AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Was Nico a monster?
The jury was still out on that question. He tried to be kind and fair, but deep down, a part of him still liked to see morally bankrupt men suffer for their sins. And a worse part of him liked to inflict the punishment.
“Dinner was delicious,” Hallie said, snapping him back to the present. “Thank you.”
“It was my pleasure.” The steak had been sourced locally, as had the wine. “Can I interest you in a nightcap?”
There was the briefest hesitation before she shook her head. “I have an early flight back tomorrow.”
She’d been pleasant company—smart, slightly nervous, not at all like her acerbic boss. Emmy Black thought nothing of breaking into Nico’s villa and helping herself to his gourmet coffee. That wasn’t to say that he didn’t enjoy spending time with her. Mrs. Black was magnetic in a leads-men-to-their-doom kind of way, and if she hadn’t been married, he might have been masochistic enough to make a move on her.
He leaned in to kiss Hallie on the cheek, politely. So politely.
“Safe travels, Ms. Chastain.”
She blushed. Of course she blushed.
“I’ll be in touch as soon as we’ve reviewed the file and worked out the next steps.”
Nico watched her bypass the elevator and head for the stairs, and the guilt crept back again.
Guilt over the real reason he’d never called Kaylin after that chance meeting in New York. Guilt that after a long, lazy lunch with the woman she’d become, his thoughts about her had been anything but brotherly.
At the time, giving her space had seemed the wisest option. He’d acted in her best interests. Kaylin La Rocca was caring and kind, and the darkness that lurked within Nico had been closer to the surface in those days. Then there was the small issue that his father had murdered her mother. Nico might have claimed he didn’t know the truth, but in his heart, he did. Perhaps she’d asked for money or made a misguided threat? Or maybe his father simply hadn’t been fond of loose ends?
Whatever the reason, Renée was cold in the ground, just like Nico’s mama and two of his stepmothers. To Lev Belinsky, women had been disposable.
And Nico had never been the type for commitment.
No, Kaylin had deserved better, and so he’d walked away.
3
HALLIE
Nico hadn’t hired a slouch, that was for sure. Jacob Crumb, the Manassas-based private investigator, had meticulously followed up every lead on the trail of Kaylin’s whereabouts, and he had great local connections. He’d spoken to every member of staff at the Bluebird Inn and most of the police department too, not only the cops but dispatchers and admin staff as well. I knew from experience that admin staff could be a better source of information than the officers themselves on occasion. Slowly, slowly, I was building my own network in Richmond.
I leaned back in my chair and stared at the ceiling. No water-stained tiles for Blackwood—in the past month, someone had painted a skyscape up there, complete with fluffy white clouds, birds, a rainbow, and… I squinted at the far corner of the room… Yup, a military drone. Apparently, the new decor was meant to be calming. The drone looked like an afterthought, and I suspected it was an unauthorised addition.
“Is that the Kaylin La Rocca file?” my boss asked, appearing behind me. Daniela di Grassi was a tough New Yorker who spoke her mind and didn’t take shit from anyone. “Donut?”
“Where did you get those?”
Emmy’s nutritionist, Toby, took his duties very seriously, and although officially he only looked after Emmy and her team, he’d taken it upon himself to ensure that everyone else stayed in good shape too. After some negotiation, we’d agreed upon Fridays as the office cheat day. The rest of the week, we got veggie trays, yogurt, and bagels with low-fat cream cheese. Today was Monday. We shouldn’t have donuts on a Monday.
“Emmy just happened to detour via the bakery on her morning run.”
“And Alex let her?”
Alex was her personal trainer, and usually as militant as Toby when it came to her health. I wouldn’t be able to stand it, having people constantly tweak my diet and exercise and monitor everything I did, but for Emmy, it was a way of life, as were her carb-related rebellions.
“Alex has mellowed since he got a girlfriend,” Dan said, biting into a bear claw. “Haven’t you noticed?”
I shuddered. I couldn’t help it. I’d always suspected he was crazy, what with his willingness to spar with members of the Special Projects team, but he’d confirmed it when he started dating Dasha, also known as the Bad Samaritan.
“Doesn’t she make you nervous?” I whispered, as if she might suddenly materialise beside me.
Dan merely shrugged. “No more than Ana.”
