Page 29 of Isle of Seduction

Fucker brings my blood to a boil and I exhaust myself on the bench until he comes out of the shower, working that violent energy out of me before I do something stupid like goad my little warrior into a fight I’m not sure I’ll win.

My mind has quieted down and I broach a more important topic.

“Taylor wants us to handle the dead body case quietly.” Nico nods, already willing to do what needs to be done to keep our town clean and my name out of the mud. “Problem is that we have no lead.”

Nico remains silent, but his eyes glaze over like he’s looking into every single person he’s ever met and considering them a suspect in the span of a few seconds. I wait until he establishes eye contact with me again.

“I want Addams’s house watched. Put Marco on the case. He’s smooth and won’t raise suspicions. Have you already bugged his home and office?” I ask.

Another nod and I pull at my roots because if Nico stays silent, it means he got nothing. Addams must have another way of communicating with his people. A way even I can’t find, and that sends a chill through my spine. No one can escape me without proper backing from instances of power high above me. And in this life, there aren’t that many.

For now, no one has claimed anything regarding the murder. The police are keeping it under wrap and nothing has spilled to the media. I’m not even sure if anyone outside of Lewis, Taylor and Nico are aware.

I need to inform Giulia. If she’s jumping into something dangerous without knowing, the consequences could be catastrophic. She’s the little goddess of knowledge, Hermes reincarnate, but even as a mafia princess, I can’t blindside her by just being too prideful and not giving her all I have. She’ll work better if she has all the information, I just know it.

I find her cross-legged on the sofa with her laptop, a furrow of concentration on her brow. The single-minded focus on this woman makes me want to stay silent and just watch her work. I shake myself out of it before I become addicted to anything related to her.

“Come with me,” I demand, and walk to my office.

“I’m not your dog, O baullo!”

The insult makes me smile because it’s really cute and inefficient since she follows. I noticed she responds well to orders, even as she likes to pretend she doesn’t. A brat if I ever saw one.

I move to my desk and lift the picture of the corpse from the manilla envelope the chief of police gave me. When I hand it to her, the blood seems to leave Giulia’s body, her face paling to an unhealthy level. My lips purse and my hand moves of its own accord, rubbing her arm.

She knows the person in the picture. I tilt my head to the side and wait for her to talk. She’s visibly distressed and I’m unsure how to help her. When she looks up at me, it’s the first time since Alana’s abduction that a flash of fear appears in the green of her eyes before she masks it behind rage.

“Why do you have a picture of Xan’s corpse on your desk? Are you murdering all my exes? Oh my God, Andrea, you fucking psycho!”

“Of course not. Even though I hate the idea of anyone else touching what’s mine, sweetheart, this”—I point at the picture—“isn’t my doing.”

Her shoulders drop, and she lets out a heavy breath.

“Fuck. They were so sweet. Is this why the Chief of Police wanted to talk to you at the fundraiser?”

“Yes. Him and Lewis think that with my life of crime, it’s linked to me. They don’t know they’re your ex. I didn’t even know until five seconds ago, it’s not like I keep a record of them.” Remember to start one. “But when they do, they’ll jump to the same conclusion you just did. And I wouldn’t be surprised if they can even get evidence.”

I had the scene wiped out last night when I learned where the body had been found and my contact at the station will erase any trace if that ever happens.

“Tell me you didn’t,” she asks, frantic.

“Didn’t what?”

“Tell me you were not as stupid as to wipe a murder scene clean?”

I don’t answer because of fucking course I did.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” She throws her hands up and lets them fall on her thighs with a smack. “Are you even in the mafia? It’s like rule number one or some shit.”

“Rule number one is don’t get caught, sweetheart. And relax, every fucking man at the West Hill police is on my payroll. Xan wasn’t even killed in West Hill. Their body was moved.”

“Are you fucking telling me that not only do we need to find dirt on your opponent, but also make sure he’s not putting a murder on your shoulders in order to win?”

“Seems like it.”

“Jesus, Andrea.” She shakes her head, and her annoyance is so endearing I want to kiss her again. “Let me guess: so far, you couldn’t link Addams to Xan’s death.”

I remain silent, and she starts pacing. She’s full of energy when she goes on strategy mode and watching her is like my new favourite show.

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