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CHAPTERTWELVE
ETHAN
IheardTristan's footsteps before he entered the room. We had more free time to talk now that Vanessa and Anna were together. There was a lot to be done,and for the first time,I was exhausted.
Exhaustion is a sign of weakness, Uncle Luke used to always say. I wondered if what he said was true. My mindimmediately went to Vanessa, realizing how much she had been torturing my thoughts lately. That was bad news, and it was something I couldn't afford as a man with a long list of enemies. She would only be loyal to me as long as her uncle and friend were under my control.
Tristan walked into the room with a solemn expression on his face. I assumed he intended to accuse me of incompetence, and I began to feel guilty because he would be correct. My capo was never rude, but I expected him to criticize me because he was the only one who could along with my uncle.
I was sitting at the bar, holding an empty glass. My entire body felt so heavy that I couldn't move my muscles enough to pour myself a drink.
"Whiskey?" Tristan asked, professing his preference.
"Scotch," I said, and he shrugged before bringing us our drinks.
"Can you tell me what's on your mind? It's as if the entire world sits on your shoulders," he asked with a puzzled expression.
I watched my already half-full glass intently and thenslammed itback on the bar after finishing the rest of the liquor in one gulp. I could tell something was wrong. I had a strange feeling about this, but I couldn't figure out what it was.
"It's one of those days when you just know something's off," I told Tristan, and he got it right away. I had no intention of talking about my feelings at the time.
Tristan sipped his own drink before setting it down and staring at me.
"If you have something on your mind, Tristan, just say it.Nobody benefits from yoursilence," I informed him.
"Anna," Tristan replied sharply, his expression unreadable.
"Who?" I asked, surprised by his response,expecting him to mention Vanessa. "What about her?"
"What are we going to do about her?" he asked, his face returning to that of a devoted family member. There was nothing he wouldn't do for the sake of our family.
The friend had never been of much use to me, but I had spared her life because Vanessa had begged me not to hurt her.
Fred Westbrook had already provided enough motivation for his niece.
"The longer she stays here, the more of a nuisance she becomes. Someone, including the cops, may come looking for her," Tristan went on.
"Did she cause any problems?" I asked himas I fiddled with my ring.
My capo made a shaky motion with his head. "No. We treat her well, as you instructed," he told me before handing me another glass.We had a quiet exchange, and I could tell he was waiting for my next order.
My first instinct was always to kill, and it seemed like the logical thing to do. Contrary to popular belief, the dead do not speak if you know how to do your job correctly. Death was the most certain way to keep secrets hidden without having to worry.
But Vanessa was going to be the death of me. Anna was her friend, and I couldn't make the intrinsically correct decision to kill her. Vanessa's presence at my house, so close to me, clouded my judgment.
Even though I had all the cards in my hands to play as I pleased, I knew I'd blow every slim chance of getting Vanessa to like me and not see me as a monster, even if I was. I wondered if I was making an objective decision, but it wasn't one I could reverse. I was caught up in it and couldn't get out.
Vanessa Westbrook needed to trust me again, like the last time we had sex.
I considered the simple question of what would happen if I let Anna go. She'd return with cops or someone else to help in Vanessa's rescue. That would be inconvenient. My uncle would be displeased, but I could easily handle it.
If it meant keeping Vanessa closer to me, it would be worth it. I'd started to become obsessed with her.
"Lether go," I decided. I expected Tristan to be unhappy with my decision, but he wasn't.
"Just make sure she doesn't say anything. Make her grateful that we let her go and, if necessary, scare her so she doesn't speak to anyone," I added, trying to persuade myself that I wasn't going soft for a woman.
"All right, boss," Tristan said, nodding.
