Amara sighed, stroking Lulu’s fur in her lap. “How do you think?”
“Not well, I’m assuming?” Morana winced, the penthouse lit up behind her.
“He’s been having meetings in his office for the last few hours,” Amara told her. “I think my being so close to the bullet shook him.”
“It’d shake anyone, Amara. Especially after finding out what he did about his mom,” her expressive eyes softened in sympathy for him. She got distracted for a second on screen, looking to the side. “One second, Amara,” Morana said before moving to the side. “No, no, that’s not how you do it, Xander. Put the basic code in and open the file. Yeah, that’s it. Well done, you! High five!”
Amara felt her eyebrows go up. Xander was what, eight? And he was talking code with Morana? What the hell?
Morana came back on screen, a huge smile on her face. “Sorry, Xander needed some help.”
“How’s he doing?” Amara asked, curious about the boy.
Morana shrugged. “Not the best, if I’m being honest. He’s not talkative at all but boy, he’s freaky intelligent. Like even I wasn’t doing the shit he’s doing at his age. He likes to sit with me when I’m working, seeing all the codes and stuff. But doesn’t talk, except to maybe ask a few questions. Just my luck huh? Stuck with two guys who barely grunt,” she ended on a little laugh, shaking her head.
“You should have him tested for his IQ,” Amara pointed out.
Morana nodded. “Yeah, we will. I mean we’re all just kind of adapting to being in the same space, you know? Tristan took to it like a duck to water, though. He loves him. He doesn’t say it, but I can tell. I found them in the kitchen one night cooking pizza because Xander had a nightmare.”
“That’s big for Tristan,” Amara admitted.
“I know right?” Morana nodded. “I’m still searching facial recognition for anything on him, but so far nada.”
“Has he said anything about the Shadowman?” Amara asked, curious, settling back on the couch in the living room, sunlight filling up the space.
“Tristan said he mentioned him. Just that he always left Xander notes to communicate and stayed in the shadows. Last time he saw the guy was in the fog. I think you might be right, about him being the Airport Guy. He’s been freaky about me not seeing him. By the way, have you tried this new peach milk moisturizer? I hear it’s divine.”
The sound of footsteps brought Amara’s attention. “Listen, I’ll talk to you later,” she told Morana and they hung up.
Nerea walked into the room, her eyes coming to Amara.
“Hey,” Amara said, concerned about the way the older woman stayed silent. Over the last few days, she’d not had the time to talk to the woman.
Nerea stopped at the edge of the room. “You’re pregnant?”
Amara furrowed her brow. “Yes, why?”
Nerea shook her head. “No reason. I’ll catch you later.”
She walked right out of the room, the little interaction weirding Amara out.
Dante wore glasses, looking at his laptop screen as she and her mother sat on the office couch, discussing the wedding plans. Usually, they sat somewhere else and didn’t interrupt her husband-to-be, but that day his input was required.
“So, gold or silver?”
“Gold.”
“Different tables or buffet?”
“Different tables.”
“Are we calling Al and his family?”
“Yeah.”
That’s pretty much how it had gone since the last hour. She and her mother would ask final questions, and he would give monosyllabic replies, all the while working on his laptop. It was a gorgeous day too, with the bright sun filtering in through the big windows of his office, Lulu napping on a particularly warm spot in the ray of sun. She’d made Dante’s study her day place. If he was there, she’d be there. If he wasn’t there, then she’d find Amara. If neither of them were there, then she’d snuggle somewhere in a huge mansion and sleep.
Amara looked at him in his zone, with the scruff that had become an almost beard, the glasses on his handsome face, and felt her belly flutter the same way it used to when she’d been a teen, watching the unreachable boy. She rested her face on her hand stared at him.
“Why are you staring at me?” he asked her, not looking up from the screen.
Her mother looked up at them. “She has always stared at you, Dante,” her ma said with amusement. “You shouldn’t be surprised anymore.”
Dante grinned but kept working. The vibration from his phone had his face turning to the side.
“Morana,” he greeted. “I’m putting you on speaker. Hold on.”
He placed the phone on the table and went back to looking at his screen.
“Okay, so you know how I’ve been keeping my eye on Nerea for months? She disappeared so I tracked her and guess who she led us to?”
“Who?” Dante asked absently, still looking at his screen.
“MrX,” Morana’s excited voice came from the speaker as she talked fast. “So, I went down under, digitally speaking, looking for more info on the guy she met and I just hit jackpot!”
Dante stilled, his focus on the call now. “You have a name?”
“Oh no,” Morana spoke, enthused. “I have a first name and a photo. How amazing is that? I’m running facial recognition as we speak. Check your email. I’ve sent it to you. It’s encrypted for protection so I’ve sent the code you’ll need to decrypt it as well. Okay, that was it. I have to go now.”
“Tell Tristan to give you a hug from my side,” Dante smiled.
“Fat chance of that,” Morana chuckled. “I’ll just take it myself. Talk to you later.”
The call cut off and Amara felt amazement wash over her again at the crazy stuff her friend did, which she’d never been able to understand. She stood up, her back slightly aching as her bump grew, and walked to his side, curious to see the photo.
Dante opened the email, put in the code, and a flurry of text came on the screen for a split second before the folder opened.
“Xavier,” Dante mused. “MrX. Seriously?”
Shaking his head, he clicked on the photo, enlarging it. It was the headshot of an average looking, clean-shaven, balding man wearing gold-rimmed glasses.
Amara frowned, the photo nagging something in her brain. “I’ve seen him before.”
Dante turned to her, his eyes sharp. “Where?”
She shook her head, trying to remember, his face familiar but stranger. And suddenly, it hit her.
“They showed me his photo,” she rasped out. “During my interrogation, they showed me his photo and asked me if I recognized him. That’s where I’ve seen him!”
Dante clenched his jaw, his hand settling on her hip. “We already know he’s the one who gave the order. And that he was possibly there.”
She felt her mother come to her side, rubbing her back in comfort before suddenly her hand stopped. Amara looked down to see her mother staring at the screen, a look of shock on her face.
“Ma?” she asked, concern washing over her. “You okay? You know him?”