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“You don’t find what happened upstairs weird as shit?” I asked.
“Oh, absolutely.” He nodded. “Him allowing the kids to be here all the time? It almost seemed like something shifted at my suggestion and a lightbulb went off in his mind.”
I pointed at him. “That!”
“Yep,” he threw his arms out to the side. “And making me move my office here?”
“He’s trying to get everyone together to protect them better but doesn’t want to be obvious about it.”
Pursing his lips, he stared up at the corner of the room at the disabled camera before bringing his gaze back to me. “You know, if he does tell me anything, I can’t tell anyone if he doesn’t want me to.” I opened my mouth to speak, but he continued, “He hasn’t don’t worry. I’m just saying I’m not breaking my brother-in-law’s trust. Love you to death, but family comes first.”
“So how will I know if you know something?”
“You have to trust him.” He pushed off the stage, buttoning his jacket back in place. “Plus, I know you can handle yourself, Jigsaw.”
My mouth fell agape. “How did you kno?—”
“Ian needed me to clear some legal stuff up for him. That girl you offed? She’s Dante’s cousin.”
“You’re joking!”
He bobbed his head. “Nope. You and Jenna have had some shitty taste in men.”
“Tyler!” I still couldn’t believe my ears. “You’re joking!”
“I said, no.”
“And Ian knows?!” Panic. It was the only word to describe it. The blood drained from my face, and my vision tunneled. “This is bad.” I slid my hands into my hair. “Really fucking bad.”
He moved closer and put his arm around me, something he’d never done before. It caught me off guard. I flinched, but it also provided a sense of comfort.
“He knows and maybe that’s why he’s acting weird,” he soothed. “You’re going to be fine.”
I took a step back. “No, he’ll come after Maddie! Me! You guys! Everyone!”
“We’re not going to let that happen.”
“I swear I didn’t know she was related to him when she was hired.”
“Ian knows that and said that, too.”
“God!” I marched over to the couch, and sat, looking up at him. “I’m so fucking stupid. This is Charity and Roman all over again.”
He chuckled. “No, trust me, it’s not.” He ambled over to the sofa, sitting next to me. “And your ex is in prison, so there’s nothing to worry about. By the time he’s out, we’ll have his murder plotted and executed before he ever steps foot off prison property.”
7
DON’T CALL IT BEANTOWN!
LUKE
The smell of freshly brewed coffee mingled with the ocean breeze as we sat on the elevated deck, overlooking the stretch of beach and the sparkling Pacific Ocean below. The sunlight danced off the ocean and Chance’s sparkling pool, casting a golden glow over everything in their path. Shirtless, I enjoyed the warmth of the sun and the cool breeze from the water. The waves curled over the shore, foam sizzling as they retreated.
While finishing breakfast, we discussed the events of the previous night. I made it clear to Declan that I didn’t trust Ekaterina in the slightest, especially after what happened with Giovanna. Even Chance agreed with me, but Declan stubbornly stood his ground, determined to trust the woman who had instilled nothing but fear in her prized dancer.
Just as Chance finished his last bite of food, the front gate alert chime echoed from his phone. He glanced down at the screen, which lay face up on the table next to his plate, before unlocking it with a quick swipe. “Hmm,” he murmured before abruptly standing and disappearing inside through the wide-open glass door without explanation. I didn’t bother asking; we all knew how busy Chance’s life was.
Since arriving in Malibu, we’d seen many people come and go once they knew Chance was in town. It was only a matter of time before another guest arrived at his doorstep. Glancing over at the TV mounted on the side of his house under a covered awning, a celebrity gossip channel played clips of our recent visit to Penthouse L.A. on repeat.
