Page 44 of Killing Emma

“I don’t want to hear another man’s name ever come out of your mouth while you’re in my presence.” He drops his hand from my face and backs up a step. “Not one that’s had his dick in you.”

I nod, slipping past him and heading for the basement door. As I reach for the knob, feeling a mixture of embarrassment, anger, and shame, his hand grabs mine. I squeeze my eyes and turn back to face him.

“One more thing.” His voice is cold and unemotional once again.

“Yes?” I squeak.

“While I’m gone, lock this door from the inside. Don’t let anyone come in that’s not me. It’s not a great lock,” he says, softness suddenly returning. “But no one should be showing up right now.”

Fear shoots through my body. “Could someone show up?”

“I hope not.” With that, he releases me and gestures to the door. I open it and slip inside. “Lock the door, Little Red. Don’t let anyone in. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

The repetition from him only leaves me feeling more uneasy as I fumble with the lock at the top of the door. I can barely reach high enough to slide the deadbolt across. I have to stand on my tiptoes, but as I do, I hear the locks turn on the other side of the door.

I slip down the stairs and make my way to the bed, crawling under the covers even though I’m not tired. I shouldn’t have borderline picked the fight with Luca, but… It was less terrifying than coming to terms with the idea that the man I married was actually willing to pay millions of dollars for me to…

End up dismembered in a ditch somewhere.

Chapter Twenty

Luca

“So, you wanna tell me why you were interested in the kidnapper of the late Nightingale heir?” Jude takes a sip of his coffee, not even bothering to greet me as he swings the door of his place open.

“I told you, I’m helping Henry—or whatever,” I add quickly, shrugging.

“Yeah, but you asked about it before Henry brought it up to you.” Jude sets his coffee mug down on the bar of his Art Deco style house. “I’m not buying it, Luca. Henry might play into your façade, but I don’t. You’re acting weird.”

“Maybe I’m just curious,” I reason, knowing that even sounds worse. The truth is, I don’t know how the fuck I’m acting, because I can’t get my shit straight anyway. All I can think about right now is the hell that’s going to be coming for me. I don’t know when I decided I wasn’t going to kill Emma either, but here I am. Not killing her.

And putting up with her mouth.

Then again, I might’ve been a dick, too. I don’t know, but her fucking sympathy for her ex-husband rubs me the wrong way. It’s obvious he has something to do with it.

“Look, I haven’t told Henry of my suspicions with you, so if there’s something you need to tell me, I suggest you do it,” Jude levels with me. His reddish blond hair is disheveled, like he hasn’t been sleeping. I wonder if it’s because he’s been spending too much time out and about—or if he’s pulling late nights for Henry’s old lady. “Just tell me the truth.”

Wouldn’t you like to know?

“I don’t have any truth to tell,” I scoff, pulling out a chair at his messy bar and taking a seat. “But I do wanna know what you can tell me about Kyle, the divorce attorney, and Jared, the ex-husband. Henry said there’s some kind of connection between them. I wanna know what it is.”

Jude’s eyes narrow. “You’re dodging me, but okay, I’ll bite—only for the sake of Henry though.” He folds his arms across his chest. For some reason, I think he’s a little more muscled up than before, like he’s been hitting the gym or something.

“Go on,” I urge with a nod.

“So, the divorce attorney is a wash, I think,” Jude says, scratching the uneven stubble on his chin. “He did some legal work for Jared a few years ago, but it was on behalf of Emma. It was just helping him set up his business—nothing suspicious.”

“And the husband?”

“That’s where things get…strange.” Jude eyes me in a way that makes my stomach knot up. “I was able to tap into the Ring Camera footage. I watched this confrontation take place between Emma and Jared. He was begging for her to get back with him.”

I nod, pretending like I didn’t watch this from the woods outside her house. “And? Sounds like typical relationship drama.”

“Yeah, well, Emma threw a wine glass, but you’re right. It is pretty normal drama, but then…”

“Then?” I’m on the edge of my seat now. How did you cover up, Manny? Jude is a better tracker than damn near anyone.

“Then the footage gets weird.” Jude’s voice is monotone. “Would you like to see it?”

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