Complete Innocence Boxset

by Stasia Black

  But she saw the truth now. He felt so much. He was a hurricane in a bottle. Leashed chaos. Just like the city he held so tightly in his fist. Only in their lovemaking did she get a glimpse of it. For a moment, the lid came uncapped and she saw what he couldn’t hide—at his core, he was a singularly emotional being.

  When he hated, he hated so virulently he’d tear whole cities apart to exact his revenge. And when he loved…

  She grinned, happiness hanging over her with the hazy morning light. Well, noon light, because when she looked at the clock, she saw it was almost twelve. She was tempted to stay in bed, lounging and reliving the delicious moments of last night, but the joy singing through her pulled her to the closet where she tossed on jeans and a t-shirt, then applied minimal makeup. She’d take it easy today, to be ready when Marcus returned. I’ll make it up to you.

  But then she frowned. She had other things to talk to Marcus about when he got back, though. There was still so much she needed to tell him. About Iris. About Anna. He’d help her find them, she knew he would. AJ was no match for her husband.

  She sat up and reached for her phone. Only to find it was dead. A few minutes of scrounging around in her purse and she found the charger, then plugged it in.

  She pressed the buttons to wake it up but it took a while to be able to use once it was completely dead. And she wouldn’t be able to do anything until Marcus got back later anyway, so she decided to go for a walk.

  Not that the Shades guarding the doors downstairs looked happy about it when she tried to leave. When she arched an imperious brow at them and asked, “Shall I tell my husband you’re trying to imprison me in my own house?” they were quick enough to move out of the way.

  They didn’t look happy, but they parted to let her through.

  “Stay away from the perimeter,” they warned.

  “I will,” she promised. Easy enough. The grounds were extensive and well-kept, with giant oaks and neatly trimmed green grass. A dark forest surrounding the Estate hid its occupants from the busy world outside.

  Cora couldn’t imagine Marcus growing up here, a little boy playing with wooden toys or a rubber ball. Well, she couldn’t imagine Marcus as a little boy at all. He seemed so solemn and powerful, sprung fully formed from his father’s head. Born to run Gino Ubeli’s business and grow it to the point where he owned everyone in the city, and through them, everything.

  She was too light and happy to dwell on gloomy thoughts for long, though, so she forgot them and browsed around a cluster of rhododendrons. The grounds were quiet, even for the Estate. She found a path and walked leisurely along it as light filtered through the tall oak trees overhead.

  About fifteen minutes later, she frowned when she saw a roof peeking out from the huge trunks ahead. The path did twist and turn. Was she already coming back around to the house?

  She continued forward curiously. Oh! It wasn’t the house at all. The building was large, though, square and fronted with high columns and stone lions. It was like a structure from Roman antiquity had been transported here.

  What was this place? With hushed reverence, she tiptoed to the open door. A few dried leaves had blown in but the marble was cool and gleaming, without a trace of mold or dirt. Someone kept this place clean.

  As soon as her eyes adjusted to the gloom, she gasped. Three stone coffins stood in a row. Heart thudding softly, she crept close enough to read the names carved into the marble slabs. Ambrogino Ubeli. Domenica Ubeli. Marcus’s father, Gino. And his mother.

  She knew the name on the final coffin before she read it. Chiara Ubeli. A weeping angel stood above the tomb, its hands covering its stone face. Forever mourning the atrocities wrought on the girl buried here. By Cora’s own family—her uncles and mother.

  “I’m sorry,” Cora whispered. She wished she had better words, some sort of prayer. Prayers should be the only words spoken here. She retreated, taking in the three sarcophagi.

  Her heart ached, but not for them. No, they were at peace. She hurt for her husband, who’d buried them here and grieved them. He’d only been a teen when he lost them but he grieved them still. Some losses you never got over.

  For the first time, she realized just how alone Marcus was. He had no one but Sharo and his Shades. And now her. No wonder he was so possessive. She’d hang on desperately to those she cared about, too, if everyone who loved her had died.

  As she drifted closer to Chiara’s coffin, she frowned at smudges on the edge of the stone lid. The pattern made her glance at the floor, but no, there were no marks there.

  Of course not. There was no reason for any marks on the floor, which was well scrubbed and polished until gleaming. The marks on the coffin must have been missed when whoever cleaned this place last came through.

  But it nagged at the back of her mind, because the marks almost looked like…like fingerprints—desperate, grabbing fingers along with the spatter on the dark wall. It couldn’t be. But the faded rust color couldn’t be mistaken for anything but what it was.

  Blood.

  She took a step back.

  “You can’t be around here, Mrs. Ubeli,” a Shade’s voice echoed behind her, making her shriek.

  “Gods,” she gasped, clutching her chest. She backed away, trembling.

  The Shade was young, almost as young as she was, and he looked dreadfully uncomfortable. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Ubeli, but you need to come away now. Your husband wouldn’t like you here.”

  Head bowed, she hurried out.

  There was plenty of space in the mausoleum for more stone coffins. At least two more. One for Marcus...and one for her.

  She shivered and shook her head to dispel the morbid thought. Not for a long time, she told herself firmly. After a good, long lifetime of love.

  But she hurried across the lawn and didn’t stop until she reached her room. No wonder Marcus wanted to keep her here, safe.

  When she got back to her room, she immediately went for her phone.

  There was a missed call from Armand. Several new text messages from a few numbers. Armand’s texts popped up first, in shouty caps: OH MY GODS ARE U OK? WHERE ARE U?

  Cradling her phone, she texted rapidly. I’m fine. At the Ubeli Estate.

  Her phone blipped immediately with his reply. I was so worried. News reported shooting! What happened?

  We’re fine. We were in the back. Didn’t see anything. She paused, deliberating on what to say next. Marcus is handling.

  After a pause, Cora watched the dots indicating Armand was typing. They just kept flashing and flashing until finally Armand returned: So much going on, but wanna say I’m so fucking sorry for the other day. I woke up remembering everything. I was messed up. Didn’t know what I was doing.

  Cora shook her head as her thumbs flew over the keyboard. Don’t even think about that. It was just an act. To keep AJ from discovering me. And I’m sorry. It was wrong of me to put you in that position.

  Maybe. But I’m glad you didn’t go alone. And then: Have you talked to Marcus about it? Wanting to help the girl? You can’t keep it from him.

  Cora’s chest tightened. But no, it would be fine. Marcus would understand. He had to. Soon. I’m going to.

  Nothing for a second, and then the dots came back and finally Armand’s next text. Ok. Really glad you’re okay. I’m about to go into a meeting but talk more soon? Come have a spa day with that gorgeous friend of yours?

  Cora typed back a laughing face emoji and: For sure.

  Then Cora moved on to the next message. She didn’t recognize the number but it was a picture message and curious, she clicked on it.

  And then screeched and dropped the phone on the bed.

  “Anna,” she gasped and reached for the phone again. Cora brought it close to her face and looked at the picture of her friend.

  Anna had been beaten, that was clear. Her face, her beautiful heart shaped face was beaten black and blue. Her left eye was swollen shut and blood from her temple poured down the side of her face. Her head
hung back, slack, and Cora didn’t even know if she was conscious. If she was alive.

  There was a message underneath the picture. Call me. If you tell your husband, she dies.

  Cora’s hands were trembling so hard she could barely manage to keep hold as she dialed the number and lifted the phone to her ear.

  The phone rang three times before he picked it up. AJ’s smarmy, self-satisfied voice came over the line. “Are you alone?”

  “Yes.” Cora tried to make her voice cold but she couldn’t quite shake her tremors. “Let me talk to Anna.”

  “Oh, so you do know this little cunt. And here she was swearing up and down she had no clue who you were or how that picture of you got on her phone camera. Even after I had my boys work her over.”

  Cora’s eyes sank closed and her body curled in on itself. The picture Anna had taken of her outside the restaurant the first day they met. Of course AJ had taken Anna’s phone. Cora put a hand to her forehead.

  “What do you want?”

  “Five million dollars. Delivered by you personally.”

  Cora let out a strangled noise. “You’re crazy. Where am I supposed to get my hands on—”

  “Well you better figure it out. Anna’s already endured a beating for you. I’d hate to see what would happen next if I really let my men have their way with her. But if you don’t care about her, then I guess—”

  “Stop!” Cora jumped to her feet and paced the length of the room, looking out the windows as she went. “Fine. I’ll get it but it will take some time. Maybe a few days—”

  “Tonight.”

  “Tonight?” Cora squeaked, her voice going high-pitched. “You can’t be serious. That’s impossible!”

  “Then I guess your friend doesn’t mean very much to you after all. She’s dead if you don’t get me that money personally. It’s tonight or never. I’ll see you around, Mrs. Ubeli.”

  “Tonight then. What time? Where?” Gods, what was she doing?

  “Eight o’clock on the dot. Underneath the statue of Atlas in the park.”

  “I need proof that they’re alive. Let me talk to Anna.”

  “I’ll be seeing you, Cora.”

  The line went dead. Son of a—

  Cora looked around frantically, needing to do something but not knowing where to start. Marcus. She needed Marcus. He would know what to do.

  She reached for her phone but then froze.

  She couldn’t call Marcus, even if he had his phone on, which she probably didn’t. He’d been lining up everything for the shipment for months. She couldn’t screw that up.

  And if she told Sharo, he wouldn’t help her, he’d only tried to get in touch with Marcus. And he definitely wouldn’t let her go to the meet.

  She huffed out a breath. Because she couldn’t do nothing.

  Anna was only in this mess because of her. She’d screwed everything up and she had to try to fix it.

  “Think. Think.” She looked back down at her phone. Which was when she noticed the other message she hadn’t yet opened. It was from Olivia. Quickly, she tapped her thumb on the message so that it popped up.

  It was just two words but Cora knew immediately Olivia was talking about Iris’s phone: “Cracked it.”

  Cora immediately dialed her.

  “Good work. Anything useful?”

  “Holding your applause to the end, hmmm? Let me see here…the last thing here is a text to the Orphan. Saying she’s almost done with moving out. Then a text from a person named Ashley.”

  “Ashley? Are you sure?” Cora thought of the redhead in the concert hall.

  “That’s the name. The text reads, Need to meet you. Orchid House, 1 pm. That’s it.”

  Ashley couldn’t have texted her that. She was dead by then. Cora explained this to Olivia.

  “Then whoever has Ashley’s phone knew her well enough to unlock the password and send it. Or this is the first case of ghost texting ever.”

  “AJ.”

  “All roads lead to this guy. It’s kinda getting boring.” Cora could hear Olivia reach into a bag and eat a handful of chips.

  “Olivia, listen. AJ has Anna…my friend.”

  “The dancer that Armand won’t shut up about?”

  “Yes. She’s probably with Iris. We need to get them out. But first I have to find them.”

  There was a short silence on the other end. “Well, I might be able to help with that.”

  “What? What did you find?” Hope rose in Cora. “You know where they are?”

  “Not completely. I got a partial address.” Olivia gave her the cross streets. “It’s somewhere close to that intersection.

  “Thank you, thank you.”

  Now that Cora knew where AJ was holding the girls, she didn’t have to wait for the meet up in the park where he would undoubtedly try to double-cross her. He had no incentive to actually bring the girls and she knew it was a trap.

  But if she could surprise him…

  “What are you thinking about doing?” Olivia’s voice came over the phone. Cora had forgotten she was still on the line. “Because you better not even think about leaving me behind,” Olivia continued.

  Cora’s eyes fell shut. Was she really considering doing this? By herself? Or well, with Olivia, but it wasn’t like either of them were master spies. Or trained mobsters. AJ was ruthless and he’d surround himself with the sort of men who’d happily beat up a woman, and worse.

  It would be dangerous and Marcus would be furious with her. But he’d be gone all night and Anna and Iris didn’t have that kind of time.

  So Cora made the decision that needed to be made. “Okay, Olivia, I need you to pick me up. The park by Roman road—as soon as you can. I’ll be waiting.”

  “Ok. Oh my gosh, I can’t believe we’re doing this! It’s so exciting! That was once word for it. But Olivia hung up before Cora could caution her about her enthusiasm.

  Then Cora laid back down on the bed. There was one last phone call to make.

  She reached underneath the mattress and pulled out the card that she’d thought about throwing away so many times. She still wasn’t sure if she was glad she still had it or not.

  Dialing the number, even now she didn’t know if she was making a mistake. She prayed she wasn’t. She prayed her gambles tonight would pay off and that when Marcus eventually learned all she’d done…some part of him would be proud, even if he’d be furious at her for how she went about it.

  “Yeah,” answered Pete the cop, sounding supremely bored.

  Cora bristled. “You’re only interested if there’s a big bust to be made, right? Well listen up because I’ve got one that will make headlines. But you need to do exactly what I say.”

  Twenty-Four

  “This is so freaking exciting,” Olivia said. They were parked in the street around the corner from AJ’s safehouse.

  Cora had a hell of a time sneaking off the Estate, but the guards were far more interested about people trying to break in than one small slip of a woman sneaking out through the back kitchen exit. There had been fewer guards on duty, too. Most of them were with Marcus to deal with the mysterious shipment.

  Cora had waited for Benito, the guard on outer perimeter duty to turn the corner and then she’d fled toward the woods and past the fence into the public park beyond. She hadn’t stopped running until she reached the meet up point with Olivia.

  “The cops are ready, too?” Olivia asked. “Is there like some signal?” It had taken hours to set everything up, for Pete to get the SWAT team in place, and the sun was low in the sky now.

  Cora’s racing heart felt like it was about to leap out of her chest but she managed to keep her voice somewhat calm as she answered.

  “I’ll give a verbal signal, and yes, they’re here, they’re just hidden.” She didn’t know where they were either. Pete said his team would be waiting nearby and for once she trusted him—only because it was in his self-interest to work with her. Him looking out for number one, that she could rely o
n.

  “And the wire, you’re sure it’s hidden?”

  Cora swallowed and nodded.

  That had been Pete’s stipulation. He still wasn’t impressed with her ‘so-called detective work’—his words—so the only way he’d agree to help was if she wore a wire and either caught something damning on tape or saw something inside the safehouse she was sure would let them throw the book at the notorious mobster and rumored human trafficker, AJ Wagner.

  Luckily the technology had gotten far better than what was usually shown on TV. When Cora and Olivia met with Pete half an hour ago, he’d easily attached a button camera to the button of her jeans and slid a barrette into her hair that doubled as a microphone. No clumsy wires necessary.

  And now here they were.

  A big part of Cora wanted to turn tail and run away but she wouldn’t give into it. Everything was in place. She had back up. And she was far too valuable an asset for AJ to hurt her…at least that was what she was counting on. She’d planned as much as she could.

  Now there was nothing left to do but jump.

  She got out of the car before Olivia could say anything else. She quickly turned the corner and started towards AJ’s safe house. She imagined the house had been cute once, before age and uncaring owners took their toll. Beyond an old iron gate, a concrete walk led to the door. Pieces of the siding hung askew. The windows stared like huge, empty eyes.

  She called AJ as she approached, arms up. She kept her distance, though. She was sure she was in range of their guns, but she also knew she was far more valuable to AJ alive than dead. At least she really, really hoped so.

  AJ picked up right away. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

  “New rules. You send Anna and Iris out and in exchange, you get me as a hostage.”

  Silence.

  Cora was impatient now that it had come down to it. “Stop with the bullshit because we both know it’s what you were planning all along—to snatch me. What’s five million compared to having collateral against the infamous Marcus Ubeli? Now send them out or I’m in the wind. There’s an SUV parked around the corner, one block down. Once Anna and Iris are both in, I’ll come out.”