“Don’t make things worse for yourself…”
I trail off when Cressida drops her rifle beside the dead body of her husband before tugging a small pistol from her pocket. Slipping my hand into my jacket pocket, I slide out my own gun, leveling it at her with an even stare.
“Look what you made me do!” she shouts as she shakes her head exasperatedly. “The scandal will be the end of me. I can’t—Iwon’tbe a laughingstock again.”
And with that, she brings the gun to her mouth, pulling the trigger before I can get a word out.
Enzo rushes in the door, taking in the mess between us, and raising questioning eyes to mine.
“Didn’t even have to lift a finger this time.” I can only shrug with a grimace as I pocket my Glock. “And they say we’re bloodthirsty.”
Then I step over Cressida’s body, heading for the stairs, having let the Rivers take care of their own punishment. “It’s surprising Elodie survived with parents like those two.”
Enzo grunts his agreement as I take the stairs two at a time, calling after me, “Get the remaining staff evacuated, and tell Federico he can begin to leak propane from the furnace in five minutes. I want this place burnt to the motherfucking ground.”
I speed past several rooms, coming to the door of the one I know is Skye’s, but when I enter, she’s nowhere to be found. I search inside her wardrobe, and ensuite, checking my wristwatch with a growing paranoia that I won’t find her in time.
I walk out into the hall, glancing around to find the white door across from me is slightly ajar. Pushing it open, I grit my teeth when I look around at what can only be Elodie’s room.
There are pictures everywhere, plastered across every surface. Several contain the guy she’d been with in Lazise and another brown-haired girl with petite features and striking gray eyes. The edges of some photos appear to be torn, and I wonder if those pictures had featured Harrison.
But the majority of the photos are of a girl ranging from newborn up to recent months when she’s blowing out the candles on her seventh birthday cake.
My chest feels much too tight as I focus on the girl who’s a mirror image of her mother, except instead of Elodie’s poker-straight hair, little Skye has a mass of blonde curls that surround her head like a halo.
Without thinking, I begin to rip everything from the wall, only to stop when a small but determined voice chimes at my back, “Leave Ellie’s pictures alone, Mister!”
I pivot on my heel slowly, holding my hands up in surrender. “Ah, you caught me red-handed, Skye.”
Her little fists are on her hips, and there’s a fire in her eyes that makes her look even more like her mother. Her brow puckers as she takes me in. “How—how do you know my name?”
I lower my hands and return to removing the pictures from the wall. “Your moth—” I swallow quickly and rephrase mystatement. “I mean, yoursistersent me here. My name is Rafe, and we’re…friends.”
For lack of a more accurate word.
“Are you taking her photos to bring them to her? She wasn’t allowed to bring them to her apartment with the other man.” Her voice drops with sadness.
Fucking Conti.
“Yeah, I’m making sure she has photos of all her favorite people.” I flick a glance over my shoulder and shoot her a wink. “That’s mostly just you, kid.”
She giggles, and I can’t help the smirk that lifts my lips as I return to my work.
“Is that the only reason you’re here, Rafe?”
“No.”
Having finished collecting as many photos as I can fit in my pockets, I turn back to Skye to find her worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. “I’m here to pick you up. Elodie is sending you to a special school for special kids in Switzerland, and it’smyjob to get you there safely.”
Her navy-blue eyes light up when they meet mine. “Is Ellie gonna be there?”
“Not yet.” I shake my head, and her shoulders sag. “But she’ll come visit as soon as she can.”
She blinks up at me with eyes that seem older than her years before she nods and extends her hand trustingly.
“You’re nicer than the other man.” Her lips tip up in a smile as I enclose her small hand in mine. “I think I like you. And if you’re Ellie’s friend, then you’re mine too.”
The innocence of her youth hits me like a sledgehammer, and my mouth lifts in a genuine smile. “I’d like that a lot, Skye.”
