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“Six.”
My mind immediately goes to Chip. How could someone do that to an innocent child?
Maurice meets my gaze. “It wasn’t the last time he caged me, but it’s what I remember the most. It’s when I learned that going inside of my head was the safest place to be.”
“And how does one do that?”
“Practice.”
He walks away, but I call out to him. “Please don’t go. I… I don’t think I can stand being alone and I’m not sure when or if Henri is coming back.”
“Ri will be back as soon as he can.” He smiles. “He’s never let me down. Not once.”
“It sounds like you’re closer to him than to Luca. Why do you work with Luca, then?”
“No one wants to make the Beast mad. And I have enough brains to know that.”
He walks away, leaving me to my thoughts. The crazy thing is, I really do wish he’d come back. I want to know more about the Brain. And that is quite surprising, indeed.
13
Luca
I’m distracted. I never get fucking distracted. My mind keeps going back to Dove, and the way I tried to get her to open up last night. Me. I was trying to make small talk with a woman in my fucking bed like we were in a relationship or something. Cursing, I close my laptop and turn to the window, looking out. I should have killed her the first night after I had her.
My phone rings and I glance at the screen. It’s Mrs. Lansbury, the woman I hired to look after Dove’s siblings. She’s called daily with updates, truly thinking that I had taken them under my wings out of the goodness of my heart. I let the call go to voicemail. She’s likely wanting to know when I’m going to move them from the city to one of my estates in another state. The old woman does not know that the request came from Dove, of course. She thinks that I want the kids to grow up where they can run and be outside as much as they want.
My phone vibrates as a voicemail comes through. She’ll likely tell me what they had to eat and say what good kids they are. I know she’ll also say how much Chip misses Dove. She thinks Dove is dead and I haven’t corrected her. It’s better if the boy believes it, too. He’s young enough that the pain will fade with time. I should know.
Cursing under my breath, I grab my phone and keys. I don’t want to be here, trapped in my office. Making my way out of my office to the VIP area, I’m surprised to see Hook and his wife, Amelia, at the table reserved for Hook and CO. Hook glares when he sees me, but Amelia smiles. And, somehow, I find myself stopping.
“To what do I owe the pleasure?”
Hook scoffs before answering, “Just taking my lovely wife out on a date.”
Amelia adds, “It’s our anniversary.”
I didn’t think they had been together long enough to have an anniversary, but she did just have twins, so what do I know?
Hook says, “I’ve been meaning to ask you about something. I heard you were looking for David Potts a few months ago. He washed up near Navy Pier today, or what was left of him.”
I bite back a smile. “Pity. Guess I won’t get my money from him after all.”
“Yes, pity.” He takes a drink before asking, “Should I be expecting more bodies to wash up? I hear his eldest daughter is missing. And the rumor out of Neverland is that you recently hired a nanny.”
“I do not know what you’re talking about. As for the bodies, I’ll let you know. Never can tell in our line of work, after all.”
He curses, and his wife touches his arm as I walk away. I can’t stand that fucker. He’s always thought he was better than me because he was Midas’ favorite. Well, fuck all of them. I don’t need their approval.
My SUV is waiting when I get outside. What I don’t expect is to find Henri sitting in the back seat when I climb in.
“Fucking hell. Who in the fuck let you in?”
“Your driver had enough sense to let me in. The alternative was him ending up in pieces at the bottom of the lake.”
I snort. Guess I spoke too soon to Hook.
“You think this is funny?”
