Chapter Twenty-Eight #2
“Mom never talks about his accident,” I said quietly.
My voice went a little scratchy, and I joined Gordon in gazing off into the distance.
“But I’ve always wondered,” I added truthfully. “What can you tell me about it?”
Gordon looked at me sharply, but I kept my eyes on the windows.
“The police said it was brake failure,” he said, choosing his words carefully.
That was what the police reported. Did Gordon think otherwise? Did he know otherwise?
“Did the car have a current inspection?”
Gordon shrugged. “I’m not sure. It was your grandmother’s. But, sweetheart…”
My shoulders tensed. If he chose this moment to hug me, I might vomit.
“…sometimes it doesn’t help to wonder.”
Ha. Didn’t help me or didn’t help him, especially if I suspected murder?
“I know, but it hurts not to know,” I said. No need to hide a lie that time.
Gordon nodded gravely. “I understand, but why not remember the good instead of the bad?”
In any other context, I might have agreed. But not when it came to hiding an ugly truth.
Roux cleared his throat. “Forty-five minutes left to catch the train.”
Factoring in the walk to the station, that meant we had to get moving soon.
Part of me longed to keep up the amateur sleuthing. But probing any deeper would arouse Gordon’s suspicions. I hadn’t voiced my concerns to Mina before, but I was ready to now. The moment I got home, I would talk to her.
Then I corrected myself. The moment I got home, I would shag Roux senseless. Then I would talk to Mina.
Still, I was ready to push Gordon on one last topic.
“Oh!” I exclaimed, turning to Roux. “Didn’t Gordon promise a premium for finding the artwork before it was damaged or destroyed?”
Gordon’s eyes just about bugged out of his head.
“€10,000 each, right?” I went on.
Roux’s eyes told me not to push my luck.
“And really, the whole team made it possible,” I threw in. “Henrik, Marius, and Bene too.”
“You said it was an easy in-and-out operation,” Gordon growled at Roux.
Roux scratched his cheek, clearly torn.
Well, I wasn’t. “That part was easy. Gathering information and tracking down the painting took a lot of work,” I said.
A hurricane raged in Gordon’s eyes, and Roux shook his head to defuse things.
“Not necessary, sir.”
Earlier, Roux had told me that Gordon had offered him €25,000 to keep me safe and that he had no intention of cashing in on the reward.
Whatever I did, I did for you, not for Gordon, he’d practically snarled.
Typical Roux — too principled for his own good.
Well, I, for one, would be happy to squeeze a bonus out of Gordon.
So, squeeze I did. Mercilessly.
“Of course it’s necessary,” I insisted. “Gordon is a man of his word. Aren’t you?” I smiled up at him sweetly.
The room vibrated with magical energy, and he gritted his teeth.
“Of course, but—”
“Really not necessary,” Roux murmured, meeting my eyes.
I refuse to have that hanging over us, he whispered into my mind.
Well, I wouldn’t mind having that much cash to hang anywhere. Still, I had to respect his point.
I thought quickly, then stuck up a finger. “Oh! Wait. I have an idea.”
Roux looked at me in alarm. Another one?
“Doesn’t your contract end soon?” I asked him.
He had the grace not to rattle off the exact number of days, minutes, and hours, as Bene would. He just nodded. “Next week.”
“What about terminating those contracts immediately? Instead of a cash reward, I mean.” I looked at Gordon. “I know better than anyone how generous Gordon can be, but maybe that’s a simpler solution.”
Bene would grouse about letting €10,000 slip away, but I doubted Gordon would pay out anyway.
Terminating their contracts, on the other hand, wouldn’t cost him a cent, and I had the feeling he looked forward to being rid of the guys as much as they looked forward to being rid of him. So, a win-win for everyone.
Especially me, because I would get a tiger shifter all to myself for a well-deserved break — and a much-needed heart-to-heart.
“Not a bad idea,” Roux admitted.
Gordon’s eyes blazed stubbornly, but a moment later, he relented.
“Fine. I’ll send the paperwork through later today.” He scowled and looked around, remembering he no longer had an assistant to help with such things.
“I’ll ask Mina to draft an addendum,” I said. “She’s good at that kind of thing.”
Mina hated me volunteering her for anything, but I figured she wouldn’t mind in this particular case.
Gordon’s expression remained sour, but he nodded. “That would be helpful.”
Roux tapped his watch.
“Oh — the train,” I said cheerily. “We should get going.”
I hugged Gordon, a gesture made more palatable by my little victory with the contracts. Then I scooted out the door, right behind Roux.
Just when I thought we were home free, Gordon called out sharply.
“Wait!”
I gulped and turned slowly, bracing myself for an onslaught of magic. Would Gordon probe my mind as he had before? Would he try to wipe my memory, as Grepper had done to his Hot Young Thing?
“Yes?” My voice wavered.
Gordon’s eyes pierced mine. Then he cleared his throat and murmured, “Just a moment.”
When he disappeared into the study, Roux squeezed my hand and whispered, “If he tries something, run for the stairs.”
God, I hoped that wouldn’t be necessary.
Gordon returned, carefully rolling my father’s painting. He slid it carefully into the storage tube, then handed it to me.
“You take it. My gift to you and your sister. I love you all, you know. Your whole family.”
He said it so gruffly, so genuinely, that a corner of my heart melted. No matter how I searched for a hint of a lie, I couldn’t find one. Just sincere, bottomless sorrow.
Which made me more conflicted than ever. What did it all mean?
I found myself hugging him again. “Thank you, Gordon. For everything.”
Then I peeled away and walked out the door, waving goodbye.