Page 45 of The Sicuro

“Homecooked would be my preferred,” I casually comment.

“You already know I’m not a 1950s traditional wife, but I can getAnders to go to one of the restaurants and bring something back.”

“I’ve got Anders on a tasking, and with the changeover of staff coming up David and his team are busy.”

“I’ll sort it, I will call it through and take the driver.” She sits down on the couch and pulls up information on her phone before calling through an order. The restaurant she has chosen doesn’t do take out, but the fact the owner has a membership here she is catered for with no issues. She is soon kissing me telling me she won’t be long.

I watch her leave on the security cameras before picking up the phone.

“Good evening, Hatton Garden Diamonds.”

I spent the next 20 minutes talking through what design I would like. Explaining that it is to be a one-of-a-kind design with no replicas under any circumstances. She deserves something as unique as she is. When I mentioned to Anders that Kelcie needs to have my last name, that it’s the last thing I need to change to make her mine in every possible way he smiled and told me he knew a jeweller. Turns out he helped my grandfather too. I’m hanging the phone up as she walks in with dinner.

We are sat in our booth, it’s been a while since we have been down getting caught up with day-to-day life. It’s Thursday evening so the bar is full, and the soft murmurs of members talking fills the room. I bring our conversation around to taking some time off,suggesting that we have a break and go somewhere she likes. The shocked expression she stares at me with makes me laugh.

“You’ve never taken time off.”

“I know. Business is running smoothly, Anders can cover, it seems the best time to do it. Just a few days somewhere warm, so you can spend your time in a bikini, or naked.” A mischievous smile takes over her lips as she turns to take a drink. As she puts her glass down, her eyes become emotionless, lips taut.

“Kelcie.” She nods her chin up ever so slightly, I follow her gaze over to Miss Williams’s table. Someone has approached her but remained standing, his back is facing us so I can’t see his face. He leans forward and speaks into her ear. As he stands, he pulls his jacket straight and walks away, leaving the bar. I nod over to David, gesturing to the individual leaving, he opens the door for him and after closing it behind him approaches us.

“Who was that?” I ask.

“It was Dale.” But it’s Kelcie who responds. I look at her, my brows pinched together. “Whilst it’s dark enough in here to hide expressions, I’ve worked here long enough to know most members and their guests. Plus, he may have got a new suit, but it still looks like a bag of shit on him.” Kelcie says as David laughs.

“Check on Miss Williams.” I ask David, he nods and ensures he walks past her table on his way back to the bar entrance. I see him casually speak with her, not actually stopping at her table, as he wouldn’t normally.

“Do we know whose guest he is tonight?” I ask.

“I’m unsure, but I will check, his attendance has reduced but he has still managed to convince some of the members to invite him in.” Her eyes haven’t moved from Miss Williams’s table, her appearance still deadpan. I pull her face to look at me.

“We will look into it.” I assure her. “Let’s go home.”

Sat in our usual spots at the breakfast table, she has her wine, and her hair in a messy bun on the top of her head, but she isn’t relaxed.

“So, her background check said her parents are old and she has no other siblings.” She is stating more than asking. I agree with a hum. “Do you think they could be used against her?”

“For what reason?” I ask interested in where she is going with this.

“Do you think she could have been coerced into applying for membership? She is never comfortable when attending, she just sits and watches. She never wanted a loan, so now I’m thinking this is too simple.”

“Who do you suspect would have the ability to do that? Dale is not powerful enough to put that kind of pressure on anyone.” She sighs, heavily.

“Something isn’t right Gabriel. I feel we are in the calm before the storm and when I say storm it feels like a fucking hurricane.” I make my way to her, pulling her close.

“Kelcie, I may share the name of an angel, but I am the devil himself, not a soul could get close to you without being drained of their life.I would have them begging me for mercy, but I am not God, and I will never have mercy for anyone or anything that takes you away from me, or I from you. You are mine, now and always, in this life and the next. You have been since I set eyes on you.”

She raises her chin, her eyes on mine, I don’t see fear or angst, her pupils are dilated so intensely that I can barely see the hazel brown. She sees everything as it is. She is no longer oblivious to the world around her, to the crime, murder and evil that exists in it, and in me.

“I will have her tracked, if she is being coerced, they will either be meeting her or at the very least making some kind of contact.”

“Dale too,” she responds. I kiss her forehead. She may still not be comfortable in this world, and she may not believe she belongs in it, but she does.

“Yes, Miss Taylor.” I say smiling to myself thinking how that will soon be Mrs DeMarco.

The next morning, I tell Kelcie to stay home, it’s safer there. She wasn’t happy about it, telling me that she wasn’t going to hide out again so we made the agreement that it was only for today and I would be back quickly. After our discussion last night, I had Anders and David arrange to track both Miss Williams and Mr Dale, David responded that he had Dale followed last night after leaving the bar. He made calls on his way home, but it wasn’t enough time to get it bugged, and they couldn’t hear the conversation, but his body language showed he was pissed off.

“Both phones will be bugged, and I’ll have a team on them. Duration?” Anders asks.

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