Page 35 of Queen of Spades

“I’m sorry, I’m not here to bother you. Please, carry on,” I told them quickly. A few of the workers who looked like kitchen staff went back to work, but everyone just continued to stare at me like I had three heads and a gun pointed at them. “I was just… um… I was looking for a snack?” I asked, and one of the older maids smiled at me and beckoned me closer. My steps were tentative as I walked through the kitchen, now feeling extremely out of place. At least most of them started to speak once more, although it was a lot more muted than before.

“I’ve been eager to get a glimpse of young Mr. Howell’s new bride,” the woman announced, drawing me toward a set ofcupboards in the far corner of the kitchen. “I always assumed his father would arrange something like this, but at least it appears that you two are somewhat fond of each other.” She smiled, and I flushed red at her implications.

“Have you known Anders long?” I asked, and she nodded brusquely, opening the cupboard and revealing a large bag of flour. I watched in shock as she shifted the flour to the side, uncovering an assortment of treats that were definitely not on the Dr. Howell-approved shopping list. I grinned as she stepped back and gestured for me to take a look.

“I’ve been here since he was four going on forty-five.” She smiled fondly, and I quickly snagged a chocolate bar from the cupboard, clutching it to my chest like a prized jewel. “He comes in here to eat all the time, and he asked us to stock up with snacks for his friends, you included,” she explained, and I beamed. Of course he did, because he always wanted us fed.

“Thank you,” I told her. “I’m sorry to interrupt everyone.” I glanced around the room, and several pairs of eyes suddenly found something else extremely interesting to stare at. She clicked her tongue, and I smiled.

“No problem dear, we don’t get much excitement around here, so it’s nice to have guests,” she explained. A large bell rang nearby, and I nearly leapt out of my skin. “Just the doorbell, sweetheart, nothing to worry about,” she assured me, and I saw one of the maids slip out of the room.

“I’ll get out of your way. Thank you again.” I smiled, and she patted my arm gently before I headed back out, tucking my treat in the pocket of my sundress and pulling out my phone, checking it again.Finally, a message!I opened it quickly and frowned, scanning it once, then twice.

Anders

Did you get my present?

What the hell? What did that mean?I backtracked, going instead to Gregori’s office. The door was closed, so I knocked carefully, studying the message again to see if it suddenly made more sense. The door jerked open, and I found myself face to face with Erik, who looked concerned.

“Have you heard from Anders?” I asked, and he opened the door wider, letting me inside.

“No Angel, we haven’t.” Erik frowned, and I held up my phone, ignoring the annoyed look Gregori sent me for interrupting their meeting.

“The fuck? That’s all he sent?” he asked, and I nodded, feeling a cool little prickle of unease brush the back of my neck. “And nothing from Levy, either?”

“Nothing. I was hoping you knew what it meant, like if it was a code or something?” I asked, and he shook his head, handing my phone back as he quickly signed with Jesse.

The door opened again, and Gregori actually grunted in annoyance as a maid entered, holding a medium-sized box.

“This arrived for Mrs. Howell,” she announced softly, holding it out for me to take. Erik snatched it out of her hands, and her eyes widened as she backed up, quickly leaving the room. He turned the box over, studying it. There was no address on it, meaning it was hand delivered to the front gate. Grace Howell was written across the top, and it was wrapped in plain brown paper.

“Maybe a wedding gift?” Gregori offered, but Erik’s lips twisted, his brow furrowed, deep in thought. He set the box down on the table and flipped open the pocket knife healways had on him, slicing the brown paper carefully and inspecting the box underneath.

“I don’t like this,” I murmured, stepping closer. Jesse grabbed my arm and pulled me behind him as Erik carefully slid the blade under the lip of the box and lifted it slowly, before flipping it up completely, revealing…What the hell was that? A wig?

“Jesus fuck,” Erik swore, taking a step back, and I realized it wasn’t a wig, it was someone’s hair. A someone who was still attached to it. I let out a strangled cry as Gregori brushed past us to study the fucking head someone had sent me in a box. Jesse guided me down into a chair, even as I started to panic and push against him.

“Erik please tell me that’s not Anders,” I rasped as Jesse held me tightly. The hair was too long to be Levy’s, but I didn’t pay attention to the color. Anders hair was long enough, it could be—oh god, no.

Chapter twenty-one

Jesse

Someone was going to pay for scaring my princess like this. Grace was trembling in my arms as I caged her to my chest, refusing to let her see the carnage in the package someone had sent her. I looked over my shoulder, but Gregori was blocking my view of the box now, inspecting it, while Erik was busy typing on his phone. He glanced up at me finally and signed, “It’s not Anders,” as he spoke out loud. Grace collapsed against me, and I stumbled back as I gripped her arms, guiding her back to the chair. I sat her down carefully and brushed the tears off her cheeks, stroking her face with my knuckles.

“Are you okay?” I signed, and she nodded slowly. “Can I see your phone?” I asked, and she handed it over unlocked. I opened the message she had received from Anders, checking the time stamp. It would have been at nearly the same time as the box arrived.

I turned to Erik, who was looking a little green as he watched Gregori poke at the box with a pen. Moving around to better see the contents, I fought my revulsion as I tried to see if I recognized the person the head had belonged to.

“Is that Craig?” I asked him, tilting my head for a better angle. Erik’s eyes widened, and he took a step closer, squinting at the mess on the table.

I saw him mouth the word ‘fuck’ and my heart seized in my chest. Craig was the head of our security team. He was supposed to be at the house right now—the house where Levy and Anders were supposed to be too. So if he was here, clearly dead, then…

The phone in my hand vibrated, and I looked down to see a new message from Anders. I glanced at Grace and opened it, the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end.

Anders

You should say thank you for the gift, Gracie

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