Page 4 of Memento Mori
“What time?”
“Let him know I expect him here within the hour.”
“And if he refuses?”
“Tell him it’s an urgent matter and it would be in his best interest and the interest of his company to get in the car that I send for him.”
Laney knew exactly what I meant. She witnessed the two sides of my world. There’d been many times the monster made appearances in this very office, although it was always a last resort. She never asked questions. She knew who my family was when she accepted the position. Along with the salary she earned, and the non-disclosure agreement she signed, I ensured her silence.
She nodded while inputting the information into her tablet. “I will contact Mr. Driver immediately and send a car to pick him up. Will there be anything else?”
“No ma’am. That will be all.”
She nodded, glanced at Alessandro before she turned on her heels. Alessandro’s eyes followed her until she closed the doorbehind her. His head whipped towards me, and I couldn’t help the laugh that ripped from me.
“What’s the matter, little brother?” I asked, taunting him.
“What the hell was that?”
I shrugged, feigning innocence. “I don’t know what you’re talking about?”
“Is there something going on between you and Laney?” he asked, his anger rising. “Is that why you did that shit to Evangeline?”
“I didn’t do shit to Evangeline. Is there something you want to tell me concerning you and my personal assistant?”
His nostrils flared, and he pursed his lips, refusing to speak about anything concerning him and Laney. I decided to put him out of his misery and answer his question.
“No, Alessandro, there is nothing going on between Laney and me.”
I noticed the audible breath he released, relief hitting him instantly.
“She’s the best damn assistant I’ve ever had. I’m not fucking that up.”
He stood and walked towards the elevator, his steps labored. “I’ve got to head to California today.”
“What’s going on?”
“Nothing I can’t handle. Keep me posted on everything.”
“Alessandro,” I called out before he stepped onto the elevator. He stopped but kept his back to me, his shoulders slumped, almost defeated. “You sure you’re alright? You know you can talk to me, right?”
“I’m fine, Tony. Just going out there to get my head straight before we deal with all that shit in Georgia. Don’t worry.”
Not worrying was impossible when it came to him and Chantal. Although Chan was the oldest and Alessandro the youngest, I always felt it was my duty to protect them both since we were kids.
And now that we were older, the same insane need to take on their problems as my own was still there.
“Okay,” I responded, although I didn’t believe he was fine, “I’ll see you at Chan’s.”
He nodded, stepped onto the elevator, and kept his head down, while my eyes remained zeroed in on him. He was keeping something from me, and I didn’t like it. Alessandro was morethan a brother to me, he was my best friend. We didn’t keep secrets from one another.
After the doors slid closed, I focused on the task at hand, pushing my concern for my brother from my mind. Getting a handle on this situation before it blew up in my face was my priority.
I pulled my phone from the inside of my blazer and scrolled until I crossed Marisol’s name. Why I still had her number was a mystery. Maybe I hoped if we ever crossed paths again, we could have a repeat of that night.
Definitely not now.
My finger hovered over the call button, unsure if calling her was the right move. I hadn’t talked to her in over a year. The night we spent together on the island of Crete was one to remember, and I remembered every single detail. There was no fucking way she was pregnant with my child.
