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Getting into the estate posed a challenge, even to someone like me who was used to sneaking into places that were supposed to be impenetrable. Despite my body screaming in protest at being forced to climb over a wall—I really needed to start exercising—and dropping with a loud thud onto the other side, I made my way inside the huge Olysses mansion.
Guards patrolled the area, and security cameras blinked all over the outside of the massive building.
But I blended into the night, dressed all in black with my face painted. My small stature came in handy, able to hide behind bushes and crawl across the lawn.
My hair was hidden under a black beanie, my hands covered in leather gloves.
They’d lit up most of the yard, but a corner at the back was dark enough to get inside undetected.
Silently closing the glass door behind me, I pulled out my gun, holding it in both hands. The house was quiet, the lights dimmed. Searching the bottom floor first, I only found the empty kitchen, numerous living areas, a study, and a library.
Every door was open, each room decorated in understated elegance, the leather couches inviting, the library warm and cozy. I would have loved to explore the house during the day.
But this was all I’d get, and it was more than I deserved.
I didn’t linger in any of the rooms, no matter how much I wanted to browse the bookshelves, finding out what someone like the Olysses family liked to read.
I tightened my grip on my gun, thankful for the gloves I wore since my hands were sweaty. My heart was drumming an erratic beat, my eyes too dry. The second floor must have been where they lived. Most of the doors were closed, everything as quiet as it had been downstairs.
Carefully opening the first door on the right, I found an empty room. The next one was the same. The third was occupied, and I quietly placed one foot in front of the other when I approached the bed.
But the couple wasn’t Constantine and Althea, so I left as quickly as I’d entered. The next room held another couple, but again they were much too young to be my target.
I had tried preparing myself for seeing Jude. But when I walked into the next room, his familiar scent hit me like a baseball bat to the gut. His large form was unmoving underneath the sheets, one arm stretched out over his head, the other resting on his stomach.
Despite knowing better, I tiptoed closer, biting my lip, the pain stopping me from doing something stupid like reaching out to touch him.
The moonlight that came through the open blinds created sharp angles on his face, making him look like he was carved out of marble. I liked that this would be the last image I’d have of him.
“I’m sorry.” My whispered plea of forgiveness I knew he’d never grant me went unanswered. And with a deep, shuddering inhale, I left, carefully closing his door behind me. There were only two rooms left on this side, both empty.
The right wing only had three rooms. I got lucky at the second door I opened.
Every part of the house was beautiful, but this room was on another level. Not only was it the biggest, but it also included a beautiful sleigh bed, a wall filled with family pictures, and plants on every available surface.
The carpet was plush, and I felt like I was walking on clouds as I made my way to the bed. Bile rose in my throat, and my feet wobbled.
Constantine held his wife in a tight embrace as they both slept. I’d heard that they’d fallen in love almost as soon as they saw each other, despite being an arranged marriage.
And seeing them together like this, I knew the stories were true.
A tear dripped onto the bed, startling me. Wiping at my face, I inhaled and aimed my gun.
I’d never expected to make it this far. But I was here now. And I had to finish what I’d started. For Lenny.
A big body crashed into me, sending me tumbling to the ground. The carpet didn’t feel as soft when you were squashed underneath nearly two hundred pounds of angry man.
“Jude? What’s the meaning of this?”
I heard Althea’s cry above us but didn’t look up. The only thing that held my attention was the fuming behemoth above me. Our eyes locked, and the rage I’d seen in them turned to confusion.
“Ariel?” His voice was hoarse, his hold on my wrists tight but not painful. He was pinning me down when the light turned on and footsteps pounded down the hall.
People burst into the room, everyone talking at once.
“What happened?”
“Mom, are you okay?”
