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department.”
    â€œSo if the police find you—”
    â€œI’ll probably be arrested, and could potentially end up like Coates, dead in my cell.” Michael scrunched the empty wrapper in his fist. “Which is one of the reasons why I’ve been looking for evidence. Not just evidence that Valez is laundering money through his business, or that he’s La Sombra, but evidence of who’s working within the department.”
    â€œAnd once you know who the bad cops are, you can go to the authorities?”
    Michael nodded. “Now that I’ve bared my soul, what about you and your brother? What were you doing at Antonio Valez’s house?”
    Olivia hesitated, her eyes shifting toward her brother. “I’m . . . a reporter.”
    He blinked. That was not the answer he’d expected. “I know the man well enough to know that he’d never invite a reporter onto his property.”
    He waited for her response, understanding that she had no reason to trust him.
    â€œI really am a reporter,” she began. “Working on an investigation.”
    Michael shook his head. He didn’t buy it. “I know Antonio. He doesn’t let just anyone venture onto his private property. Especially not reporters.”
    â€œMaybe I’m not just anyone.”
    Michael didn’t miss the look she shot her brother. There had been something familiar about her the first time he’d seen her. He searched his mind for the connection, but still couldn’t find one.
    â€œBesides being a reporter, who are you? A family friend?”
    â€œSomething like that. My mother and he were . . . friends.”
    â€œHow close of friends?”
    Her gaze dropped, and he wanted to let her off the hook. But too much was at stake. He needed to know the truth.
    â€œListen, Olivia, we’ve both been through a lot today. I wasn’t lying when I told you I’d been working for Valez as an undercover cop. And as for the situation we’re in right now, I’m sorry you were dragged into this, but like it or not, we’re in this together. Which means we’re going to have to help each other.”
    Ivan put his hand on her shoulder and nodded when she looked up at him. “Tell him. Tell him the truth.”
    Olivia turned away, jaw tensed, mouth tight. Then she whispered, “He’s our father.”
    Michael leaned forward, not sure he heard her right. “Your father ?”
    Her voice took on a new resolve, as if she were tired of slamming her head against a brick wall and needed another way around. “She was his mistress, though he never called her that. No matter who Antonio Valez really is, I’ll always believe he loved her. We lived in a house he paid for outside of Atlanta and saw him a couple times a year.”
    â€œBut you didn’t know who he was?”
    â€œNo. Not until now.” Tears glistened in her eyes as he waited for her to go on. She pulled her cell phone out of her pocketand slid it across the top of the vinyl seats. “I need to show you something.”
    Michael took the phone, surprised at her change of heart. “You’ve decided to trust me?”
    â€œDo I have a choice? As much as I don’t want to, I believe you. A couple of weeks ago, I started receiving emails from an address I didn’t recognize.”
    â€œWhat kind of emails?”
    â€œThe sender wanted me to look into Antonio Valez. They started out by claiming he wasn’t just a real estate mogul but was laundering money for the cartel.”
    Michael started reading through the message that was on the screen. “Why involve you?”
    â€œI don’t know. I assumed it was someone who knows he’s my father. Most people don’t know my story, though I suppose it wouldn’t be impossible to trace if someone tried.”
    â€œHow many more emails are there?”
    â€œFive.”
    â€œDid you go to the