Chapter 37
London Town
Quickly, I put the gun aside to fling myself at Isaac for a hug.
“Thank fuck you’re alright,” he murmurs, clutching me tightly.
“What are you doing here? You can’t…how? When?”
“If you think any of us were going to allow either of you to be in a foreign country without back up of some kind, you need more tea.”
“It’s coffee.” I step back, letting him into the room.
“My point exactly. I haven’t spent months teaching you how to make a proper cup for you not to make it in my home country.”
“Sue me.”
He smirks, placing a briefcase and another bag onto the table near the door.
He’s wearing jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, very casual.
Isaac starts for the small kitchenette, glimpsing towards the bed around the corner where Leo sleeps.
I grab my coffee mug, coming over to stand near him as he starts refilling the kettle.
“Flew in a few hours ago,” he explains. “Leo knew I was coming, you must’ve been asleep when we told him.”
“Probably.”
“Well…” he looks over his shoulder towards Leo again, “…him getting rest is for the best. As for my being here, it’s other European countries I’m not quite welcome in. I’m not exiled from England. Yet.”
He better not be lying about the MI6 thing.
“How’s Leanne?”
“Worried about you, but also was the one who said I should be the one to come. I think my nerves we’re getting to her.” He puts the kettle back into place, turning it on. “But she’s safe.”
“How are you two? I don’t want to pry, but I could use some good news. Something uplifting, even a funny date.” I clutch the mug. “Anything, even if simple.”
His smile turns tender, turning away to grab his tea of choice.
“Given the circumstances, we’ve been good. Leanne is wonderful, incredibly smart, and almost too intuitive. I’ve not had many good relationships due to jobs and lifestyle, so she’s the first I’ve felt this…communicative. Not to mention, her ability to make me feel like one of a kind.”
I smile back as he goes through the motions of making himself a cup of tea. He finishes, turning around to lean against the small sink towards me.
“She may get mad at me telling you first, but I’m sure she’d like you to know,” he says, and I raise my brows. “I admitted I loved her a couple weeks ago, and she reciprocated the feeling.”
I slap my hand over my mouth, almost spilling my coffee as I try not to be loud enough to wake Leo. He chuckles at my predicament trying to stay quiet.
“How dare you do that when I can’t be loud.” I point at him.
“But her reaction to you trying not to wake your husband may be worth it.”
I smack him.
There’s a grumble as Leo stirs in the bed. Well, not very successful.
“Is he wearing pants this time?” Isaac swears under his breath when I shake my head, and he turns away as Leo gets out of bed.
I glance over at Leo’s nudity, hiding my grin behind my mug. Leo grabs a pair of pants, pulling them on before walking over.
“You’re early,” he tells Isaac.
“Figured she’d be awake, even with the time difference.”
Leo grunts, coming up beside me. His hand strokes through my hair, and then leans in to kiss my temple with a sleepy sigh.
I almost want to shove him back into bed.
Apart from the plane ride, he was up for over 24 hours, not to mention riding for hours at night and getting us to this hotel.
Knowing he won’t, I gesture to the coffee, and he pours himself a cup.
“No tea, boss?” Isaac jokingly asks.
Leo glares at him, then goes to sit at the table near the window. “Why are you so early?”
I go to sit next to him, Isaac remaining by the sink. “Items to discuss before you’re on and off the phone with Jameson and others.”
“Such as?”
“Perhaps, wait until you finish your coffee. Or had breakfast.”
“Might as well dive in, not going anywhere,” I say with a sigh. “Can’t be that bad, after the last…” Isaac’s face turns into a worried frown, “…or not.”
Leo sips his coffee, putting the mug down with a clatter.
I can’t help a small flinch, my shoulders rising at the noise.
Leo flicks his gaze to me, right as I stare down at the table.
Oh, good, those reactions have decided to rear their ugly head.
He reaches over, gently sliding his hand over my shoulder.
I let out a soft exhale, placing my hand over his as I give him a tentative smile.
“We’d rather know than wait,” Leo says gruffly.
Isaac sighs, relenting to our demand and puts his tea down. “After being missing for the past week or so, Charlotte was found dead. Police were keeping it on the down low, because they thought she was a victim of a serial killer, except when they found her body nothing matched their MO.”
Leo’s expression darkens with a frown. While horror slithers over me.
“What?” I rasp.
“We thought giving her a new identity would’ve kept her safe, to start over in California,” Isaac admits. “Apparently not.”
“How was she found?” Leo asks.
“Construction workers on a job site. Single bullet to the head, but there were marks on her wrists from being handcuffed, including her ankles.” He clears his throat, averting his gaze from me.
“There’s evidence of sexual assault, and she was dressed in nothing but a silk robe.
She was also put in messy make up that looked from the 80s, and her hair was permed. ”
A scene flashes through my head. My chest feels heavy, bricks laying on it. I ask, “What color was the robe?”
Isaac frowns, but goes over to the briefcase he brought in and brings it over, opening it. He flicks through the papers, shuffling them.
“Light purple, lavender with, uh…”
“Pink lining,” I finish.
Leo’s hand drops from my shoulder, rubbing his face in frustration. Isaac looks between us, putting the papers down. “Miss Autumn, how’d you know that?”
“Scarface,” I answer. “Honestly surprised I remembered that detail, but Al Pacino has been on my mind lately.” Leo’s hand falls to the table. “That’s what Gina wore, Tony’s sister, after he thought she betrayed him…marrying Manny in secret. Although it wasn’t Tony who killed her.”
“Well, that’s not all,” Isaac clears his throat. “Before she died, someone carved Sullivan into her back.”
I stare down at my mug, thoughts racing going through movies, and I feel sick when I make the connection. “The Departed,” I whisper.
My thoughts whirl, beginning to blame myself for what happened to Charlotte.
Except, she chose to help Gabriel. Believed him.
Much like…those characters. It wasn’t mine or Leo’s fault what Gabriel’s done, pulling every trigger.
It didn’t make it easier as a sadness comes over me, pitying her that she received that brutal of an end.
“He’s really banking on me knowing my movies,” I whisper.
“Gabriel would’ve had time to go out there, and then to Rome,” Leo says, exhaling sharply. “Barely, but the timeline fits.”
“Caltz was understandable to get rid of, but why Charlotte? Or is this just a sick message to you both?” Isaac asks.
“He’s cleaning up loose ends,” Leo answers, picking up his mug as he becomes far too calm.
“Loose ends?” Isaac asks, grabbing his tea.
“Caltz was Autumn’s handler, and got Steve out, both who screwed up getting rid of Autumn. Charlotte ruined his inside mole operation by getting caught. We took care of Curione and DeLuca who fucked up his coup.”
Basically, we helped him. Fuck.
“All of them had information that he wanted, and he doesn’t want to share,” Leo adds. “He loses valuable control that way.”
“Matteo could be on his hit list then,” Isaac suggests. “He was part of it all.”
“Not to mention him knowing about Giovanna, and going to Vincenzo,” I whisper. “He’s tried to kill him before, too. What if he finally does?”
Leo’s jaw works, brows pulled together in concentration.
“If that’s so, then we keep Matteo under lock and key,” Leo instructs.
“He’s already at the warehouse,” Isaac says.
“The warehouse?” I ask.
“Can’t take him to the estate, still compromised,” Isaac explains. “Nowhere else will have enough space for security to watch him and look for Gabriel. Maybe if we put him into an apartment somewhere.”
“Why not the hotel?” Both men exchange a look, confused by my suggestion. “Security is practically doubled there. Use a room on a random floor. It’s big enough, that when we get home, we won’t interact either. And…Gabriel probably won’t think Leo will keep him there.”
“Then what? Give him a job?” Isaac asks incredulously.
I shrug.
Isaac blinks at me, and then looks up at the ceiling. There’re his thoughts on that. Leo’s face becomes deep with concern, brows furrowed.
“Look, better than just ‘locking him up’ or whatever,” I say, sitting back and wrapping my arms around myself. “It can be something menial to keep him busy.”
“Perhaps it’s because I wasn’t here, Miss Autumn…
” Isaac starts, and then clears his throat, “…and I will be blunt. He tried to kill you, and this time with his own hands.” My hand wanders up towards my throat, tears threatening to come.
“You’re quite a forgiving person, but you don’t need to be now. ”
My fingers trace over where his hands were, an ache falling over me as my jaw clenches. I stare at the coffee mugs, chest tightening.
“There’s no penance for you to pay for his wrongs,” Isaac continues softly.
Leo’s chair creaks as he shifts in his seat.
“You don’t need to save him for your sake or Leo’s because what Gabriel’s done.
Young or not, he’s made his decisions, and is grown enough to understand them.
You do not have to give him forgiveness, Autumn.
You’re not a monster for not giving that. ”