Page 20 of Taming Seraphine

“He wants to speak to you.”

“You’re sure?

Benito grunts. “You know what he’s like.”

I do, but few other people know I grew up around the Montesano brothers until I was nine. We even share the same last name. Our fathers were like brothers, though they were only first cousins. When Dad died, Enzo Montesano was like a second father.

A shitstorm of circumstances tore us apart, and by the time Anton found me, my situation wasn’t much better than Miko’s had been. I trained under Anton, and the Montesano brothers worked in their father’s empire until his unexpected death and Roman’s false imprisonment for murder.

Eliminating the Capellos was my way of repaying the Montesanos. I enjoyed the company of my blood relatives.

Seraphine’s sullen face appears at my window.

“Got to go,” I mutter. “Text if you need help finding the right info. My tech guy can tear through those drives in hours.”

Benito thanks me and hangs up, and I roll down the window to speak to Seraphine. “Found a spot?”

She points toward the trees.

I open the door, making her jump back several paces, and step out. A cool breeze wafts through the wooded area, bringing with it the scent of leaves and damp wood. I inhale deeply to cleanse the stench of death.

We walk around to the trunk, where Billy Blue lies wrapped in blankets secured with duct tape. After hauling him out and depositing him on the floor, I extract a shovel and a pickax, and lay them beside the corpse.

Seraphine remains motionless, making no attempt to reach for any of the items, until I extract a cooler and a fold-up chair.

“What are those for?” she asks.

“I’ll need somewhere to sit and have a cool drink while you’re digging the grave.”

Her jaw drops.

She actually thinks I plan on cleaning the rest of her kill. The only reason I carried that corpse through the hallway and parking lot was to avoid leaving a mess that would lead back to my apartment.

I flick my head toward the dead body. “Get going. Billy Blue isn’t going to bury himself.”

The rage burning through her eyes tells me she wished she had slit my throat along with the poker crew. I carry my cooler and chair through the trees, waiting for her to drag the corpse and her equipment.

My lips twitch.

I’m going to enjoy watching her learn that her actions have consequences.

SEVEN

SERAPHINE

Leroi is an asshole.

I should have killed him, along with those men. Opened his shirt, slit his throat, and watched the blood spill down those perfect pecs and tight abs. Then I would wait, transfixed, as his chest fell still, and the red liquid darkened to brown.

The only reason I spared his life was because he’d proven he wasn’t like any of the others. He’d killed Dad and the twins, freed me from the basement, had my collar and chip removed, and hadn’t laid a finger on me the way others might.

I also need someone with resources to help me find Gabriel.

My biceps burn as I drag the heavy corpse backward through the trees. Every few steps, the pickaxe or shovel falls off its chest and I have to stop and pick them up. Leroi pauses, holding his chair and cooler and staring down at me like I’m delaying his nighttime picnic.

Annoying and an asshole.

By the time I reach the spot where the ground looks smooth enough, sweat pours down my face, my chest, and my back. I raise an aching arm, groaning from the effort, and wipe my forehead on a sleeve that’s already drenched with exertion.

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