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“From what I can tell, you botched the hit entirely and had to fix it. That doesn’t sound very ‘five steps ahead at every turn’to me. Besides, you worked together. I don’t even know why you killed him. That seems like a bad idea.”
He rolls his eyes and shakes his head, the expression on his face telling me he thinks I’m the dumbest person he’s ever spoken to.Good.Two things he can’t stand: me standing up to him, and me underestimating him and thinking he’s dumber than he thinks he is.
“Andrea, that right there is exactly why you were just arm candy. You need to stop thinking so much. You’ll end up hurting yourself.” He smirks. “Well, I guess it’s a little late for that, isn’t it?” A sigh escapes him as he leans back, crossing his arms over his chest. He starts to pace the room, walking away from the counter and more towards the door. I let out a small, relieved breath that he is putting distance between us. When he speaks again, it’s almost as if he mumbles it to himself more than me. “Whatever. It doesn’t even matter what I say now anyway. You’ll never have the chance to tell anyone.”
His words shake me a bit, but I know something he doesn’t. I have back up waiting.
“Jonathan Swank was a weasel. I taught him how to swindle unsuspecting clients out of money right under their noses. Our pockets would fill, and they’d be none the wiser.” He speaks as if all of this is completely normal.
I wait in silence, wanting him to continue.
“I see I have your full attention for once. Andrea Shaw quiet? Well, that’s a new one,” he says before continuing to talk and pace the small space in between tables. “Long after I left the firm, he continued our little operation and made deposits into our Cayman account. I still got my cut since I was the one who planned it all,” he says with a disgusting grin.
“What changed?” I ask, needing to keep the dumbass talking.
“Like I told you, he was a weasel. Higher ups started questioning some of the charges they noticed on client accounts. They put a little pressure on him, and he said he planned to squeal on me.Nobodysqueals on me, Andrea. Which you’ll soon learn for yourself firsthand.” He looks me straight in the eyes, probably wanting to see the fear in my eyes, but I won’t give it to him.
I quirk a brow. “So, you killed him.” It’s a statement, not a question. I don’t know where this calm has come from, but I’m grateful for it.
“No,” he says, shaking his head and looking at me in incredulity. “Maybe you don’t have a brain after all. I couldn’t kill himmyself. I had to have an alibi. Yes, it was a hit, and yes, the hitman I hired was a fucking amateur. He couldn’t even keep the body hidden long enough for decomposition to start. Fucking moron,” he says with disgust. As if everyone should know how to hide a body. “Regardless, I prepare foreverything, love. Like I said. I’m always five steps ahead. I had it covered. Ialwayshaveeverythingcovered.”
He drops his arms, placing his hands in his pockets again as he looks around the café. “Enough about me. Let’s talk about you. I know most of your life story, so we’ll skip that part. I’m sorry things have to end this way, love. I really am. Had you just been the good trophy wife you were supposed to be, that I was promised you would be, none of this would have had to happen,” he says, blaming me again. Typical Christopher.
Who the fuck promised I would be good? I don’t get a chance to ask that.
In a flash, Christopher pulls a gun from inside his suit jacket. “We could have had a good life together, ya know, but that’s done now. No sense in dwelling on it. My secrets die with you. I won’t make the same mistake I did last time. No lamps this time.” He smirks.
My heart races, and I don’t know where to run. “Wait… You don’t have to—”
My words cut off as Charlie bursts in, something big and metal in her hand. Christopher starts to turn at the commotion of her coming from the bathroom door to the left of him and Jack bursting into the room from the office at the same time, but she’s closer to Christopher and nails him in the side of the head,hard. A gunshot rings out, the noise loud in the small, quiet space. I feel a burning so intense that it steals my breath and I hit the floor.
“Andrea!” Andrew shouts. He’s here, like he said he would be.
My shoulder is on fire, and I scream out in pain. Jack and Irene’s voices approach, but they sound muffled. Everything sounds muffled.
Charlie is at my side in an instant. “Oh, my God.” She grabs towels that are on the counter and applies pressure to my shoulder. I scream out in pain again, and her face scrunches. “He shot you. Oh, my God. He shot you!” Tears stream down her face.
I hear handcuffs click in place and then Christopher groan in pain.
“No, Jack! Get control of yourself. Killing him won’t bring justice for Andrea. She’ll lose you.” Irene’s voice is stern.
Andrew appears, crouching beside me. “Call 911. Andrea is shot!” he yells over the counter.
“I’ve got it!” Irene yells as she comes around with the phone in her hand. She stays calm, giving the café information to the operator.
Where’s Jack? Why can’t I see him?
Andrew hands Charlie clean towels. They’re crouched beside me, trying to stop the bleeding. Charlie hands Andrew a wad of blood-soaked towels with frantic movements. The sight of the towels makes me woozy.
Jack’s voice booms throughout the café, anger in every word “Andrew get over here and hold him down!” Andrew jumps up and disappears from my view and suddenly Jack is there, his face full of devastation and fear. Kneeling beside me, he takes my hand in his.
“Jack.”
I try to tell him it’s okay and we did it, but I can’t seem to get any words out after his name. My eyelids are too heavy, and there’s a metallic taste in my mouth. His panicked voice shouting my name is the last thing I hear.
Chapter 40
Myeyesflutteropenas bright lights pass overhead. “White female, late twenties, gunshot wound to the right shoulder,” a male voice I don’t recognize says, rattling off information beside me. I try to lift my head, but a hand eases my head back down. “You’re in good hands, Ms. Shaw. Try to relax.”
