CHARLI’S GRIP FINALLY loosened as her breathing found a steady rhythm. It was possible that I’d slept at some point during the night. I’m confident that I had when we’d first surrendered to sleep. After that, it was only for minutes at a time. Even when Charli wasn’t fully awake, her body twitched, her head shook, and she mumbled words.

I couldn’t make sense out of it until she began screaming. Her protests were loud and clear. My name even infiltrated her monologue. At first I assumed she was telling me no, but that wasn’t it. She was calling out to me, for me, and I wasn’t there.

As the sleepless night continued, with each of her outbursts—whether done in her sleep or causing her to wake—I saw red, blood red. Deep, dark crimson filled my vision as it flowed over my thoughts. My fists clenched, aching to connect, to seek vengeance, to mutilate Edward Spencer.

Charli had broken her promise to stay safe. I wasn’t blaming the victim. Like I’d said, no one deserved to be scared like that asshole had scared her; however, she’d made me one promise, the same one Jo had made, and by getting in that car, she’d broken it. I’d promised her consequences for her actions, and when the time was right she’d experience them, but her consequences weren’t what kept me from sleeping.

It was his consequences that kept me awake—and her stepfather’s too.

Slipping from our warm bed, I eased into a pair of jeans from the closet, grabbed my phone and opened the door to the balcony. A gust of cool late-morning air made me turn, hoping I hadn’t woken Charli. I hadn’t. Buried under the covers, her only movement—the rise and fall from her breathing—verified she was finally sleeping.

Sighing, I made my way outside and quietly closed the door behind me.

With the sun fully up, the breeze showed itself on the sound as white caps dotting the surface and muting the colors. The bright blues of summer were fading. To the side of the property I took in the dense line of trees. Some stood bare like skeletons of their former selves, the seclusion they’d granted with their leaves now gone. The former shields were now dried, brown, and dead, their useless bodies scattered over the lawns. The few leaves remaining kept the grayness of winter at bay, holding tight to the autumn colors—the oranges, yellows, and reds.

A little farther south from my house was a yacht club. On a Sunday during the summer, the water would be alive with activity. But November in New York didn’t lend itself to sailing. Stepping to the railing I inhaled, expanding my chest and filling my lungs with the brisk air. The cold burn was the wake-up call I needed. As my thoughts volleyed with the recent and not-so-recent past, the chilly surface of the decking made itself known under my bare feet.

Soon enough I’d go downstairs for coffee. First, I had a call to make.

“Lennox,” Deloris answered on the first ring.

“Tell me what’s happening.”

“The Montague lawyers are doing their best, but Spencer is still in jail.”

“What did you learn about the body?”

“Not much. They still haven’t confirmed it as Melissa Summers. They’ve called her family to identify her.”

“Identify? So the body is identifiable?”

“So it seems.”

Wouldn’t that mean she was recently killed? I ran my hand through my hair as the autumn scene before me disappeared and Alton Fitzgerald’s face came back to my memory. “Fitzgerald came to the interrogation room at the police station last night. He accused me of being behind this whole thing—some mastermind plot to incriminate Spencer. He said he knew Melissa Summers was connected to Infidelity. When I saved Charli, I’d mentioned that Spencer was a client. Fitzgerald threatened to figure out the connection and told me that my plan wouldn’t work.”

“He accused you of planting the body?”

“Not in so many words, but yeah, he did.”

“He’s grasping at straws. He and his crooked police and judges can’t ignore a dead woman on Spencer’s property.”

My teeth clenched. “This is going to be a nightmare. If he exposes Infidelity…”

“As I said, he’s desperate. Before yesterday everything was circumstantial. Now they found a body. That combined with Melissa’s earlier statements… Lennox, you didn’t even know who she was when she went to the police. There’s no connection. Alton Fitzgerald is grasping. I’ve been listening to their phones,” Deloris went on, “and audio from Montague Manor. The surveillance was set up in the manor during the chaos as guests left the party last night. The crew was in and out dressed as part of the catering staff. Mr. Demetri also secured audible surveillance at Montague Corporation and Hamilton and Porter. I can’t listen to everything at once, but I have a team working on it. We’ll know what they’re thinking as soon as they do.”

“It’s Sunday. The law and corporate offices should be closed.”

“The law office has been buzzing. Are you kidding?”

“Is Fitzgerald there?”

“No. He was at Magnolia Woods and now is back to the police station. The poor man hasn’t gotten any sleep. I’ve listened as he’s yelled at Mrs. Spencer about it all morning.”

Mrs. Spencer. The name reminded me of Charli instead of Edward’s mother.

“What do you know about the marriage license they showed me yesterday?”

“Have you talked to Alex about it?”

“No, she’s still asleep.”

“I’m glad someone is getting sleep.”

“Neither of us got much.”

“I’ve told you… too much information.”

I grinned, remembering Charli’s sexy body in my arms. “That’s not where I was going. We should have moved faster. I never should have left her there for that long.”

“And have left her mother and Chelsea in harm’s way? Alexandria wouldn’t have allowed it.”

Fuck her approval.

I swallowed my response and went back to what Deloris had said earlier. “You already had Magnolia Woods bugged. You said Fitzgerald was there. Are you on it?”

“Yes. The nurse, Mack?”

“That big guy,” I said, recalling the video feed from Adelaide’s room.

“He woke with a whopping headache. Though his memory is fuzzy, he’s certain there was a doctor who came in to get Alex’s mom, but the video footage doesn’t corroborate his story. If they’d do a toxicology screen, they’d know he was drugged. They haven’t and pretty soon it will be too late. They seem to have taken the footage as unaltered. Not surprisingly, the facility administrators are more concerned about their reputation than his story.

“Before Fitzgerald was consulted about his wife’s disappearance, Magnolia Woods contacted the Savannah-Chatham police. They’ve taken Mack in for questioning. If I’m to interpret the chatter correctly, they’re currently holding him under suspicion of aiding and abetting in Mrs. Fitzgerald’s kidnapping. They’re waiting for a ransom demand.”

“That won’t last when they learn it wasn’t a kidnapping.”

“No, but they can hold him for up to seventy-two hours. It’s a nice diversion and makes the police and Magnolia Woods feel like they’re doing something.”

“None of this has made the news? No leak at all?” I asked.

“Fitzgerald demanded radio silence. Porter, his attorney, claimed that at the very least the facility is negligent. Magnolia Woods wants it kept quiet and handled internally. They boast the wealthiest clientele. Losing one of them, especially one who was last seen unconscious, isn’t good for business. And the police want it kept quiet until they hear from the kidnapper. They’re concerned that media coverage will bring out false demands.”

I nodded. “Well, at least for now, that seems to be working.”

“From the feed at Hamilton and Porter, I’m expecting Alex and Chelsea to be subpoenaed back to Savannah sooner rather than later.”

The cool air was forgotten. “I’m not allowing her to go alone.”

“I didn’t expect you to.”

My mind went to Demetri Enterprises. I never thought I’d be happy to have Oren back in New York, but I was. I was relieved to know that he would be where I should be while I was away with Charli.

My bare skin prickled as the cold wind picked up. At the same moment, a rustling in the tree line caught my attention. My voice lowered. “Oren’s men are out here.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yes, we’ve spoken. You’re better protected right now than the president.”

“You’ve spoken?”

“Many times.”

“You still work for me.”

“Lennox, right now, we’re all working together.”

I let out a long breath. “I never thought I’d want that, not after he left and moved away, but now…”

“Be thankful.”

I nodded. “I am. I’m going inside to talk to him now and to find out how Charli’s mom is doing, before Charli wakes.”

“One more thing that you should know,” Deloris said.

“What?”

“Just because Edward Spencer is still behind bars, that doesn’t mean they won’t allow him to post bail. I’m sure there’ll be restrictions to ensure that he doesn’t flee, but I’d venture to guess that Mr. Fitzgerald will stop at nothing to get him out.”

“Even with a body?”

“Out until trial. If he’s convicted, which he should be, no one will be able to keep him from going behind bars.”

“I want him dead,” I confessed. “I want them both to be, and I want to be the one to do it.” I flexed the knuckles of my free hand. “I want them to know fear.”

“For a minute or for twenty years?”

I gave her question some thought as the waves blurred, giving the illusion of snow covering frozen water. “Twenty years.”

“Then let him hang himself,” Deloris said. “Without Chelsea’s corroboration, his defense is shaky at best. He does have the travel records. He was in California the night Chelsea was attacked, but let’s find out when Melissa was killed. Let’s see if he has a defense. That’s why they want the ladies back in Savannah. Ralph Porter is betting that they can vouch for his whereabouts.”

“You still have nothing on the ME’s report?”

“I’m waiting. I should learn as soon as Porter does.”

“Let us know.”

“I will. I’m driving up to Rye soon. I hope to convince Chelsea to allow me to take pictures of the abuse. They can be used to get her out of her agreement. Perhaps they could even be leaked to the press.”

“As with Melissa, there’s no way to prove that Spencer was the culprit.”

“No, but with the smoking guns stacking up, someone will eventually believe there’s a fire.”

“When do you plan to be here?”

“I want to get back to the discussion at Hamilton and Porter. Isaac is there in Rye. Since your father has the security taken care of, Isaac’s been concentrating on the manor’s surveillance. My computer pings every time Fitzgerald or either of the Spencers uses their phones. Clayton is listening too. We also have others. I know I can depend on them, but I personally want to hear the ME’s report.”

As I turned toward the windows, my own reflection became visible. I pulled the phone from my ear and looked at the screen. Lifting it back, I asked, “How did you access all their phones?”

“They all called the phone Alex was given. Once I had their numbers, the rest was easy.”

“I don’t say it enough, but damn, I’m glad you work for me.”

Deloris’s laugh made my cheeks rise. “You should be.”

I hung up the call as I eased back into the bedroom.

Charli hadn’t moved. Every bone in my body ached to climb back under the covers with her, to smell her sweet scent and bask in her warmth. My cock twitched, knowing she was completely nude under those blankets.

Instead, I tiptoed across the wood floor and out into the hallway.

Silence echoed through the corridor. Should I go to the master suite or downstairs? Where would I find my father?

I took one step toward the bedroom he used and remembered my attire, or lack thereof. “Hello, Mrs. Fitzgerald. Nice to meet you.” Yes, I thought that sounded better coming from a man wearing a shirt.

Feminine voices came into range as I descended the stairs and neared the first floor. At the base, I turned toward the sitting room, but stopped short, hearing Chelsea’s voice. Still hidden, I listened.

“…like I’m intruding. Honestly, it’s how I’ve felt since this whole thing started.”

“Don’t be silly. You’re a friend of Alex’s. The Demetris have welcomed you here. You can stay as long as you’d like.”

“They scare me, Mr. Demetri more than Nox.”

“Nox?” Silvia asked. “You call him that too?”

“Only in third person. It’s the name Alex called him from the beginning. I was there when they met.”

Visions of Del Mar scattered across my memories. I turned the corner as both Chelsea’s and Silvia’s gazes turned to me.

“Did you forget your shirt?” Silvia smirked.

“I’m looking for Oren. I figured formal attire was optional.”

“Now, I suppose, but I’d suspect this place will get busier as the day progresses.”

“Is Alex awake yet?” Chelsea asked.

“No, she was up late with her mom.” I turned my conversation to Silvia. “I think I’d like to take her some breakfast.”

Silvia lowered the mug she was holding, placing it on the table. “It’s after one. How about some lunch?”

I nodded. “What do we have?”

She waved me away. “Go talk to your father. He’s in the office. I’ll make both you and Alex something.”

“You don’t—”

Chelsea lowered her mug. “I can help. Please, Silvia, let me feel like I’m doing something.”

I turned back to Chelsea. “I owe you an apology. This thing—Infidelity—was never supposed to end up…”

She shook her head. “I’m a big girl. I signed the agreement.”

“I have a question. Did you write the note that the guard gave me at Montague?”

“Yes,” she answered softly.

“The rules. You were giving us a clue.”

“I tried.”

“I just heard you refer to me as Nox, yet the note was addressed to Lennox?”

“I hoped that would let you know that it wasn’t Alex who wrote it.”

I nodded. “Thank you.”

“I’ll go help Silvia.” Her big hazel eyes looked up. “Thank you. I’m sorry too. I wish I could have done more to help her.”

“You’re her best friend. I’m glad that hasn’t changed.”

I didn’t wait for her response. Instead, I made my way through the rooms and corridors to the office. The door was slightly ajar. For only a second I began to hesitate, but then just as quickly, I pushed it open.

Fuck this. It’s my house.

Oren’s chair was turned, facing the windows that overlooked the pool. “…yet you were there? If the conversation will affect Demetri Enterprises, then I should be informed.”

Who is he talking to?

His chair spun toward me as I approached the desk. “Doyle, I’ll call you back. Something just came up.”

“Doyle Carroll?” I asked after he hung up.

“Yes, he heard some interesting things at the Montague party.”