Donato looked to Daniel before he answered. “I’d very much like that. And if there is anything I can do for you, please come to me. I’ll make it happen.”
“You’ve done enough, but I appreciate it anyway.”
“I didn’t get to eat my soup.” I made it halfway out of my seat before I froze.
“Stone, you don’t need to do that without help,” Muriella chided.
“Give me a second.” I released a long breath once I was up straight.
“You’re in a lot of pain,” Vivian said.
“He won’t take his pills,” Muriella said with disgust.
“Are you up for traveling?” Daniel asked.
“He’ll suffer the whole way there.” She leveled me with a stare.
“Vivian, would you mind getting me a couple of those.” I pointed toward the orange pill bottle. “Wait a minute. How did you get back from New Zealand so fast?”
“It’s been twenty-six hours,” Daniel said.
I glanced out the windows. No wonder it was so dark out.
“I’ll pack up the soup for you to take.” Donato disappeared.
I swallowed the pain medication and chased it with water. “I call shotgun.”
Chapter Forty-Nine
Muriella
Is he dead?
I hovered my finger over the phone number that belonged to my brother. If I knew the answer to that, then I could pick the direction my life needed to take.
But I knew.
My father wasn’t dead because I hadn’t finished him. I had given him yet another chance to torment me.
And Carlos…he’d helped me. Saved Stone. He was deeply immersed in our father’s world, and I wasn’t sure how that would affect him. I decided not to call him.
“He’s really out, isn’t he?” Vivian whispered from the doorway.
Stone’s sleeping form was half under the covers, his bare chest exposed.
I pointed toward the hallway, taking another peek at him. His face was slack, free of pain and worry.
“It’s the meds,” I said softly, leading her to the kitchen. “I imagine all the moving around wore him out too.”
“He’s tough. I can’t believe he walked from the car up here on his own.” Vivian traced the edge of the counter.
“Stubborn, I believe, is the word you meant.”
She gave me a wry smile. “Same thing. How are you holding up?”
“It’s still surreal. I’d like to go to church, but I don’t want to leave him.”
“Want me to go with you? I’ll get Daniel to stay with Stone. He needs to come out of that damn office anyway.”
“No. You’ve just returned from your trip and need to rest. I won’t be long.”
“I could drive. Sit in the car.”
I lifted a brow. “Do you have instructions not to let me go anywhere without a chaperone?”
She shrugged sheepishly. “Didn’t need any.” She tapped her temple. “Came up with it all on my own.”
“He’s in no shape to come after me. And believe me, he wouldn’t send anyone else.”
Vivian’s chest deflated. “Okay. But text me when you get there. And when you start home.”
“Call me if he wakes up.”
“I will.”
The chapel was quiet as I slipped inside. I shrugged off my coat and draped it over my arm.
“Muriella, we missed you at the meeting.”
I jumped at the sound of my name, but quickly smoothed my expression. “Hello, Valentina.”
“I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“I had my mind somewhere else.” I smiled politely. She was spearheading the children’s event between our two churches this year. The planning meeting had completely escaped me.
She gestured toward the ceiling. “I’ve always loved Saint Pius, especially around Christmas.” Two trees with twinkling white lights adorned the altar, along with a sea of poinsettias down front. “I wanted to attend here, but my husband’s cousin is the priest at ours, so…” She lifted her eyes toward the heavens.
I snickered. “Probably wouldn’t go over well at family get-togethers.”
“Best to keep the peace when possible.”
We wandered down the center aisle toward the altar.
“Is everything set for the event next month?” I asked.
“Oh, I think the children will love it. I don’t know why we didn’t think of ice skating before.” She laughed.
“We could take a poll and see if the kids want to do something in the summer.”
“Once a year not enough for you?” Valentina’s cheeks swelled.
“They have such a great time. And I like getting together with Saint Agnes.”
She clasped her hands in front of her. “How long have we been doing this now?”
“This is the sixteenth year.”
“Wow. Time flies.” She paused when we reached the first row of pews. “Everything okay? You don’t seem like yourself.”
“It’s been a rough couple of days,” I confessed.
“I suppose that’s why you’re here.” She looked up toward Jesus on the cross.
I took a seat on the worn padded bench. “Have you ever done anything that was technically ‘wrong’”—I made air quotes with my fingers—“but it was definitely the right thing to do?”
Her brows shot up as she sat next to me.
“Many, many times.”
“Did your faith change after that? Did you feel you couldn’t or shouldn’t go to church any longer?”
She thought for a moment, tracing the edge of the pew. “I questioned whether I should. But God is love and forgiveness. If we can’t come to Him, who can we turn to?”
“I’m afraid if I do what needs to be done, I’m going to lose the part of me that is close to God. But if I don’t, I’ll lose what I love most.” I looked down at my lap. “It’s an easy decision, but I already mourn the piece of me that will change.”
“When it comes to family, there is no sacrifice too great.”
I jerked my head toward her. “How do you know I’m talking about family?”
“Because everything I’ve ever done that was technically ‘wrong’ was for them. I’m guessing you’re no different.”
“I can’t let him hurt them.” I clamped my mouth shut. I hadn’t meant to say that aloud.
Valentina opened her purse and set it between us. “Is this what you need?”
Inside, a handgun gleamed from underneath her wallet. I stared at her.
“I—”
“I don’t mean to frighten you. I have a tendency to assume the worst.” She gave me a tight smile.
I tossed my head back and laughed toward the ceiling. I’d come here to confess to God what I’d planned to do. I’d considered asking Him for a little help.
Here it was without my having to say a word.
“I’m not sure if this is irony or fate. Either way, I owe you lunch.”
Chapter Fifty
Stone
“What the hell do you mean you quit?”
Kane Zegas’s decibel level jumped at me through the phone.
“Exactly what I said. I nearly got Muriella killed. I’m done with the spotlight.”
“You don’t really think just because you quit, people will forget you.”
“Sure they will.”
He huffed out a long breath. “You break this contract and they’ll be all over you like flies on shit. There won’t be anywhere you can hide.”
“They can try to find me.”
“The circus that descended at your family’s place? It’ll be nothing compared to what will happen if you just disappear. I thought their privacy was your priority.”
“It is. But Muriella is number one.”
He sighed. “Listen, I don’t want to know the details, but what the hell makes you think this will solve all your problems?”
I dropped my head back to the pillows. Muriella wouldn’t let me out of this bed…and it wasn’
t for the reasons I’d like.
“I don’t think it will,” I said. “It’s a start.”
“Let’s just set aside this flawed logic for a minute. If you back out of this contract, you’ll owe the studio a shit-ton of money.”
“That’s why I have you for a lawyer. To figure out how to get me out of stuff like this.”
“Jacobs, don’t do anything stupid. Take a breath. Wait a few days.”
“I don’t need a few days.” I switched to speaker, my arm already tired from holding up the phone. “And forget that damn interview. I’m not doing it. I don’t care if the world thinks I threatened Randall Hedley. If this shit keeps up, I just might.”
“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that,” he huffed.
“I wanted you to hear it.”
“Don’t screw that whole situation up by trying to play hero. I’ve almost got his ass nailed, so sit tight.”
“Do you talk to all your clients this way?”
“To the ones who are being foolish, yeah.”
“Draft the letter. Better yet, send them the Johnny Paycheck song. That should about cover it.” Everything felt so damn heavy. My arms. Legs. Eyelids.
“I’m not telling them to take their job and shove it.” He spoke as if it were the most preposterous request I’d ever made.
“I think it sums it up nicely.”
“How many of those pain pills have you taken?”
“Want me to get my nurse so you can ask her?” My head lolled to the side. Sleep pulled at me.
“You owe me for all the excuses I had to give Drusilla. And you owe Drusilla an interview.” His frustration barreled at me through the phone, but the reporter would have to get over it. My interviewing days were over.
“Just get me out of the contract and don’t let me lose the ranch.”
I hung up as Daniel tapped on the doorframe.
“You look like shit,” he said. With a glance behind him, he closed the door with a quiet click.
“At least I have an excuse,” I mumbled.
“What contract are you trying to get out of?”
“You’re a nosy bastard.” He shot me an unimpressed look. “The movie. I’m done. My fame nearly landed Muriella back with that son of a bitch.”
“He knows where she is now. It doesn’t make sense for you to quit.”
“Are you and Zegas on the same wavelength?” I sank down into the mattress. “How about I’m tired of it taking me away from my family? I need to be around to watch her when he resurfaces. You know as well as I do that crazy fucker is coming back.”
Daniel sat on the edge of the bed and lowered his voice. “That’s what I want to talk to you about.”
“We need more security in this place. Or maybe we should just get the hell out of here for a while.”
“I fucked up by not taking him out before. The complication was her brother. And I kind of figured someone else would have killed him by now.” He scrubbed his face with his palm.
“This isn’t your fault.”
“I’m ending it. Until he’s gone, she can’t rest.”
“You aren’t going without me.” I sat up straighter.
“Though I’d like to finish it myself, I’m sending someone.”
I blinked at him a few times. “Remind me not to ever piss you off.”
“I can’t imagine ever being more angry at anyone than I am at myself right now.”
“You were right.” My head hit the headboard. “To try to keep me away from her. If it weren’t for me, this never would have happened.”
“We’ve put her in compromising positions before. All those trips. We were careless being out in public. Someone could have easily photographed her.”
“If I’d known…”
“Before I send anyone, I need to know about her brother. Does he need to be eliminated too?”
Had my life really become bullet wounds and assassination plots?
“Carlos? He seemed to be looking out for her. And he had an easy opportunity to kill me, but he didn’t.” I thought back to that night at the Connecticut airstrip. “After I got shot, things were kinda fuzzy, but when he shook my hand, I saw his pain and guilt. It’s like it was etched in his face. I might be wrong, but I think it had everything to do with Muriella.”
“He was the one sending us those coordinates,” Daniel said with certainty.
“Before you send somebody, you might want to find out what he did with his father.”
“I’m going to wait anyway before I give the order. They’ll be expecting something. I want Calderón to get comfortable enough so he doesn’t see the hell coming his way.”
I nodded curtly. This had to be done. The fucker deserved nothing less. But I still didn’t like anything about the situation. “She talking to you?”
“Not really. Vivian thinks she’s in shock, that it hasn’t really sunk in what happened.”
I didn’t believe that. Muriella had withdrawn into herself, was quiet, even for her. “Keep an eye on her.”
“Like a hawk.” He put a finger over his mouth and ran it over his lips a few times. “I hate to ask this, but would you consider finishing this movie. If you quit, there will be a shitstorm of people after you trying to figure out why. I’d rather keep Muriella away from that.”
“You think if I act normal, the paparazzi will too?” Once again, circumstance was dictating my life.
“I do.”
My jaw worked. “I want to know when you do something.”
“You’ll be the first.”
When he left, I picked up my phone and sent a text to my lawyer.
Buy me two weeks vacation and I’ll finish it.
Chapter Fifty-One
Muriella
I fired off five quick rounds and lowered the gun.
“Where’d you learn to shoot?” Valentina asked.
“My father.” He was going to regret that.
“Me too.”
I pulled the target off the clip. One large hole was in the center. Valentina’s was nearly identical to mine.
“Have time for lunch today?” She removed her safety glasses.
“Some other time. I need to get home.” I packed the pistol back in its case. It had been a couple of days since I’d seen her at the church, and I couldn’t be away from Stone for too long.
“Of course.”
Her stilettos clicked as she led me to the lockers where we’d stored our things. If Valentina was anything, it was consistent. Twice now, I’d seen her at the gun range in four inch heels.
“Cathartic sometimes, isn’t it?” She retrieved her purse and set it on the bench. “Everything disappears. All there is to focus on is hitting that target.”
“It didn’t really help today,” I said before I could think about it, grabbing my own purse. Quickly, I checked my phone. No missed calls.
“What can I do to help?”
Get me a plane to Nicaragua. Kill my father. Erase my mind.
She tapped her manicured nails on the metal locker. “I have resources,” she said carefully. “The kind that can solve any problem.”
I froze. The answer to getting rid of my father once and for all was staring at me in the form of a woman in skinny jeans and stilettos. I darted my eyes around the room and saw another lady shoving items into storage. Valentina understood my concern.
“My car is waiting. Perhaps I could give you a lift home and we could talk on the way?”
Daniel set down his tablet on the island as soon as I entered the kitchen. I knew what he was going to say, so I saved him the trouble.
“It makes me feel in control. Like I’m doing something instead of sitting here waiting for him to come back.”
“You have the right to go anywhere you please. It’s just been quite some time since we did target practice. And I don’t recall you ever going without me.”
“Next time I’ll extend an invitation.” I dropped my purse on the counter and didn’t tell him I’d been going
alone more and more frequently.
“Muriella.”
I squeezed my eyes shut and drew in a deep breath before I exhaled and opened them.
“Yes?”
“I’m going to take care of this. Focus on Stone. The school. Whatever makes you happy. But I don’t want you to give that fucker one single second more of your energy.”
I opened my mouth to tell him I was going to take care of this, but then I thought better of it. Instead, I relaxed my posture and forced a smile. “I think I need to get away for a bit. I’d wanted to before all of this.” I waved my hand in the air. “I need to do some soul searching. And every time I come home, all I smell is cigars, and it happens all over again.”
Daniel softened. “Tell me where you want to go, and I’ll make the arrangements.”
“No. You’ve done enough.”
“What’s going on?” Vivian bounced into the kitchen, coming straight for me. She kissed my forehead.
“I was just telling Daniel I need to get away.”
“Let’s do it. Where did you have in mind?”
My gut churned. “I mean alone.”
Her face fell. I couldn’t even look at Daniel.
“If that’s what you need,” Vivian said carefully.
No protest? No insistence I couldn’t go by myself? Was I in the right house?
“How long will you be gone?” Daniel asked tightly.
Long enough to kill that monster. “I don’t know.”
“I wish you’d let us go with you, but I understand. Stone should be able to travel soon,” Daniel said.
“He has to stay and finish the movie,” I said stubbornly.
“You haven’t told him you’re going,” Vivian concluded.
“I just decided.”
“You are coming back, aren’t you?” Her face pinched as if the thought of me going for good pained her.
I’d never lied to her, though now I was hedging the truth. “I hope so.”
She glanced at Daniel, whose jaw worked. His barstool scraped on the tile when he stood. “I’ll be upstairs.”
Three Dates (Paths To Love Book 2) Page 25