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“Looks like it. We’re still trying to figure out who the monster is and how they got onto our property. So far, we can account for everyone who we know should have been on the property. None of them were anywhere near the window. I already made sure they knew we wouldn’t be punishing if someone snuck away for a smoke break.”
Andy takes the bottle of Scotch and pours us each a glass, testament to the fact that I won’t like what he has to say. “Any leads?”
“Not anything solid, but I have a theory I want to run past you.”
I sit back in the chair and wait for him to start. “I think some of the night guards are getting a little lazy on their watch. Watching Netflix on their phones and such. There are no cameras in Eric’s bathroom, and about 10 minutes before Matteo got scared by the monster, Eric slipped in to take a shower.”
“A shower? At three in the morning?”
I scrub a hand down my face. Not having cameras outside Matteo’s room and the bathroom window of Eric’s room was a serious oversight, one that I intend to rectify immediately. The more I learn about Eric, the more I dislike the man.
Since I’ve gotten Emma back, I’ve had people looking into Eric. He’s a control freak hidden under a cool exterior, constantly deciding for other people and hiding it behind good intentions. A master manipulator. I’m having all the contracts he’s negotiated for us over the years looked at. While it was in his best interest to remain on my father’s good side, I’m wondering what we might have missed.
I take a drink from my glass. Eric is becoming more and more of a problem. Keeping him on the property is proving to be a liability if he’s using it as an opportunity to scope us for security weaknesses. That’s valuable information, information he could sell to our enemies if we were to let him go.
“We might have to move him to a safe house. Put a couple of guards on him and rotate them every couple of days.” Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t consider wasting resources like these on someone who has betrayed the family. The only reason he’s shown mercy is because of Emma. She’s becoming disillusioned by his act. Matteo rarely wants to spend time with his grandfather anymore and Emma doesn’t make him. When they spend time with him, it’s always brief and Matteo and Emma come out looking uncomfortable.
Bianca doesn’t knock when she comes into the room. “Really, mio idiota, you’re already drinking? It’s barely noon.”
“You know, calling me an idiot isn’t actually a term of endearment,” Andy says as Bianca saddles herself into his lap.
“Yes, but I called you my idiot, and that makes all the difference.”
Andy gazes at his wife affectionately. It’s weird to think that when they first got married, they were constantly at each other’s throats. They still are, they just do it affectionately now.
“Bianca, what do I owe the pleasure?” I ask. She wouldn’t interrupt our meeting for nothing, not even for a chance to chastise her husband.
“Your father is asking for you. Oleg called. He wants to meet earlier than originally agreed upon to negotiate before you make your final decision. Also, I’m going shopping with your mom and sisters. We’re going to surprise Emma with a welcome home party.”
“Always an excuse to throw a party,” Andy grumbles. The smile on his gives away the fact that he isn’t upset by his wife.
“Yes, but this one is not on your dime.”
“I sponsor a lot of your wonderful ideas lately,” I say to Bianca.
“All to the benefit of your lovely fiancee.”
As breezily as she entered the room, she walks out. Andy smiles affectionately at her retreating figure. He’s just smiling because, for once, he isn’t the one paying for her shopping habits.
As much as I would like to contemplate how I’m going to rid of the problem that is Eric when my father calls, I have no choice but to listen. Fuck. Hopefully, this doesn’t take long.
Chapter Thirty-Seven- Emma
I glance at the guard watching Matteo and me from the corner of my eyes. Something isn’t right. We’ve had the same rotation of guards since we first got here, guards who have all earned the respect of Enzo and his father. Enzo has introduced me to each one of them.
This man isn’t one of them. I could tell the guard he took over for had been wary to leave. It wasn’t until he got a phone call summoning him away that he finally did. Even then, he kept glancing over his shoulder and chewing on his bottom lip as he left.
I grabbed a knife from the kitchen earlier when I was making breakfast and tucked it into my jeans. While kitchen knives probably aren’t the most effective weapon, I figure it will work if I need it too. Maybe I can convince Enzo to teach me how to use weapons, and then I can have something a little more effective.
There’s something about the way this man is watching us, hovering instead of existing in the background like the rest of the guards, that has alarm bells ringing in my head. Like the other guards, he’s massive. Easily over six feet tall, and he has a gun tucked into a holster on his belt.
I want Enzo here, but when I requested the guard call for him, he told me he was in an important meeting. Enzo hadn’t mentioned a meeting earlier, but I assume things come up unexpectedly sometimes.
The house is also oddly empty, which doesn't happen much. With such a large family and an open-door policy, someone is always around. It took some adjusting to, but I hadn’t realized how creepy this enormous house is when it’s quiet. It feels haunted.
Alice told me at one point it was her rule all mafia business stay outside the house. I’m not convinced they follow her rule. There have been too many times Enzo left the bed but never left the house and needed a shower before he would crawl back in.
The guard creeps closer and I stiffen. When he realizes I noticed, he stops. I reach for my phone to shoot off a quick text to Enzo, but there’s no service. Though the house is in a mildly remote location, I’ve always gotten excellent service. And I shouldn’t need service inside the house, because my phone should attach to the wifi which is also conveniently not connecting to my phone.
