Since we haven’t cracked the code to Kingsley Beaumont’s mind space, we’re going to force our way in.
Like… literally. We’re going to sneak into the Beaumonts’ house during their dinner event tonight, one we were not invited to. While that’s happening, we’ll scope out the place to see if we can get any hints about what we’re actually doing, since the Requiem still won’t fill us in.
Putting the mission at risk for a search that may lead nowhere isn’t ideal, but we’re stuck. We haven’t seen Kingsley in days because his father gave us all some time to ourselves after the freezing incident, leaving us with little understanding of him. Hopefully, a search of his bedroom might give us some insight.
Practically reading my thoughts, Thomas asks, “How the hell do we search a place without knowing what we’re searching for?”
“Don’t ask me. But as soon as we figure it out, the sooner we can get on Mum and Mother for keeping us in the dark like children.”
“It has to be a pretty good reason for them to keep it from us.”
I’m not sure what could be good enough to force us to step into the unknown.
“Now put some clothes on. I’m tired of talking to you knowing you’re naked under the covers.” Thomas grimaces.
I chuck a pillow at his head, and he dodges it. “Fuck off.”
Thomas goes to whip up some breakfast while I get dressed. Thank goodness for this tiny kitchen, or we’d be eating the resort food daily. Don’t get me wrong, the food is amazing, only not as healthy as when we make it ourselves. The Req encourages us to be on strict diets. Not everyone sticks to it, but I do, and that’s why I’m so successful.
An hour later, we’ve made it to the Beaumont’s grand double front doors. It’s safe to assume the property is riddled with cameras recording our every move, which makes it a tad difficult to slip in without getting caught. That’s why we’re at the front doors, standing before Mya Beaumont. The silver dress she wears is short, reaching her thighs, and fits her snugly, adorned with her costly bracelets.
“Oh my goodness,” I gasp and put my hand over my mouth. Mya raises a brow. “It’s the woman who gave the Beaumont kids their beauty. You look lovely, Mrs. Beaumont.”
Blushing, she covers her mouth with her hand. “Oh, you’re too kind, Rip.”
Catching on, Thomas grins. “He’s only telling the truth. You are stunning.”
She laughs, and her whole face brightens up as if it’s the best thing she’s heard all day. “What are you boys buttering me up for? A raise?”
Mya Beaumont is no fool; she knows when someone’s buttering her up, they probably want something. Considering she is the wife of a mafia boss, she has to know. Not only that, but she’s a mother.
Thomas clasps his hands before his waist. “Not a raise. In all honesty, we wanted to see if we could have a meeting with you. We want to discuss certain trends we’ve noticed over the past week.”
Mya steps up, and I can see the many guests mingling behind her. “I’m sure Xavier and Santiago will be happy to hear aboutit. We have a dinner starting in five minutes, and the schedule is pretty packed for the next few days, but come back tomorrow, and we’ll work something out.”
“Oh, we understand. Sorry for the unannounced visit. Have a good night.”
As we leave, the door closes firmly behind us, and we continue past the wealth of expensive cars parked inside the gates of the Beaumonts’ property. Perfect.
Based on the full driveway and all the background noise we heard from Mya’s place, it’s definitely packed. I bet they’ve got guards inside, but we can totally get past them like we’re supposed to be there. We’re already inside the gate cameras, thanks to our little chat with Mya, so we don’t need to worry about sneaking past them.
After my near-death experience in the cellar, I learned something about the Beaumont mansion. They have no alarms. Kingsley and I would have been found straight away if there’d been an alarm, even with the power cut.
A few years back, someone cut the power to our house while I was snoozing in my bunk. I’d likely be dead from a gunshot if the silent alarm hadn’t been tripped when the intruder broke in. Thankfully, Mother took him out before he could mess with her family. I was thirteen when I watched my mother strangle someone until the light left their eyes for the first time.
No well-respected and feared mafia boss would let his home go with minimal security—unless they were cocky.
It’s why once you’re past the outer gate, the only other security is the guards at the back and inside the house, and how we figured out when the guards change shifts, so we can slip in through the bathroom on the second-floor window unnoticed. It’s why now that we’re in, we have access to the whole second floor.
Xavier Beaumont is one cocky bastard. It’s astounding that the Crown hasn’t crumpled from the inside out yet from his carelessness.
“Split up,” I whisper as we carefully tread down the hall. “If they’re any type of smart, we won’t find what we’re looking for in the bedrooms. Look for secrecy, for anything out of the ordinary, for?—”
Thomas waves me off. “I got it, I got it.”
He turns down the hallway and disappears. The moron had better not get caught, or the entire operation is compromised.
I wander up and down the hallways, unsure if I’m going in circles because everything looks the same: large, murky-shaded walls that blend into the grayish floor. I’ve opened the same storage closet three times, for fuck’s sake.
