Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
Remi
“Mmm, that feels nice,” I say with my eyes closed, snuggling in closer. Someone’s petting my hair.
Wait, I know that big hand. Solid chest. Yummy smell.
Opening my eyes, I’m trying to piece together why I’m naked, lying on top of Angelo. I take a quick peek; um, who’s also naked.
“What?” I say, my voice scratchy. Looking around, I see we’re in his bedroom at the weekend house.
“Christ, Remi. You had me worried,” he says, releasing a shaky breath.
“And you have me confused.” I try to scramble off him, but he bands his arms around me.
“You had a mild case of hypothermia. The veterinarian agreed that skin-to-skin contact would best help raise your body temperature.”
“The vet? You called the vet?” I say, eyes wide.
“Would you rather I have called Laurie?” Angelo’s eyebrow lifts.
Oh yeah, now I remember why it’s a bad idea to be naked with this man.
My second attempt to scramble away from him is met with a warning squeeze. “Tell me what happened last night,” he commands.
Giving up trying to outmuscle the man, I settle into the crook of his neck. It is a pretty comfy place to be held hostage. “Mr. Bennett tried to kill me. And while I’m not a fan of your former houseguest floating in the pool policy, I’d make an exception for that man.”
“What?”
“I mean, I’d rather not see it, but let’s just say I won’t have a problem sleeping at night if that were to happen to him.”
“What do you mean, ‘Mr. Bennett tried to kill you?’”
“Mr. Bennett tried to kill me!” I relay what happened at the party.
“Angelo, I had the mayor’s phone in hand!
” I bemoan. “That asshole Bennett held me at gunpoint, took the phone and tossed it in the river, and then he pushed me in.” My chin trembles, and I try to hold it in, but the floodgates open wide, and I begin to cry.
Angelo cradles me close, whispering soothing-sounding words in Italian against my hair.
Eventually, I get myself under control, and I tell him the rest with a sniffle, “Bennet said, ‘A shame you can’t swim.’ How did he know that?”
I glance up, my bleary eyes locking with Angelo’s. His look could give anyone hypothermia. “I don’t know, but I’m about to find out.”
He shifts me off of him and rises, and yes, even though I’ve seen the man naked, I still sneak a peek. Just because I was almost dead doesn’t mean that I am dead!
Angelo steps into his boxers before throwing on a pair of jeans and a shirt. Retrieving his gun from the nightstand, he shoves it inside his waistband. House phone now in hand, he says something hushed in Italian. Hanging up, he returns to the bed, taking a seat beside me.
He leans forward, pressing a gentle kiss to my forehead.
“Stop that,” I whisper.
“What?”
Trying to tear my walls down, because the man’s surprisingly good at it.
He hands me a tissue, and I dab my eyes and change the subject. “I stole the mayor’s phone, so I’m entitled to the money, and my record cleared.”
Angelo’s lips quirk. “If you’re attempting to hustle me, I know you’re feeling better.”
“A deal’s a deal,” I tell him.
“‘Get me the mayor’s phone.’ That was our deal, and it didn’t happen.”
“Because of intervening circumstances beyond my control!” I argue. “Besides, what happened to you?” I poke his chest. “Because you were supposed to be my lookout, and you ghosted me!”
His eyes darken like a turbulent storm. “I was detained by police.”
“What?” I sputter. “Like arrested?”
“Let me deal with those intervening circumstances you speak of, and then we’ll talk.”
Crossing the room in large strides, he opens the door, and Nola comes bounding in, followed by Alessandra.
“Nola!” I say excitedly.
She meows , hopping up onto the bed and rubbing her head underneath my chin.
“Aww, I’m glad to see you too.” I give my cat a big cuddle. “Hey, Alessandra.” I pull up the covers around me, being that I’m still naked.
“Hey. Heard you had a crazy night. I’m glad you’re okay.”
“Thanks. Me too.”
Angelo and his sister exchange something in Italian, and he turns to me. “Rest. I’ll be back in a little while.”
After her brother leaves, Alessandra turns to me. “What do you need? Want me to draw you a warm bath?”
“Thanks, but I spent enough time in water.” I shudder. “I’m good.”
“Right. Sorry. Are you hungry? Corinne’s making you chicken noodle soup.”
My stomach growls as if on cue. “That sounds great.”
“Let me check and see if the soup’s ready. Be right back.” She walks to the door, but lingers. “My brother crashed out when they brought you here, in case you were wondering. Like seriously, I’ve never seen him that upset.”
Unsure what to do with this information, I ask, “What happened to you last night, when it all hit the fan?”
“Let’s see. My brother was taken out of the party in handcuffs. Laurie threw a tantrum, wherein I called her a dumb cunt and threw a glass of champagne in her face, after which I was swiftly escorted out of the party.”
“Are you available for bad bitch lessons?” I say with a giggle.
She rubs her black nails along her shirt. “I have resting bitch face; might as well put it to good use. But don’t think we’re finished with your swim safety lessons.” She points at me. “Treading water saved your life, but barely. It was exhausting, right?”
I don’t answer, because of course, she’s right.
“You’ve got to learn how to float on your back.”
“I’d much prefer the bad bitch lessons,” I say in a disgruntled tone as she walks out.
Nola meows , headbutting me, and I resume petting her.
“What if we move to the desert after all this is said and done? No water in sight.”
Meow.
I sigh, dropping my hand. “What does Angelo have to do with it?”
Meow.
“Nola, I’m not with him. Yes, I’m naked in his bed, but that’s because I nearly froze to death last night!”
Meow.
“Fine, so the man kissed my forehead, but it doesn’t mean anything!”
Meow.
“Ugh, I can’t with you.” I grab a pillow, covering my face.
There’s a knock on the door. “Remi, can I come in?” Maks calls.
“Just a second,” I call, crawling out of bed and throwing on a robe. Climbing back into bed, I pull the covers around me. “You can come in.”
Maks enters holding some kind of device, with Nola hissing at him like crazy. “You don’t want to go another round with me, jungle cat,” he warns Nola before handing me the device.
“What is this?”
“Video console. Play this game for twenty minutes. Do not stop until the timer goes off.”
“Why?” Looking at the screen, it’s one of those falling blocks video games where you have to shift them to line up.
“It’s a post-combat decompression strategy.”
“Knew you were either a former military or a cop,” I gloat.
“Play it,” he says, ignoring my comment. “Your entire focus for twenty minutes.”
“This is weird, but alright.” I press start on the game as the bricks fall.
Without a word, Maks walks out.
Chapter
Angelo
Waiting until each and every household staff member is lined up on the boat dock, I pull out my gun. “Someone has been leaking information about the goings-on in my household. Someone is about to die. And if you don’t come forward and confess, everyone is about to die.”
No one says a word.
“Who has been talking about my houseguest?”
Silence.
I am my gun, taking out the first guard with a bullet to the head.
Muffled cries and gasps of shock as his lifeless body falls into the lake.
“Let’s try this again. Who has been running their mouth about my houseguest?”
Someone sobs, but no one comes forward.
I raise my gun, putting a bullet in the second guard’s skull.
Moving it to the third person in line, Corinne says with a firm voice, “I ain’t about to die today. So somebody better come forward.”
“Boss, I may have said something,” a guard next to Corinne mumbles.
“Out with it.”
“Your girlfriend was asking questions?—”
“She’s not my fucking girlfriend!” I shout.
He trembles. “I’m sorry, boss. Laurie was asking questions. I let slip that you had a houseguest.”
“What else did you let slip?” I hiss. “Did you tell Laurie that my sister was helping this houseguest learn how to swim?”
“Yes,” he says, his voice barely a whisper.
“Anything else?”
He gulps. “Laurie asked if you were sleeping with this woman.”
“And what did you say?”
“That I didn’t know.”
“Thank you for your honesty.” I release him from my gaze, staring down the other staff. “Has anyone else been discussing things they’ve seen or heard inside this household with Laurie?”
“No, boss.”
“With my lawyer, Mr. Bennett?” I press.
“No, boss.”
“With Fabien?”
“No, boss.”
“With anyone else?” I demand.
“No, boss.”
“Very well.” I allow a dangerous calm to settle over me.
And then I aim my gun and blow off the guard’s head.
After a moment of shocked silence, I announce, “His honesty didn’t save him, but it did save the rest of you. Back to work.”
Everyone scurries away, save for Maks, and I fill him in on what Remi told me.
“She had the mayor’s phone.” He moves his hands to his head. “Damn.”
“Damn,” I agree, toeing the lifeless guard’s body into the lake.
“So Laurie was talking to your lawyer, and he recognized Remi at the mayor’s party.”
“It appears so.” I holster my gun. “We all run in the same social circles, but I didn’t realize the two of them were that close. And why would Mr. Bennett want the mayor’s phone so badly that he’d risk murder?” I knew my lawyer was dirty, but I assumed it was more of the white collar variety.
What I get for fucking assuming.
“I don’t know,” Maks says.
“Only one way to find out. I’ll deal with Bennett first. Have him ready for me on the boat after the dock’s cleaned up. Bag Bennett’s phone; I don’t want the last ping coming from my house.”
“You got it, boss. And Laurie?”
“I don’t know if Laurie is complicit, or if she was Bennett’s useful idiot.
For now, put a tail on her.” It’s not that I have a problem killing the woman, but because so much heat is coming down on me right now, I have to play this smart.
A sleazy lawyer I can make disappear a hell of a lot easier than a cancer doctor.
“On it. How’s Remi doing?”
“She’ll be fine.” While I hated leaving her, what I hate more is allowing Mr. Bennett to continue breathing. “And from here on out, Remi’s safety is my top priority.”
He looks like he’s choking on his words.
“Out with it.”
“This woman has brought nothing but chaos into your life.”
“Maybe I need a little chaos in my life. And before you ask who I am, it’s someone who’s already in a bad fucking mood,” I warn.
Remi
“Are we supposed to pretend we didn’t hear gunshots?” I ask Alessandra with a raised brow.
“Yes,” she says in all seriousness, hitting play on her documentary.
There are an estimated 3,569 serial killers in the United States , a narrator says ominously.
“That’s disturbing. Do any of them live under this roof, by chance?” I joke, nursing a mug of hot chocolate.
Alessandra pauses the documentary. “Shhh. You’ve got to watch the intro.”
“I’m watching,” I argue, and she presses play.
They could be anyone. Your neighbor. Your minister. Your child’s teacher. Or even your husband.
“Everyone’s a suspect. Got it.” Having showered and eaten, those two activities have taken what little energy I have left. Placing my hot chocolate on the nightstand—there’s no coaster because no way in hell Angelo Calvani eats or drinks in this room—my eyes flutter closed.
“Not necessarily.” She pauses the show. “Although statistically speaking, a man is more likely to be a serial killer. Now, why are men more likely? That’s open for debate.
Is it testosterone? Cultural norms of men bottling their feelings?
Adverse childhood events? Mental illness? These are unanswered questions.”
She presses play, and the documentary resumes with dramatic music.
“Ohh, right there! Those black, soulless eyes are a total giveaway that he’s a serial killer.”
Not opening mine, I point out, “Doesn’t Maks have pretty dark eyes?”
“Yeah, but he has more psychopathic tendencies. Those are different diagnoses,” she says matter-of-factly.
“And Angelo?” As weird as it is, I’ve never really been afraid of the man. Well, other than our first boating outing, but since I’ve sworn off all bodies of water, that will never be a problem again.
“He doesn’t kill for sport. At least, I don’t think he does.” She pauses, considering. “That would be pretty fascinating if he did.”
I open one eye. “That’s…morbid.”
“I know, right?”
“Should I be worried that you’re a serial killer?” I’m only halfway joking.
Alessandra laughs, pausing the show. “If only I were that interesting. Besides, having accidentally walked in on a man being dismembered, I can assure you blood and gore isn’t my jam.”
“That’s…disturbing.”
“I know, right?” She hits play.