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His tone has an almost cajoling quality, like he’s asking me to work with him. Yet the underlying threat and authoritative bite has my spine stiffening and I retort, “Or else what? You’ll have no choice but to come back here and put enough holes in me to turn me into a human sieve? Is that the script we’re going with?”
I notice a slight twitch of his left hand, which hovers over his hip. Then he takes an imperceptible breath and releases it through his teeth, which tells me he just suppressed an urge there.
He doesn’t tolerate being spoken to like that, yet his practiced calm says he’s not someone to let his emotions lead him around.
He says softly, “I have no intention of coming back here. Or leaving without what I came here for. Your silence is all I require. You either give me that or else Maria and her daughter will die.” There’s an earnest intensity in his voice that doesn't sound like a threat.
Is he actually trying to protect them?
The fact that he doesn’t mention me dying if I don’t cooperate makes me wonder if he’s now decided against killing me, which emboldens me further.
“Where is Maria now?” I venture, thinking it crucial to know Maria’s location, especially if she’s still in the motel and waiting for Cade’s arrival today.
Nico looks slightly amused that I’m questioning him, but I’m even more surprised when he answers, “She’s not around.”
Sounds like he’s found Maria then. I’m also guessing he’s gotten her to sing like a bird which is what led him straight here today to tie up ‘loose ends’.
Infusing my voice with a confidence I don’t quite feel, I press, “Yes, I’m aware you haven’t stashed Maria into my office supply closet, Mr. Vitelli, but I’m going to need more details than that. I need to know if she’s not being held somewhere and fed on two teaspoons of water a day.”
This time Nico doesn’t seem bothered by my sarcasm, instead he continues looking at me with those intense cold eyes. “Unfortunately, Signorina Kellan, I can’t give you more than that.”
I’m only stalling for time while I figure out what the hell to do. Maybe Eva will return early. Or Miguel could arrive for his session. He’s a burly guy, that Miguel. Perhaps he could convince ‘laser eyes’ here to leave me alone. Or, by some miracle, the police could show up.
But deep down, I know it’s all wishful thinking.
Growing up, the rules were clear. Involving the cops was off-limits, especially given my own father’s covert dealings with the local sheriff. You never know which monster is yanking the lawman’s string from the shadows. And there always is. Men like my father—men like Nico Vitelli.
But right now, in this new life I am carving out for myself, it’s hard to detangle those ingrained beliefs about cops and the law.
One thing is true, though: It was a very stupid move to get involved with a client. Why the hell didn’t Cade warn me against this?
Oh, right, he did. For about two seconds because he knew I wouldn’t listen anyway.
“Can you at least tell me that Maria and her daughter are safe?” I push, needing to grasp any thread of reassurance.
“They’re safe,” he confirms. After a pause, laden with unspoken thoughts, he adds, “And I intend to keep them that way.”
This admission stirs a mix of emotions within me. “You’re telling me you’re doing this”—I nod toward his concealed gun—“to protect Maria and Victoria?”
His silence speaks volumes, yet it's his unwavering gaze, his posture, more than his words, that convinces me of his sincerity. Despite the alarm bells ringing in my professional mind, I can't shake the feeling that he's telling the truth.
Okay, now what, oh queen of body language?
I muster my courage, “Fine, I’ll keep my mouth shut, but that is by no means a lifelong promise. Besides, if the police start looking—”
“They won’t,” he interjects, eyeing me for another long moment. Debating.
I can almost hear the tick of the clock on the wall slowing, a tense soundtrack to Nico’s deliberation. Perhaps he’s contemplating the simplicity of permanently silencing me. After all, he went to the trouble of getting me alone. Most likely, he’s the reason Miguel didn’t show up today. Maybe he even had something to do with Eva’s emergency, too.
Finally, he nods tersely, then spins on his heel and leaves without another word, closing the door with a click that resonates like a gavel.
A huge breath whooshes out of me, as if I’d been holding it since the moment he first locked eyes with me across the room. With the immediate threat now gone, I stand still for a moment while my brain tries to play catch-up.
Once reality sets back in, I collapse into my chair, free now to let my hands shake all they want.
Looks like my tough bitch skills have grown rusty.
Nico Vitelli hadn’t demanded to see my notes on Maria. He didn’t even ask me for details of our conversations. Instead, he simply disappeared, leaving with nothing but my less-than-convincing promise not to talk. I have this gnawing suspicion that he got far less than he’d intended from our encounter.
