Page 135 of The Curse Breakers

“Deal.”

I released my breath, trying not to make it obvious.

He picked up the box and tucked it under his arm.

“Wait! I still need those.”

He paused; his eyebrows raised in anticipation.

Oh, crap. What rational explanation could I come up with? “Collin is expecting them back. He won’t take me to see the entire collection if I don’t have them.”

“This better not be a trick.”

“It’s not. I swear.” I was surely going to hell for all the lies pouring out of my mouth lately, but then again, Okeus had pretty much confirmed I was going there anyway.

He moved toward the front door. “See you tomorrow night, Ellie Lancaster.”

“Yeah,” I mumbled as he walked out the door. “I can’t wait.”

After giving myself a few moments to recover, I grabbed the watches and bandages from the bathroom and headed for my car. When I got back to the inn, David was on the front porch, his full attention focused on his laptop. I parked my car on the street and walked across the yard, the box tucked under my arm.

When I opened the screen door, he looked up in surprise. “You’re back already? Where’s the pizza?”

“Something happened.”

His eyes widened in alarm. He closed his computer and set it to the side. “Are you okay?”

I nodded. “Just shaken up.” I paused. “Marino’s guy was in my apartment.”

He jumped out of his seat and grabbed my hand. “What?”

“He found Daddy’s pocket watches, and he thinks it’s proof that I’m involved with the Ricardo Estate.”

He shook his head, confused. “What watches?”

“Let’s go inside and I’ll show you.”

David picked up his laptop and opened the front door, locking it behind us once we were inside.

“They won’t be back until tomorrow night,” I said when I caught him scanning the street.

“Tell me everything.”

We went into the kitchen, and I showed him the watches. I confessed to pawning the third one and told him everything that transpired in my apartment a few minutes earlier.

“Do you think Collin made the same deductions about your parents’ background that Marino did?”

I shook my head with a sigh. “No. He refused to tell me anything about the deal, saying the less I knew the better. He never once tried to get information from me about any of it.”

“Okay. So what do you want to do about tomorrow night?”

I opened the lid to the box. “I don’t know yet. Maybe tell Tom. I want to think about it. But we’re safe for the moment.”

He nodded.

I looked inside and gasped, picking up my favorite watch. “It’s the symbol.” The four-pointed star had always blended into the background of smaller stars, but after seeing it in the window this morning, it was like a neon sign.

I’d had it all along.

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