Page 93 of Hart of Vengeance
“Duke,” I said again as I wound my way into the bathroom.
He wasn’t there. I even stuck my head into his walk-in closet and was met with a room bigger than the one I was sleeping in.
Suits galore hung on one side. Shoe racks adorned one wall. Drawers and two dressers took up another wall. I seriously could live in this closet. He even had a comfy chair nestled into the corner.
I walked around, inspecting his suits as I traveled through the large closet. I stopped at one dresser, set my coffee down, and peeked in the top drawer. A gun and two clips sat next to a handful of watches. I closed the drawer and moved on. I had no need for a gun and wasn’t surprised Duke had one either. I glanced around, and when my gaze landed on the other dresser, I sucked in a sharp breath.
I hurried over and picked up the picture.
Savannah and Duke were sitting by a pool with the ocean in the background, and both were smiling. They looked happy and in love. It was odd to see his straight white teeth or a happy glint in his light-brown eyes. He looked relaxed and warm, nothing like the coldhearted man I knew. What had my eyebrows flying up was the way he was holding Savannah like she was his everything.
I stared at my beautiful sister. Her brown hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun, her skin was sun-kissed, and she was wearing her quirky smile.
I fumbled to figure out what had gone wrong between Savannah and Duke. My sister wasn’t the easiest person to get along with, but Duke’s outer exterior said he wasn’t either. Maybe they’d been made for each other.
I briefly closed my eyes, staving off the need to cry. My sister would never get the chance to fall in love again.
I didn’t hear Mallory until her voice made me jump.
“Snooping isn’t your scene,” she said somewhere behind me. Then she whistled. “What a freaking closet.”
I placed the picture back in its spot, dashed away a lone tear that had escaped, and turned around. “I think I had Duke all wrong.” I uttered those words more to myself than Mallory as I collected my coffee cup.
But true to Mallory’s form, and her opinion of Duke, she said, “Nonsense. You’re sounding like Cara now.”
I pressed my stomach against the edge of the center island that traveled down the length of the closet to where Mallory was fingering Duke’s suits. “How is she?”
She set big blue eyes on me. “How are you?”
“Don’t deflect, and I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine.” Her gaze drifted past me. “Is that Duke and Savannah?” Her long legs ate up the space between us. Then she studied the picture, whistling again. “One picture doesn’t tell the truth.”
As much as I despised Duke, I had to believe he had some emotional structure beneath his critical coldness. After all, he was a Hart, and Dillon and Denim were nothing like their older brother.
“Maybe not,” I said. “Let’s get out of here.” With my luck, Duke would walk in, and he didn’t need to know we’d been snooping.
Mallory and I padded down the hall to the kitchen and settled at the island. I dove into the egg sandwich she’d brought me.
She made herself at home and got coffee. Then she produced two laptops from her bag. “Here. I know you’re on leave, but in case you get bored, you can check emails at least.”
It wouldn’t hurt to do some work. That way, I could keep my mind off Denim, Savannah, and getting shot.
In between bites, I asked, “Are you going to answer my question about Cara?”
She opened her laptop then twisted her auburn hair up on the top of her head before securing it with a clip. “Cara is in London with my folks. She’s still upset, but maybe she’ll meet someone better while in London.”
Mallory’s dad traveled the world as a sales manager for a company that rented generators used to power the Super Bowl and other sporting events like the PGA. Her mom often accompanied him on his business travels.
“So how is Denim? And where is he? I was sure you two would be between the sheets.” She waggled her pretty eyebrows.
I blushed. “I wanted him to stay in bed with me, but he had a meeting with the FBI.”
“Mm. You sure he isn’t meeting with Tito Alvarez?”
I cocked my head, chewing the delicious egg-and-bacon sandwich. “He didn’t mention it. Should I be worried?”
She lifted her dainty shoulders as her fingers flew over the keys. “Not sure. But I did overhear him talking to Kelton yesterday about some meeting with Tito today.”
