Page 30 of Sins and Secrets

I grab a comb from her nightstand and untangle her hair, waiting for her to say anything to me. Her gaze is a million miles away as I finish with her hair and put the comb away.

“I have to go see if Davide has pulled any footage from the cameras. If you need anything, call for me or get the housekeeper and she will come find me, alright?” I stand up and bend over in front of her, trying to get her to look at me.

When she does, there is nothing but a haunted look in her eyes. Though I know that this isn’t the first time she’s seen death — not even close — this death is hitting her hard.

I don’t know how to make her feel better. If I could take away even a little of her grief, I would, but since I can’t, the best I can do is make Paolo pay for what he’s done.

After watching Billie for a moment longer, I walk to the stairs. When I glance over my shoulder, she is disappearing beneath the covers. I sigh as I walk downstairs, wondering if I am completely fucking up her life.

If I didn’t make her live here, she might not have seen the dead body of the boy she used to love. Hearing about his death would have been easier than trying to save an already dead man.

Guilt gnaws at me as I head back to the body. While I do have to check with Davide about the security cameras, I need to know if Paolo left any clues on the body.

“Is the doctor here yet?” I ask as I enter the front hall and see Davide watching security feeds on his phone.

“Yeah. He’s outside and waiting for the okay to move the body.”

“He’ll have it in a minute,” I say as I crouch beside the body. My stomach lurches as I look down at the dead young man.

Seeing the people I’m supposed to protect end up dead is never easy. I don’t know how my father or brother were able to grow so cold and numb to it.

I run my hands over his body, feeling for anything that might be in his pockets or clothing. There is something hard in the pocket of his jeans that catches my attention. I reach into it and pull out a piece of paper that’s been folded into a tiny square.

When I unfold the paper and look at it, the world stops.

“How the hell did he get this here without anybody noticing?” I ask as I look up at Davide. “You better find something. I’m not going to continue playing this game with him.”

I stand and walk into the kitchen, the paper still in my hand. I lean against the counter and look at the picture printed on the paper again. My head hurts and anger courses through me. When I find Paolo, I’m going to make him pay for everything that he’s done.

I crumple the picture of Billie sleeping last night and tuck it into my pocket. The red writing that is scrawled across the picture is burned into my mind. Paolo wants to claim her as his. He wants to make our war into a game with Billie as the prize.

It’s not going to happen. There is no way that I’m going to let Billie ever be with that man.

She’s mine.

11

BILLIE

The white stone exterior of The Fortuna looms above me as I stand on the bottom step and look up. I take a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. It’s been a long few days and pulling myself together this morning took more effort than I ever wanted to admit.

Seeing Mark’s dead body two days ago had been too much. I was sure that it was going to be the moment that broke me. I still feel horrible for not being able to save him. I could still feel his blood coating my hands as I gave him compressions over and over again.

Though I knew he was dead as soon as I saw him, I never would have forgiven myself for not trying to save him.

He was my first love. Our relationship ended on good terms years ago. We still spoke to each other every couple of months. I was at his wedding.

Now, he’s gone, and I have to figure out how to go on with my life without one of my best friends.

Except I already know how to go on. I have to stuff my emotions far beneath the surface and hold my head high. I have to walk into The Fortuna and pretend that nothing is wrong, despite the fact that my entire life is falling apart.

You can do this. Working with Alessio is going to be good for your career. You just have to hold yourself together until bedtime and then you can throw yourself a pity party.

After taking another second for myself, I walk into the casino with an easy smile on my face. I glance around, taking in the expensive white stone floors and black marble walls. Gold accents surround me, making the otherwise basic color scheme pop.

Everything about the casino screams wealth. From the high-end machines to the staff who are all walking around in designer suits and cocktail dresses. It’s clear that no expense is spared when it comes to giving the clientele a luxury experience.

“Pardon me, miss, is there anything I can do to help you?” a man in a pale gray suit asks.

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