“Dani…” Raven’s voice.
I meet her gaze.
“This note,” she says.“Let me see the note.”
“It’s nothing,” I say, trying to sound nonchalant.
Raven shakes her head.“That’s bullshit and we both know it.What does it say, Dani?”
“It’s disgusting,” I tell her.“I wouldn’t repeat what it says.”
“Dani…”
“Please,” I say.“Don’t make me show it to you.”
I have to let Raven think it’s something disgusting that embarrasses me.If I show her what it really says, she won’t let me out of her sight.
That can’t happen.
Because Iamgoing.I can’tnotgo.
I recite the note in my head.
Meet me alone tomorrow morning, 8:00 a.m.Wear the blue thing I like.
“Did you hear me?”she asks.
I nod.
“Hey,” she says.“Are you okay?”
I unclench my hands.“Just tired.Has Vinnie found anything new?”
“He’s cursing at three different databases,” she says, clearly trying to ease the mood…and failing.
I leave the envelope.“You may need this for fingerprints,” I tell Raven.Then I feign a yawn.“I’m going to go back to my suite.I’m exhausted.”
“Dani… Please let me see the note.I can take it.”
I paste on a smile.“I will.I just need a few minutes.”
She sighs but nods.
I walk down the hallway to the door that leads to my suite from the house and head straight to my bedroom.
I sit on the edge of my bed with the note in my lap and try to think.
I can tell them.I can take the letter to Vinnie and Raven and say, “Here.He wants me.He’ll trade me for her.”
But if I do that, they’ll call the police, and the police will set up a sting, and the chef will smell it from a mile away.He’ll take it out on Belinda.He’ll teach her the kind of “lessons” he taught me in the pantry.
I cannotlet that happen.Not to Belinda.Sweet, talented Belinda.She’s not innocent, thanks to her father, but how can she heal if Chef takes the bit of herself she has left?
If I keep the letter and go alone, I know what happens next.He will do what men like him do with women like me.He will hurt me because he can, and he will make me say please and thank you and anything else he wants to hear because I don’t want Belinda hurt.
I could tell myself that the police would be faster than Chef, that Vinnie would find him in time.I could tell myself that the chef is a coward and cowards prefer threats to action.But something could go wrong in either scenario, and I can’t risk Belinda.Not for a minute.
So I’ll go alone.
