Page 12 of The Art of You

“This stays out of the press, yes?” Carla called out.

“Of course,” my father piped up for me before we made a quick exit from the library and started for the front of the estate.

“You have eyes out front?” I asked Constantine. “We all set to move out?”

“I’m back in position, and from my vantage point,” he let me know, “you’re good to go.”

Once Bella and I were outside, I followed her gaze, finding another reason aside from Eduardo to be uneasy. There was an unfinished conversation Bella and I still needed to have about the woman in the doorway.

Kit held up her phone and took a picture of us.

Just great.I was a second away from doing something stupid—taking her phone and throwing it into the fountain out front—but Bella tugged my arm.

“She’s not worth it,” she pleaded, and I slowly turned as the valet came over.

“You sure?” I asked while mindlessly handing him the ticket.

“Listen to her, she’s right.” Constantine needed to get out of my head and clear of my conscience.

“Unless you’re worried about a photo of us ending up online that claims we’re dating?” Bella kept her voice low as if her brother wouldn’t overhear her.

“If you’re good, I’m good.” Well, I still didn’t feel “good,”but hopefully once I had Bella safely back at home, I’d be more relaxed.

“Nice job in there, by the way. Should’ve been an actor for a living.” That was Marc in my ear that time, transmitting over our line for the first time tonight. He was one of the SEALs Constantine had brought in for overwatch.

“Yeah, I deserve an Oscar.” Most of what I’d said in the library had been a version of the truth, though. Carla had to carry the burden of acting unaffected and keeping it together. While we’d run through the plans with her over a secure line before the party, preparing her as much as possible, pulling it off with her daughter’s life at stake was quite different.

“Once you’re safely out of here, and we handle the bodies we racked up here, I’m going to meet up with the others and wrap up those loose ends,” Constantine announced, which was code for: delete evidence of our involvement tonight.

“Yeah, okay.” I thought back to the exchange with Eduardo in the library, deciding my gut was rarely wrong about people. “I know we checked out the ambo’s security team, and we cleared them, but she chose to leave two of her guys in the dark tonight, and I trust my instincts more than I do background checks.”

“You think this was an inside job?” Bella asked.

“I don’t know, but I’d rather be overcautious and have those two guys followed tonight just in case,” I said before scanning the area, ensuring the ambo’s people weren’t within earshot.

“Agreed. Marc and Malik can tail them,” Constantine confirmed as one of the valets pulled up in the Porsche.

“I’ll get Bella back home now.”

“Stay with her until we know more.” I was about to remove the device from my ear before he issued one more order. “But there’s no need to walk my sister to her bedroom. I’m sure she can find her own way just fine.”

Chapter 4

Hudson

“You really thinkone of her security guards helped the kidnappers?”

I glanced over at Bella in the passenger seat. “Just a hunch. Hopefully, I’m wrong.”Eyes back on the road, I merged onto the Bronx River Parkway to head into the city and get Bella home.

I’d let Callie walk Bella to her bedroom so she didn’t trip in her dress, but I’d be parking my ass on the couch downstairs for as long as it took until I knew everything was good.

I rested my free hand in my lap, curling my fingers into a fist. At least now I had the comfortable weight of my Glock at my back, hidden by my suit jacket.

Bella tapped at the screen on the dash, turning on music. If that put her at ease, I was all for it. “Oh, Teddy Swims. I love this artist.” She leaned back in her seat, drumming her nails on the skirt of her dress, seemingly more at peace.

“So, your nerves frombeforeare gone?” I couldn’t help but press.

“Mmmhmm.”

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