Page 112 of Enigma: The Complete Collection
“Okay, thanks.”
Grinning, I dash around his gleaming muscle car and jump into the passenger seat. After tossing my jacket and satchel into the back seat, I peer at Hugo’s profile. He’s dressed differently today. His black suit and white dress shirt have been switched for dark denim jeans and a long-sleeve shirt. He has the sleeves pulled, showcasing a vast collection of tattoos I didn’t know he had.
“Day off?”
A chuckle bubbles in his chest. “Something like that.”
His gaze strays from the road to me. I’m wearing my standard office attire, which consists of black skinny-leg trousers and a long-sleeve silk blouse. “How about you? I didn’t see you leave the office this early the six months I was tailing you.”
Although I should be peeved at his admission he was watching me for so long, I’ve got more pressing matters to deal with. “I’ve been suspended without pay.”
Disappointment is relayed in my tone. Even if IA’s investigation comes back with no factual findings, my personnel record will be forever smeared by this controversy. Sexually cavorting with a target was never recommended during my training. My career won’t come back from this. I’m just praying my personal life won’t be as badly affected.
My eyes snap to Hugo when he says, “I want to say I'm surprised by your suspension, but I'm not. If you want to live a double life, you need to be more cautious.” I dance my eyes between his, waiting for him to elaborate on his response. Mercifully, he doesn't keep me waiting for long. “My sister’s file was sealed so tightly, not even Isaac’s detective friend, Ryan, could gain access to it, but you, a supposed secretary in legal aid, found out what happened to her.”
Oh.
My pupils dilate even more when he says, “That was yoursecondmistake. The first was the morning you followed Isaac when he was attending a meeting with Delilah Winterbottom. You didn’t check your surroundings for potential conflicts before making the call. I heard everything you said.”
“So, you’ve known all along that I’m an agent?”
A smile furls Hugo’s lips high before he nods.
“Then why didn’t you say anything to Isaac? Why didn’t you rat me out?”
He shrugs like it’s no big deal. “Because I knew once you learned who he really was, you’d also protect him.”
“Also? So you're protecting Isaac… you're his bodyguard?”
He screws up his face. “Isaac doesn’t need a bodyguard. I more protect those he cares about.”
Loving his honesty, I test the waters. “Who are you protecting them from?”
He coughs to clear his throat. “Col Petretti.”
My hands ball into fists. “Why does Col have a vendetta against Isaac? Isaac may be capable of many great things, but not even he can be held accountable for a traffic accident.”
My attitude gets nipped in the bud when Hugo discloses, “Col doesn’t blame Isaac for Ophelia’s death; only Isaac believes that. Col believes he’s a snitch.”
Confusion slips over my face. “Why would he think Isaac is a snitch?”
“The plea bargain Roberto Petretti got after running my sister was only given after he agreed to supply the DA evidence on his father’s shady deals. Since Col wasn’t linked to any illegal activities, only his business associates were caught in the net of Roberto’s confession. When they served time behind bars, Col’s business immensely suffered, but since Col would never believe his son ratted him out, he blamed Isaac.” He flexes and unflexes his fingers on the steering wheel. “Roberto already made my family suffer. I won’t let his family hurt another.”
My heart breaks for Hugo. Even though he masks his pain well, he carries the loss of his sister and nephew in his eyes. When I curl my hand over his balled one on his thigh, his eyes drift to mine. “Don’t give up on Isaac, Izzy. He looks at you like my best mate looked at my sister. As Jorgie would say, you can’t fight fate.”
“I’ll try.” I don't want to give up on Isaac. I just don't like my chances of regaining his trust. It's so easy to break, but it takes more than a lifetime to repair. Doing anything to stop the tears burning my eyes from falling, I ask, “How can you protect Isaac if you're always shadowing me?”
When Hugo laughs, the grief straining his face slackens. “As I said earlier, Isaac doesn’t need protecting. He's more than capable of looking after himself. If you don’t believe me, ask Col’s right-hand man. He learned a hard lesson on what happens when you threaten someone Isaac loves.”
My heart nearly bursts from his statement. If I heard him correctly, he’s implying that Isaac is in love with me. If that’s true, there may still be hope for me yet.
For the rest of our trip, Hugo remains quiet. I don’t mind. It gives me a chance to work through the panic his confession elucidated. Half of me is excited he thinks Isaac is in love with me, whereas the other half is petrified I’ll never get the possibility of discovering the truth from Isaac myself.
When Hugo pulls into the parking lot at the back of Destiny Records, I swing my eyes to him. “Thanks for the ride…” My praise halts halfway when he throws off his seat belt and curls out of his car.
I join him on the sidewalk before eyeing him with suspicion. He smiles at my quirked brow before honking my nose. “Have you met Peta, Cormack’s receptionist?”
I shake my head.
