Unmasked: A dragon shifter paranormal romance (Alice Novella Serial Book 1)

by Maria Dean

  "And to Lorenzo Russo," Astrid started, "goes Magdalena's oil painting collection." She assumed he was the one staring out at the garden. Turning to look at him, her breath hitched. Two run-ins in one day was too much for her.

  The man from the light rail, Lorenzo, smirked back at her. "I accept," he said in that same lazy, dry tone of voice.

  Astrid swallowed and reminded herself to breathe. "In addition," she said, trying to look away from Lorenzo, "Magdalena wishes to divide her personal finances equally amongst the six heirs." The next line was the one that worried her. Trying not to look at Matilde, she said, "Thus ends the reading of Magdalena Corazon di Russo's last will and testament."

  The excluded granddaughter stood up in a rage. "You're kidding, right? She didn't leave me shit?"

  Aurora stepped in. "Dear, please don't cause a scene. Your grandmother was a particular woman."

  "Yeah, particular my ass!" Matilde threw her sunglasses on the floor and stormed toward Astrid. Astrid took a deep breath and held Matilde's gaze as she came closer. "You're fucking with me."

  "These are the direct words from your grandmother," Astrid said. "I'm not getting paid to fuck with you."

  Matilde's eyes narrowed into slits. The temperature around Astrid began to warm, and she felt the woman's hot breath on her skin. "This isn't over," she snarled. Matilde grabbed her partner's arm and tugged her out of the room, leaving Astrid the center of attention once more.

  A couple who Astrid assumed were Matilde's mother and father whispered to each other, before her father exited the room to go and find her. Aurora turned to Astrid. "I do apologize for what just occurred. Matilde and her grandmother were never on good terms. You've done nothing wrong and didn't deserve her wrath."

  To her credit, Astrid wasn't shaken. She'd worked in the will business long enough to know these kinds of things were common. In fact, she was rather lucky Matilde hadn't pulled a weapon on her. That was much more common than she would've liked. "I appreciate that," she said to Aurora, "but I've handled worse."

  The various members of the Russo family murmured incoherently to each other. Maria, the new Russo matriarch, clapped her hands to gather their attention. "Flora has prepared appetizers and there is a roast in the oven. Please make your way to the dining parlor at the earliest convenience." She strode past Astrid, adding, "You're welcome to join us for dinner, Miss Pfeiffer."

  She left the room before Astrid could respond. Her sisters and their husbands were next, followed by Nicole and Beatrice. They both thanked Astrid and shook her hand, Nicole once again apologizing for Matilde.

  "Our cousin will come around," she assured Astrid. "She just needs time."

  Astrid didn't particularly care but nodded, anyway. The next to approach her was Irene, who invited Astrid to her animal shelter the next time she was free. "I think they would really enjoy having such a warm and caring soul around!" she said.

  "Thanks?" Astrid took her card when she offered it to her. There was no reason Irene would have to claim she was a 'warm and caring soul'. It could've just been because she was handling their grandmother's will, but that was her job.

  Thinking she was finished Astrid turned and found the three grandsons waiting for her. Christian was the first to speak, quickly crossing the room to meet her. "That was spectacular," he said. "No one really talks to my sister like that unless they have a death wish."

  "Are you suggesting I have one?" Astrid asked, confused. The family genuinely confounded her, with their cryptic thoughts about death and disregard for grief. Christian was no different. Astrid expected him to be more upset about his grandmother's death, not constantly smiling and eagerly flirting with her.

  Though her statement wasn't a joke, he laughed. "I guess not," Christian said. "Really, though, you're absolutely fearless. It took the baby brother years to get enough courage to tell her off, and by then he was already in his twenties!"

  Lorenzo, miffed, said, "I'm still in the room, Chris. You don't get a pass just because you're the oldest."

  Not to be left out, Giovanni circled around Astrid's other side. "Miss Pfeiffer--"

  "--Astrid," she corrected. "For the love of God, y'all can just call me Astrid." Her accent was showing again. Though being called by her last name was a professional move, she reasoned the Russo brothers were around her age. Being called 'Miss' by one of her peers was just uncomfortable.

  The younger twin raised his eyebrows, his expression shifting from his usual brooding frown to a flat, slightly amused smirk. "Astrid." Giovanni acted as if he was savoring the way her name sounded. "In my grandmother's dying days, she spoke of how efficient and thorough you were with your work. I did myself the liberty of looking up your law history. Graduating top of your class from the University of Minnesota and immediately scoring a position with Lionheart? I must say, I'm impressed."

  Christian leaned on his brother's shoulder. He whistled. "It takes a lot to impress Gio," he said to Astrid. "Now you're really doing something right."

  Giovanni, without breaking eye contact with Astrid, shoved his brother off him and onto the floor. "Please ignore my twin. He's an idiot." He pulled a crisp business card from his suit pocket. "I would like you to come tour my establishment. Now I'm running Russo and Yuma, I'll be needing top tier employees. I believe you'll be an asset."

  Astrid pretended not to notice how his eyes trailed down her body during the last comment. She took his card, trying not to appear shaken. "I'll evaluate my options."

  This pleased him enough. A phone started to vibrate in his pocket. Giovanni took it out, his expression returning to his usual scowl. "Don't terrorize her too much," he instructed his brothers. He started to leave the room as he answered the call.

  Lorenzo and Christian shared a curious look. "How much money would you bet he's taking a private call there?" Christian grinned. "I'd put down twenty bucks, easily."

  "Not a bet I'd take. I'd lose." Lorenzo glanced at Giovanni's business card, still gripped in Astrid's hand. "See, what our brother didn't tell you is he's not exactly a lawyer who fights for the people."

  Astrid looked at the card. "What, is he a criminal defense attorney? I'm friends with a few. They're good people, despite their jobs."

  Christian snorted. "Yeah, no, that's not what we mean." He lowered his voice, as if he was about to drop a mind-blowing secret. "Our brother deals with a lot of shady people. He's kind of the go-to for the Twin Cities criminal underground."

  "You need a guy out for a drug deal? Call up Gio Russo. He's pricey, but he's good at his job." Lorenzo flopped down on one of the couches. "When I said the world was a little fucked, sweetheart, I was speaking from experience."

  Astrid inhaled. "All right," she said, "pleased don't call me sweetheart."

  "Too cutesy?" Lorenzo asked.

  "No, it just makes you sound like my fifty-year-old drunkard of an uncle," she said. It was a little too cute for her taste, too, but she didn't want to give him that. In fact, the less time she spent with them, the better. Astrid didn't enjoy getting involved in the personal lives of her clients. She'd done it once before. It didn't go well. "I should be going," she said as she shoved Giovanni's card in her pocket.

  "Wait!" Christian side stepped in front of her. "Last I checked, I think I owed you a sandwich. I kind of ruined that last one." His smile was warm, and he widened his eyes enough to pull off a puppy-dog look. "Let me take you out some time as an apology."

  "I, well," Astrid wasn't expecting this. "I'm pretty busy these days. Lots of people dying." Nice one, she scolded herself. Astrid's words fell on deaf ears, though, and Christian kept up his attempt at begging. "I mean I could always take a lunch break," she relented, "if that's okay with you."

  Christian brightened. "Of course! You work at the Minneapolis Lionheart office, right? That's close to my headquarters. I'll stop by next week." Without another word, he bowed to her dramatically and left the room.

  Her eyes followed the good twin as he left. "Those two are..." She
trailed off, trying to find the right words.

  "Interesting?" Lorenzo offered.

  "I was going to go with fucking weird," she replied. "But I guess that works too." Astrid looked at Lorenzo as he made himself comfortable on the couch. "Are you going to demand I spend time with you too, or can I walk myself out now?"

  Lorenzo pretended to think about it. "Yes," he decided.

  "Yes you're going to demand something of me, or yes I can leave?"

  "Yes." He stood up and offered her his arm. "Gran told me you liked my garden," he said, escorting her into the hallway. "I'd like to show it to you sometime. On your own terms." He snagged a pen off a nearby counter and took Astrid's hand. Running his fingers over hers, Lorenzo began writing his phone number on her hand. "When my brothers drive you crazy, give me a call." He set the pen back down on the counter and left her alone in the hallway.

  Astrid could still feel the trace of his fingers on her skin. The warmth of Christian's smile surrounding her. Giovanni's sharp, interrogative gaze fixated on the back of her neck. "What the hell do they even want?" She said aloud to herself.

  Something caught her attention at the end of the hall. There was a new painting up near the front door. How did I miss this? Astrid gazed up at the oil painting. It was Magdalena, in her prime, staring down at whoever was looking at her. "What a strange woman," Astrid said. What a strange family. It was too much drama for a will reading. This, Astrid reasoned, was why she didn't mess with rich people. They had too much baggage on their hands.

  Astrid had finished her work for the Russo family. All she needed to prepare for work tomorrow was snide comments to her co-workers about insane requests. She wanted to be prepared to tell her office mate Winston about this weird evening. His favorite will readings were always the ones that ended with someone walking out. A couple of hours paperwork and she'd be home on time for once.

  ***

  The next day when she got to the building, there was a man sitting outside her office. He picked at his starchy collar, looking around every few seconds like he was afraid he was being watched. The shifty man looked at his watch before scanning the room again. Astrid made eye contact with him, acknowledging his presence before opening her office. Winston wasn't inside.

  "Pardon me," the man poked his head into the office.

  "Are you here for Attorney Majors?" She asked him. "He should be here in a few moments. You're welcome to continue waiting outside."

  He shook his head. "Actually, I'm here to see you. You came highly recommended. I have questions about a will for my mother." He gave her a weak smile and put his hand out for a handshake. "I'm Ronald Hope."

  Astrid looked at his gloved hand. "Astrid Pfeiffer, but you knew that I assume." She took his hand and shook it. Unlike the Russo family, who all had wicked grips, Ronald's handshake was limper than a noodle. "Well, I don't have any clients until this afternoon, so please take a seat." She nodded to a plastic chair across from her desk. "Just give me a moment," she said as she settled in.

  "I can wait," he said. Astrid set down her jacket and pulled out her computer. Ronald didn't flinch, just staring at her while she unpacked. "Where'd you get that pendant?" He asked suddenly. Astrid stopped plugging her computer in and looked at him, quirking her eyebrow. With her attention on him he shrunk back. "I'm sorry, it's just beautiful."

  "Right," Astrid said, tucking the pendant behind her button down. "I got it from a pawn shop," she lied. With her computer charging and her notepad ready, Astrid sat down. "First things first," she said, grabbing a pen, "I need to record who recommended you. It's purely to keep our references straight."

  "Jason Cooper," the man said quickly.

  This made her pause. "Jason Cooper just cancelled his agreement," Astrid said. She pulled up the Cooper file and read the formal message out loud to him. "Therefore, we will withdraw our proceedings with Lionheart Law and take our business elsewhere. We retained the services of Lionheart for a case we do not wish to precede with."

  Ronald dabbed at his brow with his glove. "Well, he still said he was appreciative of your help. So far I've been pleased! I can't imagine why he'd want to withdraw from working with you." He smiled. His toothy grin unsettling Astrid more than it could comfort her. "Did you mention they were supposed to be suing someone?"

  "No, I stated they were withdrawing proceedings, not what those proceedings were," Astrid replied. "They shut it down recently. Are you looking to settle a lawsuit with your mother's death?"

  "Hmm?" Ronald looked confused. "Oh, well, not really. Her death was natural."

  Astrid cocked her head to the side. "Unfortunately, if you wanted to write up her will, she would need to be alive. You did say you were here for her will, didn't you?"

  "Yes!" Ronald recovered. "She has a will written in the system. My sister wants us to have an estate sale soon, but we don't know what we can and can't sell. I wanted to pull up our mother's will and check it."

  "If it's already written, you should have a copy." It was clear he was pushing for information from her, but she wasn't sure what his agenda was. "Did you originally file the will with our company?" He nodded. "Good. I can look it up in our online files."

  "That would be great," Ronald said. As Astrid began to search, he asked, "You know, I can't remember why Jason was looking for a lawsuit. Why was it?"

  Without missing a beat, Astrid said, "I'm afraid that's an issue of attorney client privilege. If you're such good friends with him, he can tell you himself." When nothing came up for 'Ronald Hope' in her files, she deleted her search entry. "What was your mother's name?"

  "Amanda Hope," he answered. "I didn't know attorney client privilege worked when the person wasn't working with you anymore. Are you sure you can't tell me? It would be really helpful, just in case I need to go about a similar process."

  Nothing in her files came up for the name 'Amanda Hope'. "Would your mother be filed under her maiden name?" She asked, ignoring his questions. Confidentiality mean she had no reason to expose the Coopers family drama to a stranger. Even if he claimed to be friends with the family. He couldn't keep his story straight either. His changing tale and apparent nerves put her on edge. Astrid tapped out a message to the receptionist, Sally, and asked her to send one of the security workers over to her office just in case something occurred.

  "Her maiden name was Smith," Ronald answered. "I'm sure she's in there somewhere."

  She was, nine times. Nine different Amanda Smiths had wills filed with Lionheart, and six of them died at least ten years ago. Of the three left, only one listed children in her will. The other two were a black teenager who died of cancer and an eighty-year-old woman who left everything in her home to a nearby cat shelter. The final Amanda was thirty years old and had two daughters. The person in front of Astrid was a balding white man, easily older than thirty.

  "I think I'm going to have to speak with our receptionist," Astrid said. "She has access to our locked files. I haven't found anyone that would match your description." She gave Ronald her best customer service smile. "Would you be willing to wait in her while I go check in with her?"

  Ronald stood up. "No, it's really fine. I can come back another day." He was at the door before she could get there. He reached for the door and started to pull it inward. Something about his demeanor made Astrid concerned he was about to lock them both inside the office. She hit the panic alarm and snagged a pair of scissors off her desk and as a potential weapon.

  The door flung backward and knocked Ronald off balance. Christian Russo walked in with Sally the receptionist trailing behind him with her head hanging. "I'm so sorry, I tried to stop him, Astrid."

  "Hope you don't mind I dropped by," Christian said. "I did promise you a lunch, and I plan on delivering." He looked down at Ronald. "Are you a client? Am I interrupting something?"

  Ronald twitched. "I was just leaving," he said through gritted teeth. He gave Astrid one last loaded glance. Gone was the shifty man she'd seen before. Ronald narrowed hi
s eyes at her, his eyes falling from her face to the lump under her shirt where she'd hidden her pendant. "Have a good day, Astrid Pfeiffer."

  Christian whistled. "Weird dude," he said. "So. Lunch?"

  "It's ten in the morning," Astrid said. It didn't stop her from getting up, though something about Ronald Hope wasn't right. Winston wasn't there yet either, and she didn't want to be in the room alone after that last encounter. She pulled her jacket off the back of her chair and threw it on. "We can grab sandwiches from the deli."

  "You know," Christian said as she led him out of the office, "it's a beautiful day out for a picnic. How do you feel about going to the Walker Garden?"

  "That sounds perfect." Fresh air was exactly what she needed. When they stepped outside, the sun hit her face and she grinned. "One minute," she said to Christian. Soaking up the sunlight, Astrid turned to him. "We can go now."

  Christian was watching her, she realized. He said nothing else, just watching how she embraced the weather. "All right," he breathed. "You said there was a deli nearby?" She nodded. "Well, lead the way."

  Astrid oriented herself toward the deli. She started walking, not exactly waiting for Christian to keep up with her. Despite her short stature, Astrid was much faster than Christian. He had to jog a few feet to keep up with her pace.

  They stopped at a light and she looked up at him. "I'm not going too fast for you, am I?" She said.

  Christian appeared like the kind of guy who constantly made jokes to cover up old wounds. The way he always looked at her with a full grin, Astrid suspected there was a lot more under the surface. The more she could keep him on his toes and take away his chances to make jokes, the more she could unravel who he was.

  Astrid didn't want dirt, she just wanted to understand. She wasn't dumb. Ronald Hope left her office because of Christian. He saw something in the Russo man that Astrid didn't.

  There was something weird going on with the Russo family, from their strict, gift-giving matriarch to their absurd family dynamics. Most importantly, the three Russo grandsons all basically asked her out. On a good day, Astrid felt like she was at least a seven. There was no logical reason for three handsome siblings to all show interest in her.