Page 40 of The Killer Who Kept Me

“I’m kind of tired.” He looked at me. “Is it okay if I go? I can stay if you want.”

“No, you go rest. I’ll see you in the morning.” I gripped his good hand. “Sweet dreams.”

I watched as Paulo and Em left the room, my gaze unable to move until they were out of sight.

“I know that face.” Aunt Penelope nudged me.

“And what face is that?”

She giggled. “The same one I gave my husband the second I knew he was the one.” She winked and walked away before I had a chance to say anything.

Not long after Em left the gathering, people began dispersing. Dafni and the kids were staying the night, as were my aunt and uncle. I was beat, craved a shower and bed, but that wouldn’t be happening. Cosmo, Gino, Benny, Mike, and Riley joined me in my study.

“We doing this tonight?” Cos asked.

“That bitch isn’t staying under the same roof as Em. We do this now.”

I didn’t answer Em when he’d inquired if I was going to kill Brandi because for some reason, I hadn’t wanted to see hisjudgment. Truth was, there was no way she was walking out of this house alive.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

“When a sinister person means to be your enemy, they start by trying to become your friend.”

~ William Blake

Saros

The lower partof my house was used for a few things. For instance, after Benny was shot, this was where he was brought to. There was a state-of-the-art medical facility in this huge space. This was also a great place to hold meetings if you wanted to guarantee no one could hear you, since it was soundproofed. The other thing about this floor was the fact that it had a cage, shackles, and everything else one might need to hold and…interrogate an individual.

Brandi was currently in the cage and shackled to the wall. As I approached, she wouldn’t meet my eyes, and that was fine.

Gino brought a chair over. I removed my jacket, and Cosmo took it. I sat and unbuttoned my cuffs.

“We’ll start off easy, Brandi.” I rolled up one sleeve and then the other, slowly. “You’ve worked for me for five years. Came in off the streets, according to Cosmo, asked for a job. You served for a year but showed interest in bartending. Linx taught you everything he knew before he left The Vine to manage one of my other clubs. You were a quick study, customers love you. Am I right so far?”

She didn’t respond. That was fine.

“Personally, Brandi, I thought you were loyal. Fuck knows I paid you a lot. But you slipped up. Where do you think that happened?”

She still didn’t speak, so I jerked my head at the cage and Benny opened it up. Riley and Cosmo entered with him.

“What are you doing?” Brandi asked as they unlocked the shackles and dragged her out.

I got up and followed them to the wall. The wall could be mistaken for a Saint Andrew’s Cross, but no pleasure came from the way I used it.

“You’re going to answer my questions, Brandi.”

The four men got her locked in with a lot of cursing. Once she was secured, I moved in front of her.

“Now, I’ll ask you again. What do you think happened?”

“Is this about whatever that brat told you upstairs?”

Oh, she wasn’t very bright. “No.” I pursed my lips. “That’s not where it went wrong. Care to guess again?”

“Sir, I don’t know what he told you, but he’s a liar. I knew it when I saw him at The Vine. I’m trying to protect you.”

I guffawed. “Protect me?” I looked at Mike. “Did you hear that?”

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