Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 100604 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 503(@200wpm)___ 402(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100604 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 503(@200wpm)___ 402(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
Cole’s man got out, but he didn’t walk around to me. He held up a hand. “Sorry, ma’am. I have orders. I couldn’t stay behind. I’ll be out here if you need a ride somewhere else.”
“For the rest of the night?”
“No.” He lowered his hand to rest on the SUV’s doorframe. “I’ll be out here indefinitely. Myself or another driver.”
Indefinitely? “What?” I must’ve heard that wrong.
The door to The Mauricio opened behind me, and I heard Ken’s voice. “He’ll be in the basement parking lot, Miss Addison.”
Ken was in full doorman uniform tonight, his coat buttoned all the way to his neck with a dark scarf tucked inside. He even had on his hat, pulled low to protect his forehead. His hands were folded in front of him inside white gloves.
“I gotta go down there?”
Ken nodded at the driver. “No parking on the streets tonight, Carl.”
I laughed bitterly. Carl. Ken knew him by name. And Carl obviously knew Ken well enough. His voice changed once Ken came out, relaxing, moving to a familiar tone. He wasn’t strained or guarded like he’d been with me. Even his shoulders seemed relaxed as he swung back into the SUV.
“He’s just going around the block. He’ll pull into the basement.” Ken hesitated. “If you need him for a ride somewhere else tonight.”
This was another world. “He’ll always be down there?”
“Him or another fella, Jim. The two will switch off, but yes. They’re your personal drivers.”
“Because Cole gave that order?” I watched him intently. I wanted to see his reaction.
There was none. He didn’t even blink, just offered a nice, friendly smile. “Yes, Miss Addison, he did. He does that for people he cares about.”
I couldn’t believe any of this. “Cole owns this building?” It wasn’t really a question. I wanted confirmation. No, I needed confirmation. I needed to be told something concrete. There’d been too many questions raised this evening. Were Dorian and Cole only friends? Who was Carter Reed? And how on Earth did Liam’s family factor in here?
Who was Cole, whose job was a secret, whose job was dangerous, whose life took him away for an entire month at a time, and who took a private jet to bury a friend? I’d been okay with the mystery before, but not now. Not anymore.
Ken gave me a curt, silent nod.
I ground my teeth together. “Is he coming tonight?”
He nodded.
I brushed past. “Good.” I’d get all the damn answers I wanted tonight. If I didn’t, I’d find them myself, regardless of the consequences.
Once I got up to my apartment, Sia called to make sure I was okay. Judging by her slurred speech, Jake hadn’t filled her in on our evening’s excitement, so I didn’t either. I wanted to hear from Cole first. I reassured Sia and then tried to wait for Cole. Reading. TV. Even drinking wine—it was all pointless. Nothing could distract my anger.
Okay. A bottle of wine could maybe help.
But what had Jake said? Cole wasn’t just in the mafia. He was the mafia. I supposed people like that were important. They had to have meetings, do whatever it was Cole and that other guy had been doing tonight. Maybe chat so they could decide who to kill and who to beat up? I snorted, reaching for the glass in front of me.
I mean, fuck. Who was even in the mob? A whole host of old movies came to mind. And that other guy, Carter Reed—who was he to Cole? Who was he at all? And he and Cole knew Liam’s parents. Bea Bertal, Cole has said. That was Liam’s grandmother. She and Liam met for lunches every now and then. I remembered when she died. I’d thought Liam would be upset, but he wasn’t, at least not the way I’d expected.
Liam came in from the study, pausing before entering the kitchen. I waited. Listening. He said nothing. I was stirring soup and still heard nothing, so I glanced over my shoulder. Something was wrong.
His phone was in his hand, and he just stared at it.
“Liam? What is it?”
He lifted his eyes. Bleak, so bleak.
“Liam?”
“My grandmother is dead.”
I waited, remaining by the kitchen, but again, there was only silence. He frowned, and his eyes—they looked so lost.
My heart ached. “I’m sorry.”
He shook his head and scanned the room. His hand lifted to rake through his hair. The phone dropped to the floor with a dull thud.
“I…” He blinked. Once. Twice. “I…”
“Liam?”
“I have no idea what to say.”
“Are you—” I frowned. “—upset? You guys were close.”
“She never met you.” He said that quietly, like he regretted it. “She wanted to meet you, but I was scared. Then you’d know. ” He shook his head. “I don’t know what this means for the family.”
He’d been sad, but more scared. That never made sense to me. It did now. I would’ve known…about what? The Bertal name? I still didn’t know anything about it, except that Liam’s parents were scared of Cole. I knew that much.