Page 35

“Christ, Léonie, get the hell out of the way!” Étienne snapped. “You’re going to hurt yourself.”

It was when he shoved Hugo back that he noticed his bandaged shoulder.

“What happened to you?”

There was a beat of ragged silence as Hugo darted his eyes over to me, and Étienne pounced, his hand around his brother’s throat with frightening rapidity.

“You better not be hiding something from me, brother. Tell me what the fuck happened.”

“Léonie and I got--shot at this week. One of the bullets grazed me.”

For a moment Étienne stood stock still, like an unnatural frozen statue.

“You got shot at?” he repeated, turning to look at me, his eyes uncanny, unblinking.

“I didn’t get hit! You should be worried about Hugo. He’s the one who got us out of there.”

“Why didn’t you fucking tell me? Who did it?”

“Who has motive to hurt me?” I replied quietly, letting it hang there in the heavy, angry silence between us.

“Jesus Christ, woman. You think I hired someone to kill you?”

“Maybe.”

He let Hugo go and slammed his hands on the table, glaring down at me.

I forced myself not to move.

“What kind of man do you think I am?”

“I think you’re the kind of man who would like to get rid of an inconvenient wife so he can have another one.”

He gave me a contemptuous look.

“Who said I was getting another wife?”

“You put a ring⁠—”

“I asked you a damn question, Léonie Bastide. Who told you I was getting you a new wife? No one.”

“No one had to tell me anything. It was pretty clear. Your mother⁠—”

He sent me another scorching look.

“Never mind my mother. Believe what I tell you.”

I said nothing. I knew what I had seen.

Étienne ran a hand impatiently through his dark hair.

“No, I didn’t try to kill you. Putain de merde. Tell me where the fuck Mano is, I need him for this meeting. I know he must be here! His goddamn truck is here!”

Neither of us said anything.

“If Mano has acted improperly toward you, believe me, he will be punished.”

Still I said nothing. Then Tilly and Armand were brought in and questioned.