I roll my eyes.
Takes one to know one, Frank.
“I just wanted to actually relax for a few minutes. Is that so horrible? I’ve been shot at, attacked, and threatened. And the more help we have to keep things safe, the better.”
“He works for Savio, don’t forget that. You’re traipsing around with him like you’re asshole buddies, but you can’t forget why he’s here. He’s just trying to make you feel like you can trust him, but you can’t.”
“I don’t trust anyone outside of the family, Uncle Frank. But you can’t be here all the time and you know it. I love you for wanting to help, but you have a life, too.”
“You know I would give up everything to make sure you girls are safe,” he says.
“The fuck you would,” I mutter under my breath. She might buy his bullshit, but I definitely don’t.
“I know, and we are so grateful for that.” Kristina sighs. “The thing is, I need answers. To really hard questions. And I will find them, even if I have to do it on my own because I have no faith in anyone’s true agenda. It’s ultimately my responsibility, and I need to uncover the truth to save us.”
“We will find the people who did this,” he says. “I swear to you we will. You know I just want to help you protect what’s yours.”
Aha, you jerkoff. That’s your real angle, isn’t it?
Protect what’s yours.
The inheritance.
Kristina didn’t mention a thing about it, but I’m guessing that Frank wants what he thinks he’s due and will track down whomever he needs in order to claim it.
Makes me wonder if he’s included in Savio’s plans.
He should be.
Because I know I’d very much like to see his ass roasting on a spit.
The door opens and my spine stiffens as footsteps make their way across the floor. I see wingtips on the floor in front of the desk, holding my breath as they shuffle around on the area rug. I slowly slide to the center of the darkened area, praying that neither of them decide to take a seat in the chair directly in front of me.
“I need to make a few phone calls to the insurance company,” Kristina murmurs. “The papers must be here somewhere. I’ll just—”
“Wait,” Frank says. “The files have been moved. Someone has been in here.”
Chapter Seventeen
KRISTINA
“How would you know that? Nobody has been in here since the day of the party.” I narrow my eyes at my uncle, watching his squirm under my stare.
“He, ah, he had all of the folders related to the entertainment businesses in a pile,” he finally responds. “I remember seeing them when I was in here that day. He’d taken the top folder and flipped through it while we discussed some plans to expand. It was for Fire and Ice.” He points to the top folder on the desk. “See? That folder on top is for one of the real estate companies.”
I shrug. “I don’t know. Maybe he moved the pile around after you left. The cleaning girls may have moved things around when they were dusting earlier this week.”
“Maybe. Or else…” His voice trails off.
I lift an eyebrow, inviting him to continue his thought.
“Maybe your bodyguard was nosing around in here. He could have come in here last night when everyone was asleep.” Uncle Frank shakes his head. “I’m just saying, he could be looking to feed information back to Savio.”
I straighten the folders on the desk into orderly piles and put the stray pens into a holder to clear up the clutter, the only thing helping me find comfort in this room right now. A whirlwind rush of accusations, insinuations, and warnings floods my mind to the point where I need to grab hold of the edge of the desk to keep myself from crumbling.
I’m trying so hard to keep my head together, but every day something happens to make it spin faster and faster.
Who’s lying, who’s telling the truth, who’s angling to snag my father’s empire…everyone is guilty by suspicion until proven innocent as far as I’m concerned.
I swallow a gulp of air, desperate for it to calm me enough so I can rationally arrange the jagged puzzle pieces to get some kind of picture of what the hell my life has become.
I am a trained scientist, dammit.
Once I have evidence, I can form theories.
Theories lead to discoveries.
And discoveries will deliver the fucking justice my parents deserve.
“Uncle Frank,” I say, guiding him out of the office. I don’t miss the second look he throws over his shoulder at the pile of files I plan to revisit later once I’m alone. “I understand your concern. Really, I do. But Massimo hasn’t done anything to make me think that he’s in here as some sort of spy. And if there was something truly incriminating in Dad’s office, Savio would never send someone in his place to snatch it back. He’s too much of a control freak, don’t you think?” I keep talking, not really giving him a chance to speak since I don’t want a run-in with Massimo to derail my uncle’s plans to leave.
“Savio is controlling,” Uncle Frank murmurs.
I pull open the door. “Very much so. I think it’s safe to say that any damaging information would be stored somewhere safe, not right in the middle of his office where anyone could find it, right?”
“Right…” He looks reluctant to go but I don’t have a second to lose, especially since the girls won’t be at school forever. “I’ll be back later to check in on you girls.” He pauses. “And Massimo will be here, too? I’d really rather it just be us tonight. He doesn’t need to be lurking all the time. You should send him out somewhere.”
I roll my eyes. “He’s being paid to lurk. Spaghetti and meatballs for dinner?”
A hint of a smile lifts his lips. “Yep, I’ll be prepared.”
I paste on a bright smile, thinking that he won’t really need much preparation for our meal other than to not gorge himself on lunch, and close the door once he leaves. I back against it, staring up at the ceiling, praying for some shred of clarity. I smooth out the runner in front of the door because it irritates the hell out of me when it catches.
Uncle Frank was very interested in what was on the desk in Dad’s office, and that tells me I should be as well. I cast a curious glance around.
Where is Massimo? Isn’t he supposed to be defending the castle?
And me?
Unless…
I rake a hand through my hair, storming into the kitchen for a lime-flavored seltzer. The carbonation makes my nose twitch as I gulp it down, heading back toward my father’s office. I walk inside and close the door behind me. I came in here before with my uncle because I’d heard a noise when we were speaking the conservatory.
Of course he wanted to investigate.
Maybe he wanted a closer look at the files on top of the desk since he seemed to have remembered with great clarity what was there a little over a week ago.
His livelihood.
Fire and Ice.
The only business my father had given him to run over the years because it was the least likely thing for him to mess up.
Or so I’d heard anytime he’d discuss it with Mom.