Page 73 of Betrayed

Katy chuckled and Mari forced herself to join in. Despite being a conniving, backstabbing bitch, Adri was funny. But knowing what she did about her made it damn hard to laugh.

“Well, you’ll have to live vicariously through someone else’s sex life. I’ve got emails to check and loose ends from last week to tie up.”

“I put some phone messages on your desk,” Katy called after her, as they all settled back into their usual routines.

She waved her thanks as she closed the door to her office. As she leaned against it to catch her breath, she noticed her hands were shaking.Bide your time and wait for an opening,she told herself as she moved toward her desk.

An hour later, after having returned emails and made a few calls, she was sorting through the “while you were out” slips when she came across one from 4:35. A Mr. Abdallah had called with an urgent matter. She marveled at how efficient Arturo and the Rossi team were. This had come in while she was still in the car on the way to the shop.

She was frowning down at it when Adri walked in.

“I need the computer to do invoices, hon.”

She nodded, concentrating on what she would say.

“Is something wrong?”

“I’m not sure.” She’d given her the perfect opening. Flipping the pink message slip around so she could read it, Mari gave her the scripted line. “I had the strangest phone call. This man, he sounded foreign, like from India or somewhere Middle Eastern. Anyway, he wants to talk to me about Derek.”

“Now? After all this time?” she asked, appearing only slightly curious, but Mari saw the blood leach from her cheeks.

“Yeah. It’s about research he was working on before the accident. He said he’d pay me for it.”

“Oh, Mari, this sounds fishy. It’s probably a scam. Targeting a widow who’s come into money. You’re the perfect sucker for scumbags like him.” She snatched the note out of her hand and crumpled it up, which wasn’t unusual for Adri. Even from the beginning, she took charge of the shop and of her.

“Ignore him.”

“If you think it’s best.”

She visibly calmed, her color returning as she gave her a smile. In the past, Mari would have called it caring; now, she saw it for what it really was, patently condescending. “I do,” Adri said. “Now why not head on home early? I’m sure you’re exhausted from your trip, not to mention your lunch.”

Mari somehow managed not to scowl. Had she always been so patronizing, and she hadn’t noticed?

“I don’t have my car. Arturo dropped me off and is coming back at seven to take me out for a late dinner.”

“Oh, well then, how about unpacking some new arrivals? You always enjoy that. I was going to tackle that enormous stack of invoices that piled up while I was away.”

Condescending and bitchy, Mari amended silently. The invoice slur was a direct slap in the face, as if she were too stupid or lazy to do it herself.

“Yeah, I’ll do that,” she replied.

As she left the office—her office—she struggled to contain her anger; a lot of it self-directed. Had she really been so checked out that she hadn’t cared that someone who worked for her treated her like a bothersome child, patted her on the head then sent her off on some trumped-up task to get her out of mama’s hair? Then she realized it had always been like that, ever since Derek had hired her.

Damn! How could she have been such an empty-headed stooge not to see it? Derek had set up his mistress in her shop who had then systematically pushed her aside as she carved out her own role and taken over. And she’d allowed it! Not suspecting a thing, too oblivious to have seen the writing on the wall.

She pulled out her phone and sent off a quick text.

Mari:The seed has been planted. Take down the bitch!

Arturo:Good job. And I have to say, this bloodthirsty side of you is damn hot. As long as it’s directed elsewhere.

His praise always made her feel warm inside, even when pissed. She was smiling down at her phone when it alerted a second later with another text.

Arturo:Stay put. Play your role. I’ll see you promptly at seven.

* * *

AFTER HE HANDED HERinto his car and slammed the door, it took an eternity for him to walk around the hood and get in, or at least it seemed so to her.

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