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“I’ll have my associate explain to you once I get you out of here.”
He wanted so desperately to believe… “And you can do that?”
“Yes.” A simple answer. Direct. No posturing. No posing. “What I’m asking is a lot. I’ve already burned one good man, and a French whore who couldn’t do the job. You’re my best shot and getting my answers. I’ll pay what it’s worth.”
“If you mean money,” Mason began before Mathers cut him off with a flippant wave of his hand.
“Money doesn’t buy men. Your freedom is a good price… listen to me, deputy. I’m a businessman. I learned from the best. My father could read people. I can, too. There’s something else you want. Tell me what it is, and I’ll give it to you. In exchange, you will do this for me.”
Mason still didn’t know what it was he’d be doing. He got the sense that saying ‘yes’ to Kenneth Mathers was like signing a deal with the devil.
But the other man was right. There was something he wanted, and though he knew they weren’t as alone as it appeared they were, he found himself admitting the truth even so.
“Tessa.” He gritted his teeth. “I want Tessa Sullivan.”
Mathers smiled. “Deal.”
CHAPTERTWO
TWO DAYS AGO
Maria De Angelis smiled to herself as she cruised down the highway.
For as long as she’d been driving, she’d loved these quick trips out of Hamlet. She would never leave the village that was built into her bones, not like Lucas did, but stepping beyond its closed-in borders for only a few hours?
She lived for it.
When she was in her early twenties, driving past the gulley and slipping into the anonymous traffic was her way to stand up against Lucas and his suffocating nature. Having lost both of their parents young, she knew that her brother was determined to keep her safe… but what was dangerous about going to the next county over?
Especially when, if she was being honest, Hamlet was probably more dangerous these days when you take in account the crime rate per population…
But it was fine. Everything was fine. It was a beautiful day in spring, she had a date with Sylvester to look forward to, and she was able to get a but two get one free deal at the art supply store. She had no complaints, and was grateful that her fiancé suggested she take the day to unwind.
Wedding planning was one of Maria’s passions. Though she’d never admit it, she had a need to be in control; that was the De Angelis side of her, she supposed. Add that to her artistic nature, and she had a wonderful time planning Grace’s wedding to Ricky Hart last February.
When Natalie married Kade, the pair of them eloped. Maria was so disappointed that she wouldn’t be able to help the young blonde deputy marry her outsider partner, but when Ethan proposed to Bailey over the summer, the newly engaged pair asked for Maria to plan their April wedding.
Of course she agreed, even though she was neck-deep in planning her own.Più siamo, meglio è.The more the merrier.
Maria’s wedding was coming up quickly. Initially planned for fall, she’d decided on a Christmas wedding, hoping that the snowy backdrop of a Hamlet in December would be perfect for her and Sly.
As she flicked on her blinker, easing over to the right lane, Maria’s smile widened. Silly as it was, when she thought about marching down the aisle of the Hamlet Church, seeing him standing there with his warm smile and those gorgeous copper-colored eyes of his… she couldn’t keep herself from smiling.
Though, as she saw the hidden entrance to Hamlet approaching, her smile did waver.
If you didn’t know that the dirt path leading off of the narrow shoulder would lead to a hidden, well,hamlet, it would seem like you were going to get lost and damage your vehicle for no reason. The last few years, a trio of traffic cones marked the path; it was a concession from the town council who agreed to leave up the “Welcome to Hamlet” sign while also placing the cones so that no one got off on the road who didn’t belong.
Maria had gotten used to having to get out of her car to move the cones, then climbing back inside to drive through. Once she had, she’d get back out to drag the cones back into place.
She did that earlier that afternoon when she set out. She had every intention of doing the same thing now—only someone already had.
Even stranger, they were still there.
From a distance, it looked like the driver had plowed through the cones. Why? She had no idea, but one of the cones was flat, another knocked on its side, and the small four door sedan was parked just to the side of the narrow path, as though something had happened to it.
The driver was crouched down by the back tire. Wearing a black sweatshirt, the hood pulled up over their head, they were fiddling with something.
No one had stopped to help, Maria noticed. Assuming it was because the driver was far enough off the main highway that it would be a nuisance, she clucked her tongue and took the side road. She would’ve gone this way anyway—it was the only path into Hamlet—but even though it was technically “outside”, she decided it was close enough that the town motto was in effect.
