Chapter 15
SIMEON
Why is this woman so difficult? Anyone would think she’d be grateful after what she went through, but no. She is acting as if I’m the devil incarnate, and I suppose she has a point.
We arrive at a smart dress shop not far from the hotel and, as always, we head inside under an aura of dark menace.
After advising the other customers to leave, my men place the closed sign on the door and protect it from outside, under instructions to guard every entrance, just in case anyone else rates their chances.
“Is this really necessary? The poor woman is terrified.”
Alice hisses under her breath as she flashes a brilliant smile at the rather concerned looking shop assistant.
I’m positive the concern is due to the immense bruising on Alice’s face, and I die a little inside. I have never struck a woman and never will, and yet it’s pretty obvious everyone who sees Alice believes I’m the aggressor.
I don’t like it. I hate the judgment in their nervous smiles and am fighting the urge to explain it wasn’t me to anyone who will listen.
Alice peruses the rails while I take a seat, flicking through my phone, more as a distraction than anything else.
Jack is keeping me updated because shit got real pretty damn fast back at the airfield and massacring an entire plane full of scum will have consequences.
I must give the pilot a bonus for his quick thinking in aborting the take-off. He would have seen our cars and had confirmation from Jack’s message on his phone. I admire his bravery and congratulate myself on recruiting the best and dash off a text to Jack to arrange full payment for his services.
Alice slips into the changing room armed with several outfits, and I briefly wonder how much money Sister Agatha allowed them. As far as I know the sister’s inheritance hasn’t come through and their allowance is currently being controlled by their wrongly named stepmother.
The assistant disappears into the room with Alice and I resume my scrolling, dashing out a quick text to my guard who is acting as my second in command in Jack’s absence.
With a smirk, I carry on scrolling, wondering how long it takes for a woman to choose a freaking outfit.
It’s not something I’m used to. I don’t hang around women’s dress shops, and now I know why. It’s boring as fuck, and so I call Jack for an update.
“Boss.”
“What’s the situation?”
“Officials paid off, bodies secured on the plane and currently hovering on the edge of the hold over the Pyrenees.”
His low chuckle mirrors my own reaction to that statement as I picture Liam Dettori and the fucking gardener plunging to a snowy grave where hopefully nobody will ever find them.
“The crew has a job in cleaning the aircraft, but I’m confident all traces of Liam and his men will be destroyed.”
“Any word on the fallout?”
“Only that Sydney Dettori sent you a bunch of flowers earlier today with her cell number attached.”
“Fuck.” I roll my eyes. “The black widow indeed.”
“Some say she’s worse than Liam, and after her intervention caused his death, I’m inclined to agree with them.”
“So, she will divert attention from us in return for our silence?”
“Of course. I spoke with her today, and she assured me of her gratitude and any assistance in the future.”
“Is she up to taking over an empire?”
I have my doubts and Jack laughs out loud. “I wouldn’t underestimate her. She’s learned her trade well, and the guards will bow to their new mistress because she will be considered an easier boss than the one who went before her.”
I’m aware that only a select few of Liam’s guards were on that flight, and Jack adds in a low whisper, “Word is that Mason Harvey is sweet on her, anyway. They’ve been having an affair for months and as Liam’s consigliere it makes sense that they run the Dettori mafia together.”
“A happy ending for all. I like that.”
“The jet is leaving New York. It should be with us in around nine hours.”
“I’ll meet you there, but we may have to make a detour along the way, and I want you to prepare for that.”
“Detour?”
“The Goldsworthy head office. Get down there and secure the building and perimeter. Find out who works there, any skeletons that could jump out on us, and intel on Edward Goldsworthy himself.”
“Consider it done.”
I cut the call knowing that Jack will have everything covered before we get there. I’m leaving nothing to chance, not anymore, and whether she likes it or not, Alice Zaferelli won’t leave Switzerland as a single woman.
I turn my attention to the next part of my plan and locate the number of the city registrar.
It doesn’t take long to complete the necessary arrangements and, as weddings go, this one will be straight out of the business handbook rather than the storybooks.
Now my mind is settled, I’m back in control and as I lean back in my chair, it strikes me that the assistant and Alice have been in there for some time. I run my fingers through my hair and groan inside. Why do women like shopping so much, and why did God use it to punish the men who follow them?