Page 54 of Hush 3: Hidden Family

Hearing the guilt in his voice stings. This isn’t his fault. I wanted to do this. Even now, anger rises as I think of what he’s suggesting. If I’m not married to Symphony, then who?

The thought of another man taking my place makes me want to spit fire. I rub at my chest where I wear her name tattooed across my skin. I had it done the year after the incident.

It felt wrong to have Annabella drug her for me to spend the night with her in my arms. Not knowing what triggered her theyear before, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. The chance that the sleeping aids could wear off and I would be there to frighten her turned something once innocent into something absolutely, without a doubt, creepy.

“I am fine. I have not changed my stance. Things are just complicated,” I say.

He snorts. “I do remember telling you they would be. I find I understand Sim more and how to handle her when I ask questions and allow her to do the same.

“Her unfiltered honesty reveals everything you need to know. I don’t think it’s as complicated as you make it.Capisce?”

“Capito.”

Symphony

“Ninety-nine,” I murmur to myself as I stand over my last two kills.

This husband and wife deserved this. They stole a child and have done nothing but abuse him for as long as they’ve had him. It was a visit to the hospital from one of their beatings that revealed the two weren’t his parents, putting in motion an investigation.

The boy’s parents turned out to be a wealthy art dealer and heiress to an oil family. The father was the one to seek out my services. After seeing the pictures of what was done to the boyand the mountain of hospital records, I would have done this one for free.

Never the same hospital more than once. The severity of the injuries increased with time. Black eyes and broken eye sockets, broken bones, and injured organs.

I want to go after everyone who neglected to get the child help, but they don’t fall into the guidelines. I will have to let it go and be satisfied with kills number ninety-eight and ninety-nine.

I turn and leave quietly the way I entered. My assignment is complete. Adriano nods to me as he opens the car door for me to slide in when I get to the location where he’s been waiting for me.

“I wish to speak with you,” I say once he is behind the wheel and pulls off.

“Oh really? What’s up this time, boss?”

“I keep telling you I am not your boss. Especially since you haven’t touched a dime of the money I pay you. Which is the topic of the conversation I wish to have.”

He sighs and glances in the rear-view mirror. I fold my arms over my chest. I don’t understand why he refuses my payments.

“How do you know I haven’t touched it?” he asks and lifts a brow.

“I hacked your account. I had a suspicion, so I’ve been underpaying you the last few jobs. When you said nothing, I hacked the account,” I reply.

“Bella, you do know that’s an invasion of my privacy?” he chuckles.

I’ve become a great hacker since starting my business. I was subpar before then. I had watched enough videos for the basics.

Now, I would call myself an expert. I bet I could match Michael or Annabella’s skills. Again, Uri shared information with me when I asked about my family.

I have learned a lot about who they are and what they do. What he doesn’t tell me, I use my skills to find out. I smile as I think of Uri.

I never get the sense that he tells me things because he thinks I don’t or won’t understand. It’s more like he wants me to know and understand who we are. It’s not like when others speak around me, assuming my intelligence is too low to comprehend what’s said or how to apply the knowledge.

I’m okay with that. I have used it to my advantage. Needing to know more about organized crime organizations, I’ve inserted myself into a low-level Irish family here in Boston.

They hired me for my computer skills, but I have played my role and have come to earn their respect or at least their tolerance, leading to my presence in meetings they probably wouldn’t allow me in if they knew better.

I understand the ins and outs of a family like mine much better. Uri has filled in the blanks for the things I found challenging at first. Most of which were more of a cultural difference.

The Italians do things a bit differently. I believe I’ve learned of ways to help Michael and my grandfather run my family more efficiently. I will share these things when the time is right.

“What privacy is there between us? You know everything about me, and I know everything about you. You have spent your life with me, so tell me, why is my money no good for you?”

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