Page 42 of Her Dark Melody
Atlas hesitated. “I don’t know. I don’t know who I can trustanymore.”
“I do.” Stanley stood and put his hand on his stepson's shoulder. “You can trust the woman who supported us all when your brother was murdered. The woman who sat up all night with Fino, holding him, talking to him, trying to help him process his father’s death. The woman who changed her entire life to suit you. The woman who put up with your desperateurgeswhen you were trying to bury your grief,” Stanley said pointedly, making sure Atlas was clear on the fact that his behavior hadn’t gone unnoticed.“The woman who wore a locket with your brother’s photo to her wedding so he could be part of your day – yes, Bella toldme.”
Atlas’s face set in a neutral expression and Stanley watched him, unable to read his mood. “Ebony Verlaine loves you, Atlas. She loves Fino, Bella, even me and Vida. She came into our lives when we didn’t even know we needed her. Can you imagine our lives without hernow?”
There was a long silence, then “No.”
“Neither can I. Come on, let’s go downstairs and discuss how we can find her. Because this behavior, son, is not a man’s. And it is notyours.”
Bella parkedthe car in the parking lot of the diner and got out. Fino, tugging his coat over his head, looked confused. “This isn’t our usualplace.”
Nervously, Bella pulled him toward her. “No. I thought we’d try somewhere new. It’s okay,” she said to the security guard with them, “you can waithere.”
The bodyguard looked skeptical. “My orders wereto…”
“And I’m telling you, you can wait here.” Bella glared at him, then taking Fino’s hand, they walked into the diner. Fino was immediately wowed by the retro look of thediner.
“This is socool.”
“Well, let’s find a table, and we’ll order some food, hey, sport?” Bella smiled at him, even though her heart was thumping wildly. This was the plan.Get the boy to the diner, get him into thebathrooms…
Bella swallowed hard.Why am I doing this?Her hands felt slippery with sweat, but then, as Fino cried out, she felt a jolt ofshock.
“Ebony!”
Bella whirled around to see Fino run into Ebony’s arms as the other woman slid from her seat, hidden in the corner, to greet the boy. Ebony looked tired and somewhat bedraggled, and Bella felt a pang of guilt, but then realized this was even better. She had ascapegoat.
She greeted Ebony with a hug. “Everyone’s been looking foryou.”
Ebony seemed close to tears. “I didn’t know where to go, what to do. He hates me, Atlas hatesme.”
“No.” Bella made her sit down, an anxious Fino snuggled in next to Ebony. “Look, let me get you some hot coffee…Fino, do you need to use thebathroom?”
He nodded. Ebony took his hand. “I’ll takehim.”
Good, this was good…except…
What wouldhedo to Ebony? The man who wanted Fino, the man who was blackmailing her. Him. Would he killEbony?
Bella’s hands bunched up into fists, but she made herself nod and turn away as the two of them went back toward the bathrooms. She leaned over to the waitress. “May we have two coffees,please?”
“Of course, coming rightup.”
Bella heard the door open and saw her bodyguard walking towards her. “Sorry, Miss, I just checked with Mr. Tigri. He doesn’t want any of you alone.” He looked around. “Where’s Mr. TigriJunior?”
“In the bathroom,” she said casually. “We ran into Mrs. Tigri. They’re both inthere.”
The waitress brought coffee, and with a shaking hand, Bella sipped it. There was no noise, no commotion from the bathrooms – but neither did either Ebony or Fino emerge. After a few minutes, the bodyguard stalked over to the doors. Bella stood, feigning surprise as he came out, barking instructions into his phone. “What is it? What’swrong?”
The bodyguard stared at her, his eyes trying to read hers. “There’s blood in the bathroom, but no sign of Fino or Ebony. They’ve been taken. They’regone.”
ChapterTwenty
“What the fuck do you mean ‘gone’? How the hell did you let thishappen?”
At some point, very long ago, it seemed, Atlas had been a gentle man. Now all he did was rage, and rage he was now, at the bodyguard, who glanced at Bella. She looked away from him. “I’m sorry, sir, I let them out of my sight for a fewminutes.”
Atlas rubbed his face and turned away, fists clenched. It was obvious to anyone present who knew him that he was angriest at himself for how he’d treated his brand-newwife.
