The Assassin
“Do you want to check the plumbing system too?” Dante asked, a smile in his voice.
Ignoring him, I continued my inspection of the bathroom in the penthouse apartment he’d taken me. “How secure is the building?”
“Twenty-four hour doormen, key-card access only to this suite, and surveillance cameras covering every single hallway. Miles has some compact ones if you’d like to squeeze some around the apartment. I just figured she might want some privacy.”
I could handle the interior surveillance on my own. I didn’t trust Simone’s mental state right now. I needed to keep an eye on her - make sure she didn’t do anything stupid.
“Thanks for doing this for me,” I told him as I walked out of the bathroom.
He was leaning against the wall opposite the doorway with his hands shoved in his pockets. “Of course,” he replied. “Compared to the many favors you’ve done for me, this is a small ask.”
Together, we strolled back down the hall towards the living room. “And everything’s all set at the corporate building?”
“Yup. Lexie already pushed everything through HR, so she’ll be able to start whenever she’s ready to.”
I nodded. “Good.”
“Should we expect you often?”
I opened and closed my mouth, hesitating to give an answer.
There was nothing more I hated than loose ends - especially ones with knots that kept pulling you back.
But, Maria’s boyfriend was here. And if Maria visited, she might expect to see me too.
That’s if she could still stand the sight of my face after this.
The front door opened and footsteps clicked against the glossy marble floor, saving me from responding.
“Wow!” Simone’s voice echoed through the hall. “This place is gorgeous!”
Lexie’s giggle followed. “I’m glad you like it!”
The girls walked up the hall, appearing in the large doorway of the living room with shopping bags in their hands.
My brows almost rose at the sight of Simone.
Her long braids were gone, replaced by a pixie cut composed of small curls.
With the absence of her hair, her high cheekbones and sharp jawline stood out.
Light makeup, likely from their shopping rendezvous, emphasized her plump lips and curve of her eyes.
Confidence oozed from her shoulders as she looked at us and smiled. “What do you think?” She asked.
Rarely was I ever at a loss for words. Especially not twice in the same moment. Only Simone could leave me speechless.
“I think the silence speaks for him,” Dante said. “Done knocked him clean off his rocker.”
Simone laughed.
“Come on,” Lexie said, nudging Simone’s arm. “Let’s go put your stuff away while Mateo rebuffers.”
“Put it away?” Simone asked, her brows creasing. She tilted her head. “Are we staying here long?”
Lexie sighed in exasperation. “You didn’t tell her?”
Simone’s eyes bounced between me and Lexie. “Tell me what?”
“We should go,” Dante said, stepping towards his wife.
She dodged his hand as he reached for it, her eyes trained on Simone.
Crossing her arms, Simone shot daggers at me. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“You’re staying here,” I told her.
“What?” She exclaimed, all the happiness draining from her face.
“This is your new apartment. You’ll work for Lexie’s company in their legal department, and-”
“No! I am not staying here! You promised you were going to help me!”
“I am helping you! What the fuck do you think is going to happen if you confront your godfather? You don’t have the guts to kill him!”
“You don’t know that!”
“I do! You spent your last lifetime as a fucking fed! You want to protect people, not murder them! Your heart isn’t black enough to do it!”
“And yours is?” She countered, raising a brow.
I glared at her, my blood boiling at the insinuation. “You don’t know me or my heart!”
“Clearly,” she spoke between clenched teeth. Turning on her heel, she made a beeline down the hall towards the bedroom door. “Don’t worry! I’ll lock myself up, so you won’t have to!”
Lexie placed a hand up before I could try to go after her. “I’ve got her,” she told me. She rushed after Simone and slipped inside just before she slammed the door.
“Well, that went better than I expected,” Dante said. “I thought she was going to whoop your ass.”
I rolled my eyes at him.
But honestly, I’d take bruises over her silence any day. Fighting meant she cared. I couldn’t say the same for the thick silence she left behind.
My pager buzzed on my hip, reminding me how little time I had to fix this.