34. Cassidy
When I can walk without my legs wobbling, I let myself out of the guest room and head downstairs.
I won’t be ashamed about what just happened.
Ethan and I are two consenting adults—actually, scratch that. I haven’t really consented to anything that’s happened between us since we met. Does that mean I didn’t enjoy it? No…but that’s not the point.
Is it?
God, I need to eat something and then chase it down with a pitcher of mimosa. Then I’m getting in my car and leaving. I should have abandoned this whole Nancy Drew undercover operation last night already.
As I head for the stairs, a buyer in a white golf shirt comes up, a faint, almost sentimental smile on his face as he glances around.
He spots me as I draw near, his smile becoming wolfish. I immediately wrap my fingers around my pendant, although I don’t know why. I guess I don’t want to give him an excuse to stare at my cleavage. He looks like the kind of guy who’d do that.
“Ma’am,” he says, ducking his head.
“Hi.” I try to sidestep him, but we both end up on the same side of the hallway, doing a brief back and forth as we try to go around each other.
“Why, thank you for the dance,” he says, much too fucking smoothly for my liking. I give him a frosty smile and try to step around him, but this time he purposefully blocks me.
“Beautiful house, isn’t it?” His crow’s-feet deepen as he smiles. “Remington’s going to get a ton of offers for?—”
“Yeah, I’m not looking to buy,” I say woodenly, again trying to sidestep the guy, again being blocked.
“Angelo,” he says, holding out a hand as his eyes slowly rake over my body. “And you are…?”
Annoyed.
But I don’t even want to think what Ethan would do to me if he caught me being rude to a buyer, so I grin and bear it. “Cassidy.”
“So, Cassidy,” Angelo says, shaking my hand. “If you’re not here to buy…?”
“I work for Ethan.”
This makes Angelo’s eyebrows twitch. “As his… assistant?”
“Yeah, sure. Why not,” I mutter. “Now, if you’ll excuse me.” I step to the side, twisting away so I can get past Angelo without our bodies touching.
He grabs my wrist, and his smile turns into a leer. “Odd. He didn’t mention you.”
I give Angelo a hard stare. Why would Ethan mention me to a random buyer?
“I’m new.” When Angelo’s expression doesn’t change, I add, “And temporary.”
This makes his eyes sparkle, and I like that even less than his sleazy smile.
“Well, Ethan’s temporary assistant…” He pulls a business card out of his pants pocket. “Why don’t you give me a call when you’re done? I have something you might be interested in.”
Yeah, like your tiny dick.
“You don’t even know what I do.” I cross my arms over my chest, giving him a glare for good measure.
Angelo’s gaze drops to my cleavage. “I have a pretty good idea.”
Ew.
I release my arms, and quickly wrap my fingers around my mother’s pendant, frowning hard. “The hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Come on, Cassidy,” he croons. “The dress? The jewelry?” Angelo shrugs. “I’ve known Ethan for years. You might have everyone else fooled, but I know exactly who you are.” He steps closer. “I’ve met some of his assistants before. I know the kind of shit he gets up to with them.”
I flinch when Angelo tucks his business card in my dress’s bustier, but thankfully he doesn’t make contact with my skin. I’d have to go scrub my skin with bleach if that happened.
“I’ll be waiting for your call. I’ve been looking for an assistant of my own for quite a while now.”
He walks down the hall, idly peeking his head into one of the guest rooms. I guess he has as much right to view the property as any of the other buyers, but I don’t like it. Not one fucking bit.
“The exit’s that way!” I call out.
Angelo turns, another smile plastered on his face. “I know.”
Despite my misgivings, he seems almost familiar with this place. Was he really such good friends with Ethan?
Close enough that he could maybe fill in some blanks for me?
My chest grows tight with the thought of spending another second speaking to this man, but I’m quite possibly staring a sleazy gift horse in the mouth.
“How do you know Ethan?” I call after him.
Angelo slowly ambles back toward me. We’re back at the same spot where Ethan made me come against the railing, and I cringe as Angelo leans to put his elbow on the railing right where I’d been standing.
Is that a wet spot on the carpet?
“We’re business partners.” Angelo grimaces faintly, but wipes the expression off his face so quickly I might have been my imagination. “Were. Past tense.”
My mind is working overtime. If he worked closely with Ethan, is there a chance he knew about Remington’s appointment with Rebecca?
Cold rushes through my veins.
Of course.
I should have tried searching for ‘becks’ on his laptop. That seemed to be the nickname he used for her. How could I have been so stupid?
The words tumble out of my mouth before I can second guess myself.
“Did you know Becks?”
Angelo’s lips twitch, and for some reason I expect him to snarl. Instead, he gives me a bright, fake smile. “Of course I did.” I don’t like the light in his eyes one bit. “Such a shame what happened. But it was inevitable.”
My blood runs cold. “He, uh, never told me the full story,” I manage weakly.
Angelo quirks up an eyebrow. “I’m not surprised. Only three people know what happened. Becks, Ethan…and me.” He leans in, putting a hand on my arm. “Let me take you out to dinner. I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”
I pull my arm away. “Ethan wouldn’t like that.”
Angelo’s expression goes stiff. “No, of course he wouldn’t.” He straightens and glances away, suddenly bored of me now that I’ve made it clear I won’t be jumping into his bed. “I guess you’ll just have to ask Ethan, then.”
Fuck, I blew it. Why the hell couldn’t I have let this creep think I’d screw him, even just for a second?
Because the thought makes me want to puke.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you?—”
His brash laugh cuts me off as effectively as a slap would have. “Oh, sweetie, no offense taken,” he lies. His eyes narrow as he gives me a last condescending scan. “Ask him what happened the night she disappeared. Maybe he’s a better liar now than he was back then.”
If I hadn’t been resting against the railing, I might have sunk to the ground in shock.
Becks disappeared?
What a fucking coincidence…unless it’s not a coincidence.
What if it’s just history repeating itself.
Mom ran away from her family home when her family couldn’t accept Thomas as her husband.
Then Mom ‘found someone new’ and ran away from me to start a new life.
What if that someone was Ethan?
But she’s not here anymore, which means, either she realized she made a mistake and ran away from him too…or he punished her for trying to leave.
Angelo taps the edge of his business card where it protrudes from my bodice, bringing me back to the here and now with a jolt.
“When you’re ready for the truth…you know how to reach me.”
My jaw tightens as he walks away, but I don’t call him back.
I want to know the truth, all right, but I prefer getting it straight from the horse’s mouth.