Page 106 of Brutal Devil
“Excellent. See you tomorrow.” I end the call, eager to see what Luna’s spent the day doing.
My armed guards nod to me as I approach.
“Good evening, boss.”
“Any trouble today?” I ask, but what I really mean to ask is ifmy wifecaused any trouble today.
Bruno, who’s in charge, shakes his head. “It’s been quiet, boss.”
“That’s what I like to hear.”
I make my way into the penthouse, sliding the bolt home behind me. Inside, it’s oddly silent. I missed it here after spending so much time in the safe house, but the penthouse hasnever really felt like home. I have a sprawling mansion in the suburbs on ninety acres, and that’s where I prefer to spend my time. When all this is over, I’ll take Luna there.
We can have an espresso on the covered porch and watch the horses in the pasture. Listen to tree frogs at night. Fuck. Maybe we can even get a dog. I’ve always wanted one, but the timing was never right.
“Luna,” I call as I toe off my shoes, wondering where she is.
So far, everything appears to be intact. No broken dishes, no dismantled furniture. No shivs fashioned out of high heels.
Also, no answer.
The lights are on in the main living area and the kitchen, but she’s not there. I shrug out of my suit jacket and drape it over the back of a chair.
“Luna?”
Still not a peep out of my wife. I head to the office. The door is closed, but inside, her laptop is closed and her chair is empty. I busted my ass building that desk and the matching bookshelves last night. There aren’t any books on the shelves, and the laptop looks untouched, still closed where I left it after I disabled the Wi-Fi.
Maybe she didn’t even find the office.
Disappointment surges through me as I head to the guest room I kept her locked in when I first brought her home from that fraught meeting with Tomasso. No sign of her here either.
What the fuck?
My heart starts pounding harder and faster.
The guards said there was no trouble. So, where the hell is she? The guest bath is empty and quiet. My office is the same.
The last room to check is my bedroom. And that’s when I finally find Luna where I least expected her. The door to my en suite bathroom is closed, and the gentle sound of the shower trickles through.
She’s showering.
My first thought is to give her privacy. I know she’s furious with me. The fact that she’s chosen to shower in my bathroom rather than the spare one doesn’t necessarily mean she wants an interruption.
But then a sudden fear hits me.
What if something is wrong?
I stalk across the room and knock at the door. “Luna?”
The shower turns off. “Priest? Is that you?”
Her voice is hesitant. But she’s not in distress. Relief washes over me like a wave pummeling the shore in a hurricane.
“Yeah,” I manage. “It’s me. I just got back.”
“Don’t come in,” she says sharply, and then I hear the metallic click of the lock popping into place.
Definitely not an invitation, but at least nothing is wrong.
