Page 94 of Highball and Chain

I turned to go back to the table and caught Nico staring. In Sicily, she’d either glared or smirked every time she met my gaze. I would have preferred either. Her current expression reminded me of the veterinarian who’d put my dog to sleep—sad but resigned.

“Thank you, Shanna.” She turned her attention to her food.

“You’re welcome.” Too hungry to let her bug me, I sat beside Enzo and dug in.

He waited until I stopped to take a drink of wine before asking, “How is it?”

“It’s incredible. Melts in my mouth, but nothing compares to your omelets.” I might or might not have mentioned breakfast food to remind Nico he’d woken up with me. Petty, I know, but her sympathetic look had unnerved me more than I’d thought.

Marco said, “She’s a keeper, Enzo. A real woman knows how to eat.”

“I agree.”

Exactly how long he intended to keep me remained to be seen, but I would love every second of it until he let me go.

After dinner, Enzo and I stood side by side in the kitchen washing dishes and drinking wine. I couldn’t stop thinking about Nico showing up on the doorstep like an abandoned baby. Marco said she was hiding from her family, but he’d dodged the question when I asked why.

Enzo leaned close and nudged my shoulder. “What’s on your mind?”

“I was talking to Nico earlier. She acted like she didn’t know anything about the gunshots or the fires.”

He tossed the dishcloth on the counter and turned toward me. “Her father denies any involvement.”

“Do you believe him?”

“I didn’t at first, but the more the situation develops, the more I have my doubts.”

“If not the Lazios, then who?” The idea that another person, or group of people, wanted to hurt me made the food in my stomach threaten to make a repeat performance.

“Do you have any enemies? What about work? Could someone you investigated want revenge?”

“Enemies, no. The people I investigate don’t know who I am. Some find out the name of the agency and harass Alex, but I’m not listed on a website or anything.” The Amazon I’d caught with Mayor Carter flashed through my mind. “There was a woman at the engagement party who recognized me after I’d taken pictures of her with the mayor.”

“Carter is a dangerous man.”

“I know.”

“Do you know her name, or is that confidential?”

That he’d considered client privilege impressed me. “Legally, private investigators aren’t required to protect client confidentiality, but most who don’t aren’t in business long. Regardless, I don’t know anything about her other than she’s tall, brunette, and sleeps with married men.”

“Did your former boss ever return your call?”

“No, and that’s another oddity in a growing list of Alex’s strange behaviors.”

“Perhaps you should try again?”

My stomach twisted. “Actually, you might be onto something. I didn’t think about it before because I was blindsided by the whole getting fired over voicemail thing, but he left three messages the day of the wedding.”

“What did he say?”

I pulled my phone out and opened the first message. “Listen.”

Enzo’s frown deepened. He hit play on the next voicemail and shook his head. When he finished the third, he clenched his jaw. “They don’t contradict each other, but they are odd. Call him.”

“It’s late. I’ll reach out to him tomorrow.” Frowning, I nodded and looked away.

He captured my chin between his thumb and index finger and tilted my face toward his. “I will make whoever destroyed your apartment pay, but you’re safe here with me.”

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