Page 46 of As Angels Sin

It’s the reason Iusedto like him.

“I don’t know where she is.”

She is in a log cabin, outside the city, that’s owned by Simone’s family. It’s nestled on a peninsula, surrounded on all sides by the lake that reflected last night’s moon. The entrance is guarded by trees, which obscure the narrow dirt road that leads to it, and they shroud the wooden cabin in their tall fingered grasp. It’s almost a perfect hideaway, but these men aren’t fools, and Simone will be one of the first people they look into.

“It’s rather odd that we had our discussion, and not a day later she’s gone.” Matteo scans my face. He searches for a break in my composure or a sign that I’m lying. He won’t find it. The concept of right and wrong has no bearing on how I act. Lies are just another truth with obscured details.

“Why would I come back here, if I wanted to run away with her?” My gaze shifts to the false king, with his red face and bruised neck. Mark did a number on him last night. “I’d put my money on this being Tomas’s doing.”

Big balls, as Lorenzo liked to say. Shifting the blame to one of the three gunning for my head.

“You would?” Matteo asks.

I nod.

“How come?”

“He has a way of repulsing Fiametta. What, with his multiple rape attempts.” Matteo’s neck twists in Tomas’s direction so quickly, he risks giving himself whiplash. “Oh, and he killed her dad. Seems like a more compelling reason to run, don’t you think?”

“Stupid son of a bitch,” Mark grumbles from the far side of the room, shaking his head. I look at him to see who he’s talking to. It’s Tomas “You told me last night was a one-time thing.”

“It was,” Tomas splutters. “All the other times I was drunk. They don’t count.”

Airtight alibi.

What a vile little creature. He feels no remorse and does not care about the pain he’s caused so many times. Could the same be said about me?

No. I only kill people.

“You’re lucky we need you.” Mark crosses his arms over his chest.

I still want to know why. Then again, maybe I don’t. Matteo’s made every effort to hide his reasons for wanting me to join him. There’s a non-zero chance Tomas and I are being lumped into the same deal in his head.

Now that’s a fate I couldn’t endure.

“There we have it. It wasn’t his fault.” Matteo shuts his eyes and shakes his head. “I suppose I must apologize, Crue. Here I thought you betrayed us, so soon after I believed we were rebuilding a new foundation.”

“No need,” I say. “I’m glad you called me.”

“You are?” Matteo’s brows lift with piqued interest.

“I’ve made my decision.”

“Then out with it, boy. Don’t keep us waiting,” he’s practically salivating.

“I’m going to do it,” I say.

Itmeans many things in this context. For a start, it means killing Tomas before the sun comes up.Italso refers to Mark, my closest friend and bitter-sweet betrayer. It means running away with Fiametta, if the God’s give me grace enough to survive this ordeal.

But nowhere in my world doesitmean what Matteo thinksitmeans. He launches himself off the edge of the table and rushes over to me with his hand extended. It squeezes mine firmly.Inside I am shaking violently, the same way I was last night when I saw Tomas thrusting himself on Fiametta

“This is tremendous news,” Matteo says. “Absolutely astonishing. I thought for certain you’d whisked her away and that you had planned some great triple homicide to take place in this room.”

He laughs, while I kick myself that I hadn’t considered doing it here, all at once. I could have neatly finished this bad business and moved on with my life.

“I’d never do it here. I wouldn’t want Fiametta to mistake your blood for her dad’s.” I speak the truth, but get only confused stares from all three, and then Mark forces out a laugh.

“You’re still shit at telling jokes, Crue,” he says.