Page 9 of Be Very Quiet

“I know. I’m good.”

Shonda looked reluctant to leave but closed the door behind her with a nod. Liliana let out a breath. Her best friend could be like a dog with a bone when she suspected Liliana wasn’t telling her everything. Once, after a glass of wine or four, Liliana had confessed her love for Luca Russo. Shonda had wanted to call him, and at the time, Liliana had almost agreed. Then she remembered he was a cop, and she would be flirting with a drunk and disorderly charge. That stopped her from punching in his number.

Liliana turned to her computer and jiggled the mouse to bring the screen to life. She needed to find the story Shonda was talking about. She said it wasn’t public knowledge yet, but crimes of that magnitude had a way of landing in the media sooner rather than later.

It had to be a twisted coincidence, didn’t it? It couldn’t be Ted Rader. She found an article on the website of a local television station. Her fingers shook as she scrolled to the bottom. The police had tried to keep information from the public, but it’d been leaked. More details would be released as the investigation proceeded.

Liliana slammed back against her chair. The facts were the same, and the method of death was identical. Rape. Strangulation. Exsanguination.

Ted Rader was back.

She picked up her cell and dialed a number she’d memorized ten years ago without realizing what she was doing. When the deep, husky voice answered, she ignored the thrill it sent through her system and blurted out, “He’s back.”

Chapter Four

After a grueling workout, Luca Russo walked back to his apartment inside the COBRA Securities complex with Christian Zamora, Jalen Ellis, KayneSerruto, andPresley Parrish, four of the newest hires. Like him, Christian, Jalen, Kayne, and Presley were unattached and living in the luxury accommodations provided to agents. They’d become fast friends and enjoyed hanging out together.

Many of the agents were married, and babies were being born right and left, but Luca wasn’t at that point in his life yet. He was content being single and mingling.

“What the hell is that?”

Luca shifted his gaze to where Christian was pointing. “Uh, no clue.”

Some kind of gadget was zipping its way in their direction. It looked like an iPad on a stick with wheels. It stopped in front of them, and the screen popped on.

“Gah!”

All five jumped back when Tyler Redmond’s smiling face appeared. “Hey, guys! ’Sup?”

“Tyler, what the hell is this thing?” Luca waved a hand at the apparatus.

“I know! Dope, right? I can be anywhere and everywhere without leaving my office. I’ve almost achieved my goal of being omnipotent.”

“Don’t you mean impotent?” Kayne joked.

“Har har. I do mighty fine in that department, thank you very much. Just ask Lyra.”

“Okay, okay,” Luca cut in, not wanting to get into salacious details about the tech genius and his beautiful wife. “What is this?”

“He’s my body double. I call him Melman.”

Jalen laughed. “After the giraffe inMadagascar?”

“Yep.”

Presley tossed her long, blonde ponytail over her shoulder and asked suspiciously, “Didn’t I see this same thing with Hetty Lange onNCIS: Los Angeles?”

Tyler sniffed. “I might’ve gotten the idea from the show, but mine is straight fire.”

“You made this?” Kayne asked dubiously.

“It was my idea, but Einstein built it from the ground up.”

Einstein was Damon McIntyre’s nickname. He’d been a highly sought-after mechanical engineer for the Air Force when COBRA Securities had snapped him up faster than a New York minute.

“It’s so slay,” Jalen announced. “You can be anywhere you can’t physically attend.”

“Exactly,” Tyler agreed.

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