Sebastian’s breathing becomes erratic. He grips the sheet with both hands so tightly his knuckles whiten. “He doesn’t know. You can’t tell him—I love him.”
His eyes are wide as he gasps for breath. “Don’t...don’t...” His eyes roll back, and I run to the door and call for medical assistance.
Chapter Forty-Three
Marco
The doctors make us leave while they work on Sebastian. I call the detectives and let them know Sebastian has confessed, and they tell us to stay right there and wait for them.
Kristie’s busy making calls, walking back and forth in the corridor. When she finishes, I walk over. “Charles is in the hospital somewhere.” I grasp Kristie’s hand. “Let’s find him.”
A nurse directs us to the waiting room where we find Charles. He’s a complete wreck, hair sticking up all over the place, pale and stressed. He jumps up the moment we enter the room.
“They won’t let me see him. I need to see him.” He darts a glance at Kristie. “Why is she here? I don’t want her here.”
“I’m here because I found him.” Kristie’s admirably cool. “And we can drop the bullshit. I know Marco was sent to honeytrap me, and my marriage to your father was fake in the first place—I’ve been working with Stephen to keep your father safe.”
The look on Charles’ face telegraphs clearly he wasn’t aware of that particular nugget. He takes a couple of minutes to compose himself, smooths his unruly hair and sits back down.
“That doesn’t matter. I just want to see Sebastian.”
“Felicity’s not here?” It’s a pointed question, but Charles shows no shame for having cheated with his sister’s husband.
“She doesn’t care about him. Not like I do. She wanted a child and he gave her one. Beyond that, theirs was a marriage of convenience.” He crosses his arms, purses his lips. The arrogance of this man, who has been so high and mighty about principles the entire time I’ve known him, is breathtaking.
“She didn’t know about you and him, though. Did she?”
He at least has the grace to look abashed. “No. Neither of us felt it was appropriate to share. It wasn’t just a quick fling. We love each other.”
I sit on one side of him, and Kristie sits on the other.
“Have you spoken to his doctors? Is there any news?”
Telling him anything right now is a bad idea. Duff and MacKenzie are on their way, and I have no intention of tipping off Charles about Sebastian’s confession. My guess is they’ll want to interview both of them separately to discover the extent of their collusion.
“He’s conscious and responsive. I guess they’ll come and tell us more soon.”
His hands cover his face, and his shoulders shake. I guess Charles really does love Sebastian; he’s crying. I catch Kristie’s eye and jerk my head to the door.
There’s only one exit; he’ll have to get past us if he decides to leave. We sit on a bench outside the door.
“Do you think he knew?”
I shake my head. “I’m guessing not. He never would have sent an investigator to infiltrate the family if he was involved. There’s too much to lose.”
“Why didn’t Sebastian just ask Charles for money if he needed it so badly?” She’s sitting close so close I breathe in her scent with every inhale. “If they love each other, why wouldn’t he just come right out and tell him the trouble he’s in?”
“Because people lie.” It’s time. She’s lied to me about the sort of person she is—and the memory of that photo is front and center in my mind. “Maybe Sebastian wanted Charles to think he was perfect. Maybe admitting to his lover that he had a serious gambling problem was something he just wasn’t willing to admit.” I take a breath. “Maybe he’s lied to Charles, the same way you’ve been lying to me.”
There’s silence for a moment, then: “What do you mean?”
“Do I have to tell you, Kristie?” I can’t keep my voice low. Can’t keep a lid on my emotions any longer. “Are there so many things you’re lying about you don’t know what I’m talking about?” A passing nurse glances at us but keeps on walking. “I told you why I do this job. That I despise people who take advantage of the vulnerable. I didn’t think I’d have to explain to you that I hate cheaters too, I would have thought that’s apparent.”
“You’re talking about my affair.” Her voice is barely above a whisper. “You’ve found out about me having an affair with a married man.”
“A married man with young children. And another on the way when you screwed him.” The whole scenario makes me sick to my stomach. “You may not have been after his money, but you and he deceived his pregnant wife.” For the first time, I actually bring myself to look at her. “I can get past a lot of things, but I can’t get over that. I thought you were someone I could trust. I thought I knew you. I was even beginning to think there could be more than this fling between us, I thought we could have a future. I was dead wrong about that.”
“Marco—look—I care about—”
“Mr. Vitale.”
Whatever else she’s about to say is cut off by the arrival of the two detectives, strolling down the corridor to join us.
Chapter Forty-Four
Kristie
I’m alone in the waiting room when the detectives return.
“He’s given a full statement.” Detective Duff pulls up a grey plastic chair and sits. “He confessed that he attempted to suffocate Mr. Patten, but insists he was working alone. He did reveal that he and Charles placed the bug in your room. Apparently, they had their doubts that Mr. Vitale was doing a good enough job, and wanted to micromanage.” Her gaze flits around the room, then back to me. “Vitale’s not here?”
“He had to go.” It’s a bullshit reply, stating the fucking obvious, but the truth is I have no idea where Marco has gone, or whether I’ll ever see him again. “So you don’t think Charles was involved in the suffocation?”
Duff shakes her head. “No. He wouldn’t have brought an investigator into the household if he had. We questioned him earlier, and he was shocked and appalled that his father had been attacked.”
“I don’t understand why Sebastian wouldn’t have just told Charles he was in financial difficulty—I thought they were in love.”
Duff shrugs. “Who knows what secrets people keep or why.”
“It’s not unusual.” MacKenzie steps forward. “I guess he wanted his lover to think of him as a successful businessman, not as someone with a gambling addiction that had made him desperate. There doesn’t seem to have been sabotage to the Jeep either, the forensic mechanic says it’s most likely to have failed due to wear and tear.”
This is so unexpected, for a moment I can’t string a sentence together.
Duff continues, “The forensic guy who examined the dust from the file says it wasn’t a match to the sheared bolt. We pulled the records and found it hasn’t been serviced in two years. Bouncing around the estate over rough ground...” She runs a hand through her short hair. “It looks like negligence rather than sabotage.”
“So that’s it, the case is solved?”
“Looks that way.” Duff stands. “We’re going back to the house. Do you need a lift?”
There’s a strange car amongst the fleet outside the house when we pull up. We walk into the hall, and follow the sound of raised voices coming from the direction of the kitchen.
A stranger sits at the kitchen table, Isabel to his right, her hand on his. On the other side of the table are Felicity and Amber. Introductions are made. As suspected, the new addition to the family is Robert.
“So you’re his wife.” He raises his head and looks at me through bloodshot eyes. “I can understand now why everyone was so upset when he married. You’re very young.”
“Fake wife.” I pull up a chair and sit. “I was here doing a job. Protecting Mr. Patten.”
Robert grimaces and his eyes tear up. “I don’t know why he didn’t tell me. Why he didn’t trust me.”
�
��He didn’t trust any of us. He suspected us all,” Felicity says in a quiet voice. “And the thought that the man I married was involved...” She casts a steady gaze to the detectives. “Is is true?”
Duff nods. “He’s confessed. Did you know about his gambling problem?”
Felicity purses her thin lips. “I stopped being my husband’s confidant years ago. I wanted a child, and he gave me one. A couple of years later, I discovered his penchant for men and we agreed to an open marriage. Ours was never a love match. I like to play the field.”
There’s a gasp from Amber.
Felicity looks at her sister with something akin to contempt. “Yes, Amber. I’ve had lovers. Lots of them. I like to be in control of my relationships and have a good time without all the emotional blackmail that goes with it. They all knew I was never going to leave my husband. They knew the boundaries. As long as we were both discreet about our affairs our marriage worked.”
“But Charles...” Amber wails.
“Charles was an affair too far.” Felicity’s hands curl into fists. “That’s betrayal. And the fact that they think they’re in love—well, I don’t see any way of getting over that. I have an appointment with a divorce lawyer this afternoon.”
“You’ve been so high and mighty, so goddamned superior, rubbing your perfect marriage and your perfect family in my face for years.” She drags in a breath. “I can’t believe this.”
“You’re a fool.” Felicity pulls no punches. “There’s no such thing as true love. People are always out for what they can get. And the sooner you accept that fact, the happier you’ll be.”
Chapter Forty-Five
Kristie
I leave them bickering at the table and go find Stephen. He’s in the security room on the phone, and I can tell by his half of the conversation that he’s debriefing my father. He indicates the receiver with raised eyebrows, but I shake my head. Any discussions I need to have with my father and boss can wait until I get back to the office.
Once the call is over, Stephen says, “Marco’s gone.”
Even though I’d half suspected as much—his cell goes to voicemail—the news that Marco has left without even speaking to me again burns a hole in my heart.
“I guess it’s time for me to go too.”
Stephen stands and pulls me into an uncharacteristic hug. “You did well.” His grip eases enough for me to step back. “The old man blustered about not paying your fee, but I’ll make sure that he does. And I’ve told your father you did a great job.”
“I shouldn’t have slept with Marco.”
The side of Stephen’s mouth tugs upwards into a smile. “Yeah, maybe that wasn’t the best idea, but there were two of you in it. He should have known better than to get involved with someone he was investigating too. Lesson learned, huh?”
“Yes.” Despite feeling that all I want to do is go away somewhere and cry my heart out, I rally. Plaster on a professional smile and tuck my hands into my pockets. “I’ll book a flight and pack my things. Can you give me a lift to the airport?”
“Sure thing.” Stephen casts a look at the security monitor. “Just let me know when.”
Chapter Forty-Six
Marco
“Do you have a room here?” Eva Johnson, my mark, slides her polish-tipped nails down the stem of her champagne flute and bats her eyelashes at me. “Because if so, I’d like to see it.”
“You would?” It’s my first assignment back in the field after a two month stint working in the office, and already I’m regretting it. This woman’s the mother of three-year-old twins and her husband is back home looking after them while she attends a ‘conference’ in Seattle. She’s been going on them more and more often in recent months, leading to her husband suspecting she’s having an affair.
It’s worse than that. There’s no conference. Just a misguided woman looking for action in a hotel bar like she’s done at least three times before, if our information is correct.
It’s my cue to lead her to the elevator. To take her to my room, and burst her bubble. There’ll be no sex tonight, just the dissolution of her marriage. Something inside me twists and I can’t stop the words that come out of my mouth.
“You don’t even know me. Don’t you think it might be dangerous to go up to my room?”
I want to ask her why she’s so willing to throw it all away—her husband, her seemingly perfect life with two young children.
Her perfect mouth curves in a seductive smile. “I’m hoping it will be.” Her hand slides up my thigh perilously close to my cock. “You’re exactly my type. Dangerous, looking for a good time, and...” One fingertip reaches for my cock. “Built.”
Revulsion flows through me like a wave. Okay, so she’s determined to fuck. Any charitable feelings I was nursing vanish in a heartbeat. It’s up to the room, a quick video from the camera set up to capture the entire event inside the doorway, and game over. I reach for my room key. “Come on, then.”
Fifteen minutes later, the deed is done. I get what I need on camera, and kiss her off with some excuse about having a headache, and she storms out. I’m restless, unable to settle, so decide to go back down to the bar to drown my sorrows.
I have half a glass of whiskey inside me, and the remainder chilling over ice, when my cellphone rings. My oldest brother, Vito.
“Hey, what’s happening?” It’s been weeks since we last talked, months since I saw him, or any other member of the family.
“Long time no hear, brother.” Vito sounds relaxed. “We need you here for a family conference, it looks like we’ve managed to oust the bitch.”
There’s only one bitch he can be talking about. “Tell me more.”
“She’s in trouble with the IRS and has decided running a company is too much work. She’s begged Dad to help her out.” He laughs, low and satisfied.
“I hope he told her to fuck off.” I swirl the drink around my glass. Take a sip.
“Nah, he’s cleverer than that. He’s got her to agree that the will was unjust. Our lawyers are working on a deal which gets her out of our lives with a golden payoff. We’re taking back the company, and we need you onboard to run the security division. That’s if we can lure you away from the honeytrapping business.”
The prospect of a new beginning, a new challenge, fills an empty void in me. This latest job was supposed to be my entry back into the business, but after the scene upstairs, something became very clear. I don’t have the heart for it anymore. I’m done with wreaking revenge on women for the choices they made. Done with being bitter and twisted.
“I’d like that. Text me where and when.”
Never one for much small talk, Vito signs off with a promise to keep me in the loop. I drain my drink, and look up.
A woman at the bar looks like Kristie. My heart stops for a second until I catch a glimpse of her profile and realise she’s a stranger. A stranger cozying up to a guy I’ve definitely seen before. In a photo Brian showed me. A photo with his wife and kids.
“Buy you a drink?” I slide onto the seat next to him.
“Do I know you?” He’s disconcerted. Taken aback. Thinks for a moment I’m a business contact or someone he’s met socially. His companion pauses, her drink almost at her lips, and a nervous smile on her face.
“No. But I know you.”
“I, uh...” He glances at the woman, then back to me. He knows I know. The truth is in his eyes. “Excuse me for a second, honey.” He jerks his head to the door, picks up his drink and steps off the barstool. “I won’t be a moment.”
I follow him until we are out of earshot.
“What’s this about?” He’s aggressive, but he hides it under a veneer of charm.
“It’s about you cheating on your wife.”
His gaze flicks to the woman looking our direction with confusion in her eyes.
“I’m a single guy having a date with a beautiful woman.”
“No.” I shake my head. “You’re not.” I plant my hands on my h
ips. “You’re a serial fucking adulterer and I’m a private investigator ready to expose you.”
“She sent you? Fucking Kristie?” His mouth twists. “That fucking bitch.”
Fury flows through my veins, and it takes everything I have not to punch his lights out for speaking about her like that.
“What about your wife? And your kids? What sort of a low-life are you?” I gesture to the woman. “If anyone’s a bitch, it’s the woman who’s currently fucking around with you without giving a shit about the people she’s hurting.” I take a step back in the direction of the bar, but he grabs my arm.
“She doesn’t know I’m married.” He smiles a shit-eating grin. “Come on, man. It’s tough being married to one woman. A guy needs more. There’s no need to go bursting her bubble.”
It’s like the ground is shifting under my feet. If she doesn’t know...
“Kristie didn’t know.” I’m speaking more to myself than anyone, but he’s clueless to that fact.
“It’s a damn shame she found out.” He runs his hand through his hair. “We had six months of the hottest sex I’ve ever had before she—”
Whatever else he’d planned on saying was obliterated by the force of my fist slamming into his lying mouth.
Chapter Forty-Seven
Kristie
“You should go.” Lou Morgan, an old friend from way back, takes the embossed ivory card from my hand and examines it. She swigs from her gin and tonic and eyes me with determination. “You need to get out there, and god knows, the poor woman seems to need your support. Where’s the letter?”
“Here.” I unfold the well-worn page from the envelope. I’ve been prevaricating for over a week since hearing from Isabel, and truth be told, I’m torn.
“Read it again.” Lou reaches for the bowl of nuts on my coffee table.
The Gold Digger Gambit: A Honeytrap Inc. Romance Page 16