Page 98 of Virtuous Lies

“Trixie and Gabriella left through the emergency exit on level one,” Vincent answers, cutting into the tension. “No noticeable injuries for Gabriella as per the clerk working the front desk.”

Enzo rubs his jaw. “What the fuck does a whore want with your sister?”

I cringe at the term.

Leo moves away from where we’re all congregated around Andre’s body, the soft burr of his voice echoing from the open-space kitchen.

I saw Andre this morning as we left for our walk. He smiled at me. I hadn’t even stopped to say hello. I assumed I would see him later today.Alive. I was certain we’d have more time. We were supposed to have more time.

“Who is Krista Delaney?” Leo yells out, a piece of paper held loosely in his hand.

Enzo and Vincent shake their heads.

“Bianca?” he tests.

I sniff. “No idea.”

He turns the mouthpiece of his phone back, listening quietly before ending the call. He moves back toward us. “Contact at the FBI says Gabriella was in wit sec with her mom up until Rita’s death.”

“Rita was talking to the feds?” Enzo asks. “How did our contacts overlook that?”

“Possibly,” Leo answers. “My guy is looking into it. Likely a need-to-know basis that our guys didn’t have access to.”

My eyes haven’t left Andre. I move around his body, confirming what Vincent said for myself. Two fatal shots. Head and heart. I reach out to touch his face but pull my hand back, afraid to be left with only a reminder of what he felt like in death.

“Dolcezza.” Vincent touches my shoulder. “Let’s go to our apartment.”

I shake my head. “I’m not going to leave him by himself.”

Leo speaks before Vincent can. “Bianca, Andre ain’t here anymore, honey. This was just the vessel. Remember him the way you loved him. Not this empty version.”

A simple statement. One the three of them no doubt live by. I can’t separate the two. Andre is right here, in front of me. His soullivedhere for forty-plus years. Even in death, parts of him are ingrained in the very makeup of his physical body. His eyes are open, their kindness not quite yet lost by the severance of his heartbeat.

“He’s here,” I mumble, more to convince myself.

“Bianca,” Vincent pushes.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I snap.

I know deep in my heart that if the situation was reversed, Andre wouldn’t leave me alone in the first hours of death. He’d know I’d be afraid. He’d know I’d want someone who loved me by my side as I found my way to the other side.

“I’ll stay right here until his body is removed. I won’t leave him.”

Vincent sighs. “Leo, do me a favor and take Panda up to the penthouse.”

“Do I look like a fucking lap dog?”

“Take the fucking dog,” Enzo orders. Leo curses under his breath, snatching Panda from Vincent and storming toward the elevator.

The elevator doors close, and quiet settles between us.

“Gabbi recognized her.”

“Huh?” Enzo steps closer.

“Gabbi, when Trixie approached me on the street, she said she recognized her from somewhere. She couldn’t place it, though.”

“She mentioned it at lunch,” Vincent echoes.

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