Page 58 of His Deadly Lies

“Isabella, my dove, please.” Edward offers up the scold, but there is no heat in it. In fact, it’s the first time I’ve seen him smile genuinely since I started coming to these meetings.

I turn in time to see Ricardo’s eyes flick over the sister’s body and warm.

He hasn’t once looked at Mia in the same way. Thankfully. Maybe sister dearest is the source of his badass act since it doesn’t appear to be the first time he’s come across her today.

Either way, I’m going to smack him around for the attitude the first chance I get.

“Since everything appears to be settled here, and surely Isabella has pressing matters to discuss with you, Papa, I need the basement,” Mia says to Edward.

Isabella clings to her side. Or, rather, clutches Mia to her side since she’s the taller of the two. “I’m not going anywhere. I came looking for you, and someone said you were in the office. I swear, Mia, I was so worried about you I barely ate breakfast.”

I might have believed her, and on one level, I certainly do, except Isabella is staring at Ricardo, looking ready to eat him alive in only the best way. The kind of way involved with an open mouth and sucking sounds.

Hmmm.

“You go ahead. It’s at your disposal,” Edward says in dismissal.

“Can I go alone, or does my babysitter need to be there with me?” Mia continues. “Lord knows I should be grateful it’s only him for the time being.”

It takes me way too fucking long to realize she’s talking about me.

Edward sighs. “You already know the answer to that, Mia. Be good. The only way a bodyguard can be effective is if he’s used to your movements and prepared and available for whatever happens.”

Amen to that, but it doesn’t stop Mia from scowling at me.

“Let me know if you find anything since I’m sure you’ll be digging into your own research.” She’s speaking to Ricardo now. “I’ll keep everyone posted once I speak to Archie. If anyone is going to find where Alice went, it’s him. Our tech guy works miracles.”

“I’ll have to take your word on it, my dear,” Ricardo replies.

Isabella might not be a blonde with a fat ass, but he’s looking at her like she is. It spells nothing but fucking trouble.

Mia pushes away from her sister, flashing her a grateful smile before she saunters out toward a set of double doors at the back of the room. The glass leads out onto a private patio. I refuse to hustle to catch up to her like a fucking lap dog.

Rather, I move with purpose, ducking my head in a silent farewell to Ricardo but quick enough to not let Mia completely out of my sight.

She is determined to take the scenic route to the basement and whatever’s down there. Archie, maybe, in a cave of glowing screens.

I hadn’t gotten close enough to anyone to find out the full layout of the house. Today must be my lucky day.

Mia heads across the grass toward the main patio beside the bulk of the house, a living area I see when we stride through more glass doors, these accordion style and left open to the elements on this beautiful day.

The way she moves, it’s almost impossible to tell what she went through last night. At least, to anyone who isn't looking at her closely enough. I note the way her fingers tremble when she lets her arms hang loose at her sides. Or the slight downcast to her eyes, emphasized by the eggplant-colored shadows beneath her eyes.

We head through the living room into a hallway with another set of doors at the end.

She’s quiet.

“Someone’s in a mood,” I finally say. Needing something to fill the tense silence between us.

“You went behind my back and told Ricardo who knows what,” Mia continues. “Now you expect me to want to play ball with a grin? I don’t think so, Carter.”

With a growl, I grab her around the waist and herd her into a decorative alcove along the hallway, almost knocking over a ridiculous gold statue of the head of Daddy Balestra. It rocks on its marble column but doesn’t drop.

“Let’s get one thing fucking clear,” I tell her. “Family is everything to me. We have that in common. If there is some shit going down that we need to be aware of, then I’m going to tell the people involved. To whatever end and whether it feeds the bug you’ve got up your ass or not.”

“Well, whatever you said to him seems to make him think he can decide what I do and don’t do. Neither of you are in charge of me.” Mia lifts large dark eyes to my face. “I’ve worked too hard to get where I am.”

“I understand that.”

---