Lappell to marry Norah, and if he thought that Voltaggio would try and get rid of him next, he would desperately and impulsively act out. It was simple really. Clint received the fake information about a hit on him. He goes to you, based on the recommendation from the chapter that I put in place. Then he puts a real hit on Voltaggio, and convinces Norah to go to New York. Then Samuel finds out about the hit on him through his contacts, because I made sure word got round. Samuel then, quite predictably, tried to get Norah to discover the hit so she would end her relationship. Eventually, they just cancelled each other out.”
“But Voltaggio didn’t tell the girl anything about the hit. You asked me to get my associate to give her the contract at that party.”
“Yes, and I thank you for that. That night when I saw him at the Club, I told him I was going to help him and Norah, and that I was trying to put together that deal. Voltaggio gave up his mission to expose Weston when the deal I put together was put into motion. I guess he figured he could tell her when everything was settled between the families.” He rubbed his neck as he spoke again. “I couldn’t let that happen. She needed to believe Voltaggio put a hit on Weston first, starting the whole thing.”
Gee, talk about a master manipulator. I didn’t know whether to be scared or impressed by this young man. “That was quite a risk you took. It could have gone many different ways,” I pointed out.
He shrugged like it didn’t matter anymore, because he had achieved what he set out to do. I guess wondering what could have been was stupid now, and he obviously had planned this well. “That’s what I do Devon. Deals and risk assessment. I’m trained to assess people’s reactions and the probability of what they would do in business and personal situations. I find the deals which benefit the Lappell all the time. It just so happened that I found a deal that would benefit me too.”
Spoken like a true Lappell prodigy.
“Yes, bringing together the Voltaggios and the Rossis for that contraband shipping deal was a stroke of genius. But aren’t you scared that Voltaggio will suspect you in all this and go after you?”
He huffed, almost laughing. “Voltaggio thinks I’m a saint bringing down that family feud and getting the hit called off. He doesn’t suspect me at all. And there is no way he will talk to Weston about this. He probably thinks Weston concocted the whole thing.”
It’s true, he did look like the hero in all this, and for the most part, he was. What he did for this girl was a lot, but I knew from experience that lies have a way of coming back to haunt you. He may have done everything with the best intentions, but he still may not be able to escape how this all began. “You know, she might go back to either of them if she discovers you orchestrated all this.”
He breathed heavily, contemplating the possibility in his head. It no doubt had weighed on his mind. “You are right. She might go back to Clint or even Samuel if she finds out I set this all up. But she won’t, will she? Because I still have that information you need to keep secret.”
It sounded like a threat, but I knew he needed me to protect him as much as I needed him to protect me. It was more an understanding between us. A mutual agreement. “Yes. It’s imperative it remains secret. I never want my relatives’ identities to be revealed.” He nodded at me and gave me a look like two men do when they shake hands, sealing a deal.
“So, how did you find out Tess was my niece?”
I had to know.
“She was always weird around me. She never looked me in the eyes. Always avoided conversation. It was like she was trying to hide something. People who know more than they should about the Lappell usually act that way. Plus, I looked into all of Norah’s friends. I needed to know what I could work with, and when I came across your connection, I knew it could end up being very useful. Tess doesn’t know about my involvement does she?”
He looked at me to study my reaction to see if he could pick up on any hint of