Liam and I made it to the bureau after twenty minutes of a torturous car ride. It was filled with silence and tension that could be cut with a knife.

I had a hard time believing what was about to happen. It came out of nowhere and I had no idea that Liam thought of me in any way other than just being partners and friends.

I had to admit that we became quite close over the course of the last period, and we were now really good friends. He was one of the few people in my life I trusted and could be myself around. Not only that, but I felt he could always bring out the best in me, and even bring delight to my life. I was glad to have him by my side.

Still, what baffled me the most was that I didn't stop him and that my body felt as if it were screaming for that kiss. Was I developing feelings toward him? I mean, any girl would. He was ridiculously handsome. And although he made people think he was arrogant and cold-hearted all the time, it wasn't true. He was actually kind and sincere. But we were work partners and I couldn't be falling for him, could I?

Thinking about my past, I never believed that I had ever had a genuine relationship before, or that I had experienced what falling in love felt like. But what I was currently feeling was so strange and overwhelming that I couldn't really put it into words.

I shook my head, trying to clear my mind, as I needed it to be well-functioning for the sake of the case.

We arrived at Agent Craven's office. He was going through a file, but he put it down the second he noticed us. "Hey, it's good you were able to return quickly."

"What happened?" Liam asked.

I could tell that he was irritated. And I noticed that he avoided looking at me throughout the entire ride here. I couldn't really blame him because I was basically doing the same thing.

"We have interviewed most of Gerard Warner's employees, and there's one thing they all agreed on," Ian began. "Apparently, Warner had a huge fight with one of his business partners a few days prior to his death. They say it was so heated that Warner had to kick him out, and he told the security to never let him step a foot in the company ever again."

"Did you figure out who that partner is?" I asked.

Ian smirked a little before he handed each of us a file. It had information about a man named Seth Mancini.

"Seth Mancini. He's of Italian descent. He owns a large group of casinos and hotels all around the country. What's so special about this man is that he's a renowned crime lord. He has been involved in drugs and arms trafficking, money laundering, counterfeiting, assault, and the list goes on." Ian shrugged as he summarized the file to us.

"And why exactly is that man out of prison?" Liam scoffed, raising one of his eyebrows.

"Things aren't easy with organized crime, as you may think. It's hard and sometimes even impossible to get rid of the bosses—the crime lords. They always find a way out. Like someone else taking the blame for them or making evidence disappear. They also have important acquaintances everywhere, even here," Ian said flatly. "And if you were lucky enough to put them in prison, that's not a problem, as they can make it their little empire. Even if they die, someone else always takes over. It's a cycle that never ends."

Liam narrowed his eyes to a squint but said nothing. He just concentrated his gaze on the file in his hand. It was good to see him speechless, though.

I looked at the file again and Mancini's picture caught my eye. It gave me an eerie feeling. He felt oddly familiar.

"I think we should pay him a visit," Liam finally said with a sigh, and we agreed.

***

We knew Mancini was currently at one of his casinos in the heart of the city. We headed there to ask him a few questions, and to see if he knew anything about what had happened to Warner. Although we knew it would be difficult to get the truth out of him, it was still worth a shot.

There were a couple of bodyguards standing in front of the casino. They were double the size of both Ian and Liam, and they were certainly armed. We flashed our badges in their faces and asked to meet Mancini. They gave us heated glares and went to inform Mancini about our presence. One of them came after a good ten minutes and motioned for us to get inside.

Loud voices filled my ears immediately, and the place was scented with the smell of alcohol and tobacco. Very few people noticed us as we passed by them as the majority looked intoxicated and the rest were busy gambling.

We followed the guard to a separate room. He opened the door and gestured for us to get in. It was an office, and Mancini was sitting behind a large mahogany desk.

He was in his mid-fifties. He wore a three-piece tailored suit that gave him the impression of the powerful businessman he aimed for. His hair was a mixture of salt and pepper, and he had a perfectly styled goatee beard. His eyes looked like those of a dangerous hawk, studying its prey. He was looking at us coldly as his lips twitched into a malicious smirk.

"I wonder what brings the feds to me this time," he said, clasping both of his hands. "How can I help you, Agents?"

"We need to ask you a few questions about Gerard Warner," Liam was the first to respond.

"Oh, poor Gerard. I heard about the unthinkable tragedy that happened to him. This is really sad. He was such a good man," he said in an obvious, fake, sad tone before he opened a box that was on his desk. He brought out a cigar and lit it.

I could see some kind of black ink on his right hand, but it was a little vague. I focused on it for a few seconds. My eyes widened in recognition, and I felt my blood turning to ice water in my veins.

It was that same tattoo...

Could it ever be possible?

I felt my heart racing inside my chest, and the oxygen was becoming scarce in the room with every second passing. I looked at Mancini again and I could see that he was looking at me, too. His cold, glassy eyes were making me feel bare.

I could see Liam looking at me with concern clouding his eyes.

He approached me and whispered. "Alex, are you okay?"

I wanted to say something, but no words came out of my mouth. I just nodded and hoped that he would buy it. He clearly didn't, as he kept looking at me with narrowed eyes.

"So, Mr. Mancini, how exactly did you know Gerard Warner?" Ian asked, drawing attention to him instead. I was thankful for that.

"He was one of my whales. He used to spend hundreds of thousands in one game," Mancini said as he put the cigar between his lips, then he blew the smoke carefully.

The smell made me feel nauseous.

"We heard about your little fight. Could you enlighten us about what happened?" Liam asked in a challenging tone.

Mancini gave us a sardonic look. He had to know that we were pointing fingers at him.

"It was nothing. I'm sure I would have seen him in the casino in no time as if nothing had happened. Well, if he hadn't gotten himself killed, of course." He drummed his fingers on the table, an enigmatic smile on his face. "I'm sorry to inform you that you're looking in the wrong place. As I said, Warner was a high roller—his death cost me a lot."

"But he kicked you out of his office. Didn't you find that humiliating?" I found myself asking. It was the first time I spoke since we came here. "And what do you mean exactly by saying "gotten himself killed"?"

His smile turned into a frown as he looked at me, and I could see that I had gotten under his skin. He slammed his hands on his desk, looking at us sharply.

"If you have anything on me, you could arrest me right now. If not, then you're just wasting my time, and it would be great if you spared me the trouble and decided to leave," he seethed. "And the next time you come here, please remember to bring a warrant."

We left his office after giving him one last look that meant things were far from being over. We knew he was hiding something, and we had to figure it out no matter what.

We got into the car and Ian started driving back to the bureau. Liam concentrated his gaze on me every once in a while, but I didn't even bother to return the look. I was lost in thought.

I remembered that Mancini was the same man I had seen before in the fundraising auction with that same tattoo. Could it be a mere coincidence, or did I just face the man who brutally murdered my parents?

Could my hunch have been real all this time? Could this case have something to do with my parents' murder? Was I actually close to the people who did it?

At that moment, my head felt as if it were going to run into a short circuit. Countless questions with no valid answers kept nibbling at it like a hungry rat.

All I knew was that there was something invisible, yet so strong tying me to this case. And I was determined more than ever. I had to find all the pieces of the puzzle and get to the bottom of the mystery, no matter what it took...