AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“It’s good to finally meet you, Mr. Vallois,” Marc said stiffly, taking Andrei’s hand.
Andrei’s smile returned. “Andrei, please. Why don’t we sit and talk about your situation?”
Marc hesitated when Andrei moved them away from the boardroom table and over to a corner with a love seat and two chairs as if they were in Lucas’s living room. It felt more intimate and cozy. It also made him uneasy. He was going to relax, say something he didn’t want to tell these men. Reveal too much about himself, his family.
But he got to his feet and he chose a spot on the love seat. To his surprise, Andrei sat directly beside him.
Lucas stood by one of the chairs, frowning a bit. “Do you want me to leave?”
“Does it matter? You’re married. You’ll hear about it anyway.”
“I don’t work that way,” Andrei said firmly. “Ward Security respects the privacy of its clients. From this moment on, Lucas doesn’t have to know another word of your situation if that’s what you want.”
Marc’s eyes moved from Andrei to Lucas and then back down to the small coffee table in front of them. Unease twisted in his stomach and pumped through his veins. He hated for anyone to know his problem, but if there was anyone who might understand, he had a feeling it was Lucas.
“Stay.” He looked up at Lucas and sighed. “I know we’ve had our differences, but I’d like your insight on handling my…problem.”
With a grunt, Lucas took the chair closest to Andrei. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, giving Marc his full attention.
Yeah…his problem…
Marc looked back down at the bandage on his hand. An ache that started in his palm echoed up his arm, but it didn’t compare to the feeling of betrayal cutting through his heart.
“So…I think someone in my family is trying to kill me.”
He chanced a glance up at Andrei and Lucas when they remained silent, expecting shock and horror, but both men were stone-faced and attentive. He didn’t know whether to find that reassuring or hurtful because they weren’t surprised that a family member wanted him dead.
“What was the first thing that happened to make you think this?” Andrei cautiously asked.
“I…I have a heart condition that requires I take medication every day. It’s easily managed but can be life threatening. Someone replaced the pills with something else. They looked nearly the same, but I’ve been taking those damn pills every day for a few years. I know them.”
“Do you know what the replacements were?” Lucas asked.
Marc shook his head. “I threw them out and called my doctor for a new script. Told myself that someone was just playing a joke. That they were placebos.”
“And what happens if you don’t take your medication?”
“My irregular heartbeat gets worse. Possibility of a heart attack.”
“What else has happened?”
“I’m allergic to tree nuts. Have been my whole life, so I don’t keep any nuts in the house as a rule. My housekeeper knows that. She cooks three times a week for me and leaves the food in the fridge. Recently, finely chopped nuts were placed in a chicken salad I ate. I wanted to think it was an accident until the epinephrine injectors I keep in the kitchen and my bedroom were missing. I luckily had a spare in a travel bag that I hadn’t yet unpacked from a trip.”
“But that’s not everything,” Andrei prodded when Marc paused.
He looked down at his hand again, helpless rage making his fingers tremble. “Someone tampered with the brakes on my car.” He forced a laugh. “So fucking clichéd. You’d think they’d go for something original. I’m actually insulted this person isn’t at least putting a little effort and creativity forth.”
“I think that lack of creativity is the reason you’re still alive,” Lucas murmured. He sat back in his chair, a scowl etched in his face. Marc could almost believe the man cared about the fact that he’d nearly been killed three times.
“Why are you convinced this is a family member?”
“Because two of them happened in my house. The person knows my routine. They know my ailments and allergies. That shit isn’t common knowledge. Just my siblings and my housekeeper know.”
“How do you know it’s not your housekeeper? An unrequited love who wants revenge for you not noticing her?”
Marc smirked at Lucas. “Mrs. Elderidge is fifty-eight. She’s been happily married for thirty-five years. She has three kids and six grandchildren.”
“Underpaid?”
“Extremely well paid, considering she does a little dusting three times a week and makes me a few small meals.” Marc could feel his face heating, and he had to look away from Lucas and Andrei when he admitted, “I started to take on more of the cleaning when she admitted that the arthritis in her hands was getting worse.”
Lucas chuckled. “Who would have guessed that you’d have a soft spot for your housekeeper?”
