Page 53 of The Malevolent Heiress

The words feel wrong, when I know this situation is much more than just two friends reuniting after a long separation. Chantelle was beginning to think her friend, the only person she has been close to over the past few years, died in the club bombing. But I need to know what happened.

Chantelle does not say a word, both she and Letty are busy glaring at Mario as they leave my office. He smiles, tilting his head and watching them leave while adjusting his pants.

I huff out a laugh before he shuts the door to face me with a large smile.

“What happened?” I ask, walking behind my desk and sitting down.

Mario follows, making himself comfortable in one of the leather chairs opposite me. He sinks down in his seat, spreading his legs and resting his head on the back of the chair with a satisfied sigh. Rolling his neck, he looks at me through his lashes, as if he does not have a care in the world. While my and his cousins’ worlds are falling to pieces around us he remains unbothered. Many men possess just such a breezy disposition, even one amongst my own, Oren. It’s a façade that veils the dangerous man beneath.

“She’s been in D.C. this whole time,” Mario says with a shrug. “Baby wasn’t going anywhere without knowing where her friend was, but she was ready.”

I raise an eyebrow. “We’ve checked their apartment and the hotels in the city.”

Mario sits up to rest his elbows on his knees.

“I followed her back to a shit motel in South Side. She was sticking to the back alleys to stay out of sight. I happened to see her by the bombing site. I guess she was looking for any sign of Chantelle, since there’s been no official release of those who died.”

I nod. Every family who lost someone in the bombing of Insatiable has been compensated, most of the patrons’ families wanting to keep their names out of the papers and official documents. Because, what an atrocity it would be if someone they loved should ever be associated with an elite strip club.

“Anyway,” Mario continues. “I might have spooked her when I followed her to her skeezy hideaway. She had a few bags packed, some hers, some Chantelle’s. I’m guessing so they could take off if she found her. Lucky for me, she had tape and a basket of clean laundry when she started giving me hell.”

I scoff at the glint in Mario’s golden eyes. The Castellos do have a thing for feisty women, not that I can judge anyone for that.

“Lion’s not well,” I tell him, and his devil-may-care mask slips slightly, the worry for his cousin taking its place. “He’s not keeping it together much better than Liam. The both of them have left a heavy trail of bodies in their wake.”

Mario scoffs, “You expected less? Lion is keeping it together better than he could be, considering the amount of hell he could rain down on every living person on this side of the country.”

“Until he becomes sloppy,” I remind him, and he quirks an eyebrow, offended for my nephew. “You and I both know the lengths Lion will go to bring his sister home, but he still has his empire and Malia will have hers. We need to reel Liam and Lion in and channel their focus. We might have something to start narrowing down our hunt.”

Mario raises his hands in the air.

“I’m just here to play sub mob boss and appointed bodyguard.”

I pin him with a look. He is fully aware of the problems that could arise should Lion blow through the rest of his senses. This needs to be handled without impulsivity and rage. We can still set the world ablaze and dance in the falling ashes to find our girl. But our empires still need to be standing when we do, so Malia and Lion can rule over their legacies as the dust settles.

20

Liam

“What’swrong,bigbrother?”Xana asks me, unable to keep eye contact.

“I’ll tell you once you tell me what’s wrong with you, first,” I say, leveling my baby sister with a look.

She scoffs. Turning her attention out of the passenger door window of my car.

“You’re the one who left like your life depended on it while insisting I needed protection,” she grumbles. “It’s been a month since I’ve heard from you, and I don’t know shit about what happened.”

Of course she’s pissed off because she feels abandoned. I deserve that, but that’s not something we need to get into right now. At least, not the most important parts.

“I’m a fucking adult, Li,” she yells, whipping her head in my direction, and I raise an eyebrow at the outburst.

I would never consider Xana meek, but she’s normally so level-headed. Normally.

“Stop trying to sugarcoat the bullshit and tell me what the hell is going on with you!”

As not-funny as my life is right now, I can’t help but chuckle at the small woman biting my head off. Gone was the girl, and the woman is right. I need to own up to my shit and stop hiding things from her.

“Okay, I’ll tell you,” I say through a sigh. “But you have to listen to everything I say. Just hear me out because I need you right now, Xan.”

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