toward her to whisper encouraging words in a pathetic attempt to console her. They sound so empty. It’s merely a formality, and it upsets me it’s all I can do for her at this moment.

Once she takes a sip of the water offered and settles, Farley continues.

“Ms. Parker, the next part of this brief is the most difficult to relay.” Up until now, his focus was completely on Smyth and her mother’s murder. “You must be wondering why Smyth would target your mother in such a vicious way.”

Ella nods. “Yes.”

“Todd Smyth runs the gym franchise, Social Workouts. The gyms are owned by Mr. Razzo.”

“Yes, I know. He’s a client.”

Farley nods. “Mr. Razzo co-owns them with a silent partner, Mr. Victor Politto Jr.”

“The name isn’t familiar.”

“Mr. Politto is head of the Volante crime family originating out of Chicago.”

Her eyes widen. “Mr. Razzo is in the mob?”

“Yes.”

She looks at me helplessly. “What does this all mean?”

I sigh and look toward Farley. She follows and waits. “Mr. Politto is a second-generation boss. His father was a capo under the control of Mr. Angelo Volante.” Farley explains Volante’s relationship with Politto Sr. and he explains his relationship with Razzo. He then fills her in on the brewing storm between the two men and how it caused Volante’s murder. He tells her everything she needs to know. At the moment, it all means nothing to her.

Farley waits a few moments and pulls out the Regina Volante file. “Ms. Parker, this file is regarding Volante’s wife, Regina Volante. She was the key player in putting Politto Sr. behind bars after her husband’s murder. Because of her evidence against Politto, she was admitted into the Witness Protection Program, WITSEC. She and her daughter were given new identities, moved and settled in a different location, and their murders were staged to lead Politto to believe another family sought revenge on Volante by killing his wife and child.”

Farley slowly slides the folder labeled Regina Volante toward Ella. She looks down at it, confusion marring her features. My heart pounds in my chest over what she’s about to learn. My grip on her hand and my hold on her shoulders tighten. She quickly glances up at me before accepting the folder. Her hand shakes violently as she opens it. When she stares at the picture of her mother, she passes out.

It takes a minute or two for Ella to come to. As I tightly clutch her to my body, I can feel her heart racing in her chest, even while she is still in her subconscious state.

“It’s expected,” Farley voices out loud. “Her reaction is completely normal.”

I press my lips together to refrain from saying what I’m thinking at the moment. “Ella. Baby, wake up.”

She stirs in my lap and slowly opens her eyes. Bewilderment controls her expression before it slowly morphs to panic.

“Shh, babe, don’t move. I got you.”

She leans against me, heeding my advice. After a few minutes, she says, “I’m okay.”

I allow her to leave my lap and settle in her chair beside me. With a shaky hand, she reaches for her water to take a sip.

Rob meets my gaze, the pain evident in his eyes. This is by far the worst day I’ve ever had on the job. It’s arguably the worst day in my life. It should be the night my father killed my mother, but I wasn’t there when it happened. I didn’t have a front row seat to the torment as I do right now. Besides, the outcome could very well be the same. I may be on the verge of losing Ella forever.

“Tell me everything,” she says calmly. A new resolve in her voice replaces the emotional tone she held earlier.

Farley nods and fills Ella in on the balance of this horrific tale. He picks up where she and her mother were moved, their new identities and their participation in the program. He explains what occurred with her mother to have her become complacent, ultimately sealing her fate by contacting Razzo. He explains the indictments, the current arrests, and the goal of charging Politto with murder. He goes on to tell her about Razzo’s participation in the case.

“He looked familiar. That must be why I felt so uneasy around him,” she says out loud, but her faraway look has her in place other than this interrogation room. “On some level I recognized him. He doesn’t want to hurt me?”

“No. Mr. Razzo made a promise to your father, and then later your mother to always look out for you. He means you no harm. When you arrived in New York, he moved Smyth from the Gramercy to the uptown location. Smyth was not supposed to be in the gym the night he saw you. Smyth called Razzo asking him to meet that night with an issue pertaining to Frank Politto’s arrest. Razzo immediately contacted us.”

At her confused expression, he adds, “Mr. Razzo has been cooperating with us on the Politto case. At the moment, we feel Politto Jr. is still unaware you are here in New York. Ella, we believe your mother still had the evidence against Politto Sr. when she was murdered. Do you remember seeing or finding a flash drive of some sort among her possessions?”

“No,” she shakes her head slowly.

“Politto believes Regina still had that evidence, and he believes you now have it.”

“But I don’t.”

“We may never know where it is, but we need to make Politto think we have it.”

“What if he comes after me looking for it?” she asks, unable to hide her fear.

He quickly looks at me before continuing. “We have two choices.”

“No!” I speak for the first time.

Farley raises a brow but doesn’t argue.

“What are they?” she looks at me when she asks. I clench my jaw so tight that I feel I can crack a tooth. She doesn’t have two choices. I told Farley the second choice was not an option. I will not use her to bait Politto.

“Choice number one, you would enter the program immediately. Politto will eventually find out you are here, and when he does, you need to be protected.”

“That means I leave everything?” Again she asks Farley but then quickly looks at me.

“Yes,” he responds. I am unable to respond. The thought causes a knot to crush my windpipe, preventing me to speak.

She shakes her head, “No. No, I can’t do that.”