Page 10 of Sin and Deception

"You think Nerine wrote this book?" I snorted, knowing that Nerine preferred to keep her life private.

"I don't know what to think," Xander admitted, hishands on my desk as he leaned closer to me. I tried not to stare at his lips for too long. "But I have a feeling it could lead us to her. We have to check it out."

"Seems like a stretch, Xander," I said, trying to inject some reason into the situation.

"No, it's not!" he insisted, standing and towering over me. I reached out and placed a calming hand on his, hoping to soothe him.

"I know you miss her," I said gently. "But we have to be realistic. This seems far-fetched."

"At first, yeah," he admitted with a nod. "But listen—the book is about a Mafia family and its eldest daughter. There's a violent coup that results in the murder of her father and younger brother. Then she is forced into a marriage with the new Godfather to save the family."

"That does sound strange," I agreed, still skeptical. "But why would Nerine write a book like this? It doesn't make sense."

"That's what I can't figure out," Xander said, gripping his dark hair in frustration. "The author uses a pen name, and I can't find any clues about their true identity."

"Plenty of romance authors use pen names," I pointed out.

"I know," Xander sighed, looking distraught. "I just feel like we need to investigate this."

I shrugged helplessly. "Well, go ahead then."

"I already did some digging," he confessed. "But I couldn't find anything solid. The author is good at keeping their true identityhidden."

I could see the disappointment in Xander's eyes, and my heart went out to him. But deep down, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was just another dead-end lead that wouldn't get us any closer to finding Nerine. Where was she, anyway?

“Keep digging,” I urged, my voice barely above a whisper as I tried to calm the storm inside me. The possibility of finding Nerine brought back a flood of memories and pain, making it hard to maintain my composure. “Go talk to the publisher. See if you can get more information from them.”

I knew Xander needed this, whether it led anywhere or not. He had been suffering from terrible nightmares ever since Nerine went missing, constantly blaming himself for her disappearance. It broke my heart to see him like this, knowing I couldn't do anything to ease his pain. Maybe he needed to feel like he was doing something—anything—so he wouldn't drown in his dark thoughts.

Who was I to stand in the way of that?

“Keep me posted,” I added, hoping to see a spark of hope ignite in Xander's eyes. It had been a long time since I had noticed that glimmer of optimism in him. In response, I also tried to let some of his positivity seep into me. We both needed it at this point. Time had turned me cynical and bitter. We climbed into bed every night without our beloved Nerine, feeling like another failure.

We were both consumed by guilt and self-blame. But we also clung to each other, desperately trying to keep one another afloat amidst the sea of agony and tragedy we lived through.

We couldn't have done it alone.

As Xander turned to leave, I stopped him. Standing from behind my desk, I closed the distance between us.

“Xander,” I said softly, pulling him into a tight embrace. It was as much for me as it was for him. With a deep sigh, he returned the hug, and we stood there for what felt like an eternity, communicating everything we couldn't express in words.

I loved this man with every fiber of my being. Losing Nerine, the first time had shattered us, but somehow, this tragedy brought us even closer together.

But even as I held him close, I couldn't shake the feeling that a part of us was missing—and perhaps it would always feel that way. After a moment, Xander pulled away, and his words confirmed my fears. He looked into my eyes, his own filled with painful shadows.

“I love you, Theo,” his voice trembled with emotion. “Now, let me go find our Angel so we can be whole again.”

He kissed me fiercely before turning and walking out the door. I sank back into my chair behind the desk, feeling a heavy weight on my shoulders. Our precious yet maddening Nerine was at our enemies' mercy. The relentless ticking of a clock in my mind reminded me that each second that passed could bring her closer to harm and suffering. And if we never found her, the pain and torture Xander and I had endured for months would become a lifelong sentence.

We had no choice but to find her.

I grabbed the book Xander had left on the desk and started reading, attempting to distract myself from the overwhelming emotions that threatened to consume me.

Four

NERINE

My senses heightened as I wove through the crowds of tourists checking into the luxurious Ida Hotel and Casino. The air was filled with the scent of perfume, sweat, and excitement, mingling with the constant chatter and camera clicks. My eyes scanned the area, carefully inspecting every face I passed. It felt like I now had a giant red target on my back.

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