Page 99 of Hell Hath No Fury

I do my best to hide my smile and mostly fail as I grip her hand in mine, allowing her to lead me out.

41

A Mystery Unfolds

Lilith

Wedon’tbotherhangingout in France, instead opting to fly directly home.

It only took a few hours for Tony and Matt to complete the general clean-up of the scene. It turns out there was a group of mercenaries traveling with Dmitri, but they were under orders to only interfere with force if Dmitri gave them the word. The secondary orders were to retrieve his body and take him back to wherever the fuck it is he wanted to be laid to rest.

Tony put up a stink about them taking his body, but then the man in charge got pissed and removed Dmitri’s head himself, proving the man was absolutely dead dead. So, Tony begrudgingly relented.

And when I say begrudgingly, he was still muttering about it hours later, much to the amusement of Antoinette, who assured him that burning the body wasn’t necessary to prove someone was truly dead dead.

We’re a couple of hours into our flight when I think to ask, “Where are we going?”

“New York,” Matt replies.

“Why not LA?”

“Declan had to go to Vegas,” Darius explains. “Some superstar hockey player’s surprise wedding.”

I frown. “I didn’t know Declan was good friends with any hockey players.”

“Declan has good friends all over the place,” Matt responds. “But given the suddenness of this trip, I am going to assume Declan’s proclivity toward keeping secrets was required.”

“I’m going to drop you guys off in New York and then continue on to LA,” Tony says, his head drooped on one hand. “I could use a few days of respite, that’s for sure.”

I turn to Matt, frowning. “You’re not going to LA?”

He levels me with a serious look, then slides a small plastic bag toward me. “I found this on Mickey when I was getting him ready to go home.”

Picking up the bag, I turn it over and over in my hand as I ask, “What is it?”

“Instructions.”

I give him a look, then sigh as I open the top of the bag and remove a folded piece of card stock. A key falls out onto the table with a clang, and I eye it warily, not entirely certain if I’m mentally prepared for any of it. Ignoring the key, I open the card stock fully, revealing two lines of letters that don’t make up any actual words.

Matt retrieves the key and holds it out to me. “It’s our standard code. A bank name, location, and box number.”

“Fuck,” I mutter, deciding I’m definitely not at all prepared for what has to be done now that Mickey is gone. Pain stabs me in the chest, instantly followed by burning in my eyes as I stare at the key in front of me. “I can’t do it.”

Antonio’s hand appears, taking the key from Matt. Then his free hand grips mine where I have it resting on the table, turning it over and pressing the key against my palm. “You don’t have to do it alone, Lil. We’ll be there with you every step of the way.”

I glance between Antonio and Matt, both of them staring at me solemnly. Antoinette appears on my other side, her hands pushing against my shoulder until I swivel my seat to face her. She sits in my lap, her arms coming around me until she’s gripping my head against her shoulder, and I sit there, my hands suspended in the air awkwardly.

Antonio’s chuckle has me attempting to look over at him, but I can’t quite see from this position. So, I turn my pleading eyes to Matt, who also laughs as he says, “Better give her what she wants, or the prisoner hug will continue indefinitely.”

Relaxing at his words, I embrace Antoinette, allowing her to comfort me as I comfort her, the few tears that manage to escape soaking into her shirt.

After a few long moments, Antoinette releases me, standing and walking back to her seat without comment. I turn and watch her go, meeting Darius’s warm eyes as she curls around him with a visible sigh. He drops my gaze, his head lowering, and then he murmurs into her ear something that has her giggling.

Matt’s voice draws my attention back to him. “I already contacted the bank to see what documentation they need to give you access to the safe deposit box. Turns out you’re listed as co-owner, so all you need is a picture ID and that key.”

“I never signed any paperwork for any kind of safe deposit box,” I complain, my head suddenly spinning with thoughts on what the fuck Mickey needed it for. Or why he wouldn’t tell me.

Matt laughs. “As if something like that would stop Mickey.”

---