Page 35 of Killing Emma

“Dead. He died years ago.” There’s a slight influx of emotion in his voice and take a moment to consider how much I want to press.

I decide to take my chance. “What happened?”

“He was killed.” He leans back in his chair, and as he does, a phone begins to vibrate. He digs into the pocket of his jeans and pulls it out, staring down at the screen with a frown.

“Your girlfriend?” I take the jab, knowing good and well that it’s childish, but honestly, the sight of him with a phone reminds me of the disparity between us.

He looks up from the phone, narrowing his eyes at me. “So, you’re the jealous type?”

“Nope,” I scoff, directing my attention to the dog laying beside me. “I just would hate for your girlfriend to find out you have a woman in your basement.”

“You don’t lie well,” he says as he stands to his feet. “You should work on that.”

“Maybe I did it on purpose,” I retort, challenging him.

He leans over the bed, his eyes meeting mine. “Let’s not forget who’s the one locked in the basement, Little Red. Because whether either of us like it or not, someone’s blood is going to spill over this.”

I swallow the lump in my throat as chills roll down my spine, his cologne filling my lungs. He’s so fucking close, that I could kiss him with barely any movement. And the thought of doing so should disturb me, but I'm unphased by the way he just threatened me. Maybe I really am going insane.

He lingers there, the air charged around us. However, before anything else happens, he backs away. His phone buzzes again, and he lets out a grunt before turning to the dog. “Come on.”

My heart sinks as Major jumps off the bed, following him out of the room. I still don’t know his name. I don’t know where I am, either. But Major was nice company while he was here with me, and as they disappear up the steps, I’m left with myself again.

And I don’t like it.

Chapter Sixteen

Luca

“It’s been a wild few days,” Manny says the moment he steps inside of my kitchen, pulling out one of the stools at the bar. “You missed out on a good party.”

“Yeah, we need to talk.” I pour a cup of shitty coffee for myself. I need to go to bed, but getting Manny here was a chore given his partying habit—one I couldn't care less about discussing. “We have a problem, Manny.”

“With what? The girl in your basement?” Manny laughs, checking his smartwatch. “You still have thirty-three—well, thirty-two, days. Maybe we should say thirty-one just to be safe?”

To be safe, I should’ve killed her a long time ago.

I push the thought away, getting to the point of the conversation. “She’s Henry’s wife’s best friend.”

“Huh, small world.” Manny shrugs, unbothered. Normally, I would feel the same. I should feel the same. I shouldn’t be torn the way I am. I shouldn’t be feeling like this revelation is some kind of light at the end of the tunnel. “So…” He motions for me to continue as I fall into silence. “What’s going on? Why’s it matter who she is?”

“Henry wants to hire me to take care of whoever killed her. Well, kills her.” She’s not dead… yet.

Manny grins, and then bursts into a fit of laughter. “Wow, so you want me to buy you some rope? I know a good spot. We could do it right off the bridge. All you gotta do is jump. I bet Henry will get a real kick out of that.”

“I’m not fucking around, Manny,” I snap. “I don’t know if this is going to work. We need to figure out why she has to be killed and who made the hire. I can’t—”

He shakes his head at me, his face growing stern. “No, we don’t. We don’t have to figure out shit. The bitch dies, Luca. It’s not some sort of puzzle we have to solve. Henry will get the fuck over it. He’s always been weak, and now he’s pussy-whipped. So, no. You’re going to kill her.”

I can’t argue with him because he’s mostly right. Henry has always had this strange moral compass that makes no sense when it comes to this job—but he’s also one of the few people I can trust. I take a sip of my coffee and grit my teeth as I swallow the bitter liquid. My frustration and indecision are suddenly making me livid…

With myself.

Manny lets out a heavy breath, raking his fingers through his dark hair. “Even if I thought we could bend to whatever Henry wants, I gotta have the money from this. I don’t know what you’ve been up to the last few days, but whatever’s going on, knock it off. You know how pissed Ivan would be if we skipped this hit?”

“I’m not saying we skip,” I growl at the mention of Ivan. “I’m just saying we gotta fucking talk about it. I gotta tread lightly or Henry is going to come after me himself.”

“He’ll never fuckin’ know, Luca,” Manny bites back. “I’m good at my job. I’ll make a solid trail.”

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