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We head out into the living room and she gasps. “Is that a Stradivarius?”
“It is,” I say.
Her hand is on her chest. “Will he play it for us?”
I smile. “I can’t promise that, but look at it. Just don’t touch.”
“Right. No. I would never dare.” She walks around it, studying it, biting her lip as if it’s a hot man. “Beautiful.”
She’s right. It is. My ancestor was brilliant. Antonio knew how to make a violin a work of art. And in the not so distant future, I might actually be able to say that out loud. Talk about surreal.
“How much is it worth?” she asks.
At Nancy’s question, my gaze shoots to hers, unease in my belly. I don’t know why the question bothers me when she’s my assistant and valuing collectibles is what we do, but it does. “I didn’t ask the value of this one.”
“You can’t guess?” she prods.
That unease prickles more fiercely. What is wrong with me tonight? “When did I become a violin expert?”
“Since you moved in with the greatest living violinist?” she counters.
“Oh,” I say and she’s right. That’s a good answer. It’s a perfect answer. It still feels wrong. “He’s the expert, but I’m learning,” I say.
She runs her hand over the shiny black piano. “Does he play this, too?”
“He does.” There’s pride in my voice. Kace might be my partner in life, but he’s also brilliant.
She picks something up on top of the piano. “Is this a song he’s writing? I had no idea until recently he’s a songwriter.”
My heart lurches when I realize she’s holding our attempts to find the formula. “He is working on a new song.” I step closer and remove it from her hand, and set it face down on the piano. “And he doesn’t like anyone looking at his early efforts.”
“Oh right. Sorry.”
There’s a shift of energy, a masculine rush of power, and I know Kace is present even before my attention lifts to the stairwell leading to the kitchen. Kace is standing there, leaning on the railing watching us, his blue eyes bright, his dark hair in a finger rumpled sexy mess.
Nancy’s gaze shifts and lifts, her lips parting in female admiration. “He’s so damn hot,” she murmurs and then immediately coughs and looks at me. “Oh God. Sorry. You’re with him now. I just—”
I laugh. “Forget it. He is hot. I’m a lucky girl.”
“You so are, Aria,” she agrees.
“Coffee’s ready,” Kace calls out. “You two coming up?”
My cellphone rings in my pocket where I stuffed it earlier. Gio, I think and hope, tugging it free. The moment I see his number on caller ID, my pulse leaps. “I need to take this,” I say, but I also hesitate, nervous about leaving Nancy near that sheet music. And grabbing it will just seem weird.
I cast Kace a pleading look and thank God, he gets me and understands. He immediately starts down the stairs. I turn away from Nancy and answer the call. The sound of loud music blasts in my ear. “Gio?”
“Aria,” he says, and the call goes dead.
“No, no, no,” I murmur, quickly trying to call him back but it goes to voicemail. I try again with the same response.
My voicemail goes off and I punch the message to hear: I’m at The Purple Dragon bar. If we aren’t drinking, we aren’t talking. Not this time. That’s it. Nothing more.
I inhale and twist back around to find Kace standing with Nancy as she talks a million miles an hour. I rush forward to his rescue and step to his side. “Listen, Nancy,” I say. “I’m really sorry, but something has come up. I need to cut this short. Bottom line, if you want to keep working for me, I’d love for you to do so. But from home. No more store. Ever.”
“And we’ll double your pay,” Kace interjects.
We both gape at him and I want to punch him. I don’t have the money for that kind of raise, but I can’t say that. Not after he made the promise.
“Thank you,” Nancy gushes. “Thank you. What do you need me to do?”
“What you’ve been doing,” I say, rolling with the punches for now. “More soon.”
“Anything you need,” she says. “I’ll work hard, I promise. Should I come by a few times a week?”
“No.” I open my mouth to tell her about Europe and for reasons I can’t explain, change my mind. “We’re headed to the Hamptons for a bit.”
“Oh fabulous,” she says. “And why wouldn’t you? You’re living the good life now and I’m so happy for you.” She eyes Kace. “Always exciting to be in a rock star’s presence.” She hugs me and him before she rushes away.
The minute she exits the apartment, I turn to Kace. “I can’t afford to pay her double and you paying her double defeats the purpose of me forging my own path.”
“I just wanted to make sure you had the support you needed while we travel. And zero motivation to check in on the store.”
“And I appreciate that, but I need to feel I have my own success, too, Kace. But we’ll figure it out. Just not now. Gio called. He wants me to meet him at some bar called The Purple Dragon.”
His jaw sets hard. “I already don’t like how that sounds. What else did he say?”
“I missed the call. He left a message and he won’t answer again.” I punch up the message on my phone and hand it to him.
Kace listens, his expression tightening, and then hands me the phone back. “I don’t like this, Aria. It feels off.”
“I have to go.”
“We need to make that decision with Blake.” He doesn’t wait for me to argue. He pulls his phone out and punches in a number. Blake answers quickly and I listen as Kace talks to him, debating back and forth about what to do about this invitation before the call ends.
“Well?” I ask before he even has time to speak.
“He’s of the opinion that this is a chance to find out where Gio’s loyalty lies and if he’s with someone, we can find out who we’re dealing with. I’m of one thought: I don’t like it.”
“He’s right, Kace. We need to end the threat.”
“I need you safe.”
“Ending the threat makes me safe. He’s my brother. He’s not going to let me get hurt.”
His lips thin, hands on his hips. “I don’t like this.”
“I know, but he’s my brother. I need to see him. I need us to get by this with him. Let’s go,” I say heading for the door.
He captures my arm and turns me back to him. “You do exactly what Walker tells you and you stay by my side.” This is not a question. It’s a demand, raw intensity radiating from him.
“He’s my brother, Kace. He might be lost right now, but he would die for me.”
“Aria—”
“I will.”
“You cannot live by the ‘he’s my brother’ motto tonight. Not until we know more about where his head is.”
My hand settles on his chest where his heart thunders beneath my palm. He’s worried about me, really worried, and no one, even Gio, has worried about me in a very long time. “I will be careful,” I promise. “I have a lot to live for now that I found you.”
He drags me to him. “You do. And so do I. If I say we’re leaving, we’re leaving.”
“Kace—”
