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Vince had put most of this file together about a week after I had hired Ariana. Vince knew Graham wasn’t the mole.
He’d planted the burner phone in Graham’s pocket, then sent Graham a text through it during his shift, so I’d catch him with the burner.
He wanted me to think Graham was the mole.
Why?
What the hell was he up to?
ARIANA DE LUCA
Lucy Black had dropped lunch off today with red-rimmed eyes. She was supposed to be on her honeymoon. Not bawling her eyes out in New York City.
It was the first time I’d met her, and while I loved her personality, the circumstances cast heavy shadows over lunch. Tessie had picked at the lobster macaroni and cheese.
Lucy hadn’t even bothered eating, and I’d lost my appetite a bite in.
The only thing I seemed to be able to stomach these days were the juice pouches I capped the night off with next to Bastian. His presence should have made it worse.
The guilt over my last visit with Vincent should have made being near Bastian unbearable. Instead, each time he left for the day, I craved the next time I’d see him again.
Issues.
I had more of them than Vogue.
When she’d left, Lucy had kissed me on the cheek and told me that Bastian was lucky to have me.
Like I wasn’t his Apate.
When dinner time came around, I figured Tessie wouldn’t eat much, but I had to at least try.
She’d been okay the first few days of Vincent’s absence, but when a week had passed and things hadn’t turned back to normal, she’d started lashing out at everything and picking at her food instead of eating it.
“I’m making you lasagna. Lucy gave me the recipe.”
“I’m not hungry.”
She crossed her arms from her spot on the couch. I couldn’t see her face from the kitchen, but I could picture her pouting.
“You haven’t eaten breakfast or lunch. Please, eat this.”
“No.”
I strode over to her and kneeled in front of her face. “Remember what I said about everything being okay?”
“Yes. You lied.”
“Close your eyes.”
Relief swept through me as she listened.
I repeated the words I’d given her when her uncle first went missing, “Think about your Uncle Vincent, all the favorite things you’ve done with him, and every memory he’s given you. Can you do that?”
Like last time, memories of my mother consumed me, except this time, it didn’t hurt so much. I was the monster who’d healed in Bastian’s home as his life crumbled around him.
It was a difficult realization to stomach, so I pushed it aside.
Tessie nodded her head, her eyes still squeezed shut. “Yes.”
