Page 76 of Ruthless King

“Andrew attacked me.”

The two men share a look. “Nico’s second-in-command?” Chase asks.

“Yes. He tried to kill me.”

“And why do you think that is?”

I can’t tell the detectives the real reason. Nico has already been arrested. I just have to hope that no one knows that I’m really Giovanni’s daughter. It would make me look suspicious and could even put me in jail.

“He’s angry with Nico,” I say instead. “He never wanted Nico to get married. I think Andrew wants to take over Nico’sjob. He wanted me out of the way. You have to stop him. He’s dangerous.”

“Seeing as he’s our only witness against your husband, we don’t want Andrew to get into trouble,” Morgan tells me point blank. Something tells me he wasn’t supposed to tell me that, and yet he did.

“You’re so desperate to bring Nico down you would ignore that Andrew just tried to kill me?” I pause, thinking over their words. “Wait. What do you mean he’s your witness?”

“He’s the one who turned your husband in,” Chase explains. “He saw Nico kill Giovanni Costa.”

“But Nico didn’t do it. He didn’t kill my—” I stop. Morgan narrows his eyes. “Nico didn’t kill Giovanni Costa. I asked him about it, and he said he didn’t. He wasn’t there.”

“And how do you know this? Were you there?”

“No,” I answer honestly because that’s the truth. I never saw who really killed my father.

Chase sighs and pulls out a notepad. “We’ll take your statement.”

“Where’s my husband? I have a right to see him.”

“He’s being held in a detention center. Judge considered him a flight risk and wouldn’t let him get out on bail,” Morgan says. “You can see him there.”

Nico is in jail. I need to know why he left me downstairs to die. Does he really hate me that much?

The detectives finally leave after taking my statement, and then it’s my chance to leave.

I discover that the detention center Nico’s in accepts visitors today, so I take a taxi to it, not risking the chance of going home and getting my car. Andrew could be waiting for me there. The drive takes an hour and a half, but fortunately, I’m made of money.

The detention center looks exactly like a prison. I can’t imagine Nico in there. Despite everything that happened between us, he doesn’t deserve this.

It takes another hour before I get the chance to see him.

Once Nico enters the visitation room, he hurries over to the table where I’m seated. “You’re alive.”

“I am.”

“I asked Andrew to take of you. I asked him to feed you. Put you in a more comfortable room. You have to believe that, Aurora. I never wanted you to die.”

I can tell from the sincerity in his gaze that he’s speaking the truth. “I believe you. I guess Andrew wanted me dead. He just tried to attack me in the hospital.”

Nico’s eyes darken. “That fucker. He put me in here. I know it.”

“Iknow it. I just spoke with Detective Chase and Detective Morgan. They told me Andrew turned on you. He’s the reason you’re in here.”

“He’s a fucking liar. He’s the one who killed your father. He’s the one who went to LA and did it. I wasn’t even there that weekend, but Andrew is fabricating evidence against me. I know it.”

“Can you get out of here?”

He nods once. “I have contacts. I won’t stay in here long. Trust me.”

“And … what about us?”

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