Surrender (Careless Whispers #3)(47)

His eyes narrow and then he shouts, “Matteo!”

Matteo groans and then backs up, rejoining us. “What went wrong in thirty seconds?”

“Talking through recent events,” Adriel says, “Ella and I have concerns that the castle security might have been breached.”

“It wasn’t breached,” he says, giving me an irritated look that says he knows this is from me. “That didn’t happen.”

“Is it impossible?” he asks. “Or improbable?”

“Your form of dry smart-ass doesn’t work for you or anyone,” Matteo says. “Some fucker with a watch who knows how to create a fake identity does not an expert hacker make. But I’ll hack for hacks, if that’s what we think is the best use of my time.”

“Hey, man,” Adriel says, holding his hands up. “We’re just trying to keep everyone safe. We’re dealing with Alessandro and two mob bosses, one of whom killed Kayden’s family, while the other one is obsessed with Ella.”

Matteo’s expression tightens, right along with his voice. “You’re right. You’re right.” He looks at me. “I get a little defensive about hacking. It’s my thing.” He points to his shirt. “Italian Stallion and all, you know?”

“I know you are,” I say. “I’m just worried about someone getting hurt because of me. I couldn’t live with that.”

“No one is going to get hurt, Ella,” Adriel says firmly. “We won’t let that happen.”

“We can’t let that happen.” The numerous ways Garner Neuville might strike are too many to fathom.

“I’ll double-and triple-check every possible breach when I get home,” Matteo promises. “I’ll text you both.”

“Thank you, Matteo,” I say. “I really do appreciate it.”

“He was just being an asshole with an ego,” Sasha calls out, which Matteo replies to in Italian that is distinctly snarky, and then he’s turned and disappeared into the hallway.

“You think there was a breach in the castle?” Sasha asks, concerned. “How and when?”

“I’ll fill you in on her concerns myself, Sasha,” Adriel says, his brown eyes falling on her.

“She’s standing right here,” she says. “Why can’t she tell me?”

“Because you and I have a lot to talk about, on many topics. Conversations better had in private, in my tower.”

Translation: in his bed.

For just a moment they stare at each other, the sizzle between them making me feel like I’m invading their privacy. I delicately clear my throat. “I should go to my tower.”

“Are you sure?” Sasha asks, immediately turning her attention to me. “If you don’t want to be alone, I can join you.”

“I appreciate it, but I’m actually eager to get back to Kayden’s and my private space and focus on the data we printed out. I’m going to grab it and get out of here.”

“What data?” Adriel asks.

“I’ll tell you in your tower,” Sasha teases, and I turn away, a smile on my lips. There is something about these two together that works, but I have a feeling that’s also the problem. There is a lot of something between them, but both of them have plenty of reasons to fear trust and love.

I make my way to the front of the store, pausing before I round the counter, and I eye Gallo’s puddle of water that I should clean up but decide to ignore. Puddles of water are fine. Puddles of blood are not. Entering the office, I reach for my stack of papers, noting that they are face up now, not face down. Either Matteo or Sasha looked through my papers. Maybe Sasha just wanted to recap and see if she could think of anything more. Or maybe she added images from near the club. Or Matteo might have been curious. Thinking back to the meeting, he was pretty excited about the five-million-dollar payday, maybe more so than the others. My brow furrows. Why am I even spending time on this?

I snatch up the papers and leave the office, ready to go to my private space with Kayden. Even more eager for him to return.



Once I’m alone and inside the foyer of our tower, I grab my purse from the coat rack where I’d hung it earlier, settling the strap on my shoulder. I fully intend to head up the stairs, but my gaze catches on the office that is now officially where Kayden proposed to me. Drawn in that direction, I cross the foyer and enter the room, where my gaze lands on the couch, random memories from earlier today assailing me. Namely, the spanking that wasn’t a beating or really even a spanking. It was this sexy, erotic, consuming rush. Intimate and right in ways that I don’t think it could be with anyone but Kayden. And I swear I can almost feel him next to me again. And damn it, I can almost feel the way I hurt him, too. I inhale the scent of him lingering in the air, and promise myself I’m going to make up for that every day for the rest of our lives.

My attention moves to the desk, with the roll of tape still sitting on it, and I cross to pick it up, more memories flitting through my mind.

“What are you doing?” I’d demanded, when he’d started tearing the tape.

“Proving a point,” he’d said.

And boy, had he.

I trust him completely. Considering how badly I handled this afternoon, I need to tell him this again. Actually, I need to tell him so many things. And I’d love one of them to be the location of the necklace, so we can start putting all of this mess behind us. Motivated by that idea, I open the top desk drawer and scavenge for the supplies I need to create a memory wall. I leave with scissors, thumbtacks, and my trusty roll of tape. Once I’m upstairs, I stand at the edge of the stairs and wait for some sense of unease, but I don’t find it. I head down the hallway and reach our door, and stop dead in my tracks with a realization. Where’s that creepy “I’m being watched” feeling I’ve come to know as normal? I turn and face the hallway, waiting for it to wash over me, but it doesn’t. Have I finally killed the paranoia by talking about it to everyone? And my imaginary ghost with it?