Page 167

“Maybe Audrey.”

My breath catches. “She’s not a problem then.”

“Right. Best case scenario. The phone could have been meant to end up in her room. Or in her hands.” He narrows his eyes. “She controlled staff movement. Knew schedules. Knew who cleaned which corridor and when. If someone wanted a message routed through the house without sending it through traceable channels, Audrey would be useful.”

My mind stumbles over the possibility.

Audrey with the phone.

Audrey with Delaney’s name.

“Was she part of it?” I ask. “Of what…the Vexleys do?”

Nathaniel’s face darkens. “Audrey was part of everything.”

“She was an evil bitch,” I whisper.

“She was,” Nathaniel says.

I glance toward the room where he and I last made love. And yes, it was making love.

“She’s dead now,” I say.

“Buried,” he says.

“She can’t do any more harm.”

Nathaniel nods. “She can’t, but…” He moves to the bust next to Arthur.

I read the nameplate. Aloysius Vexley, Arthur’s father. Nathaniel fumbles behind it.

“What are you doing?” I ask.

“You’re not the only one who hides things around here, Ella,” he says.

“I guess I know that.” I say no more, as I don’t know who might be listening, and I don’t want to give away the fact that Nathaniel has a safe house.

Nathaniel pulls out a pistol.

I hold back a gasp.

“Take this,” he says.

“I… I don’t know how…”

“Point and shoot,” he says. “I wish I had time to teach you how to use it. I will in the future. I promise.”

“Why can’t you just come with me?”

“God, I wish I could.” He shakes his head. “You have no fucking idea, Ella. But I can’t. My brother’s been lurking around lately, and I have to make sure he’s distracted so you can be safe.”

“Your—”

“Cain,” he says. “The younger one. He’s the closest thing my father has to a mirror. He sees weakness. He sees motion. He hears lies before they’re spoken. If he starts hunting for the truth before you’re gone, I don’t know if I can stop him.”

“But the gun…”

“I hope you don’t have to use it,” he says, “but after what happened with Audrey, I know one thing for certain.”