Chapter Six
Dante
ThesecondtimeIpay her a visit in her lab, she’s got earbuds in and doesn’t notice me for a solid minute. Her hips are swaying beneath the oversized lab coat, and I see her mouthing the words to whatever song she’s playing.
She has no sense of self-preservation at all. Someone could sneak up on her, and she’d never hear them coming. Someone like me. The thought makes me see red, but I rein in my anger.
For a few minutes, I let myself watch her. She looks as if she’s burning off extra energy as she works, not reallysmiling or enjoying herself. It’s as if she’s nervous. And she should be. If she only knew what was happening beneath her very nose, Evangeline would have packed her bags and left a long time ago.
Today, still remembering her taste, I let her finish whatever she’s mixing before I tap the glass. She looks up, not startled this time, just wary as she removes her earbuds.
She’s quick to open the door, looking adorable in her lab coat, but she’s traded the pink Converse for blue ones. It’s so stupidly endearing that for half a second, I forget why I’m here.
The purpose of this visit, or so I tell myself, is to see if she has any more information about her uncle.
“Mr. Vescari,” she says, crisp and professional, crossing her arms over the clipboard in front of her. She’s showing off false bravado. “Or should I call you ‘Il Malefico’?”
So, shehasdone her research.
“Dottoressa Hart,” I mock in my raspy voice, matching her tone, using the Italian title for doctor.
She quirks a brow at that. “To what do I owe the pleasure today? Are you here to see my uncle, or just to terrify my staff and customers again?”
“My preference, of course, is to terrify,” I say, losing my usual scowl and quirking my lips at her sass. Something I never do.
She actually smiles, just a flicker, but it’s real.
“I know your uncle isn’t here. I came to seeyou, cara mia.”
She looks around, then leans against the wall. “Is this about my business again?”
I nod. She knows exactly why I’m here.
“I’ve looked into all of it,” she says. “Everything looks clean. If something is happening, it’s not here.”
I step closer, so close I can smell her soothing scent of lavender, the one that’s haunted my senses since I met her. She’s so tiny, I tower over her. She would be so easy to push against the wall and fuck right here. If I had already had her, that’s exactly what I would do, fuck the customers and people on the other side of the door.
But again, that’s not why I’m here.
I sigh patiently. “Who has access to your shipments or the legal drugs?”
She thinks, then ticks names off on her fingers. “Me. My uncle handles both sides of the business. Two techs, one who’s been with us since the nineties; and Annie, a young college student. But they strictly handle the pharmacy. That’s it.”
“And the operation in the back?” I press for answers.
“That’s mainly my uncle’s area; I just come up with the recipes and packaging ideas. I inspected it earlier, too. Nothing looks off.”
I study her for telltale signs. She’s lying, or she’s too trusting. I decide on the latter. Evangeline is definitely too trusting of those around her. After all, she’s sharing with me, of all people, her secrets. “You sure?”
She straightens, defensive now. “You think that I’m lying, or I don’t know how to run my business?”
“I only think you might trust the wrong people.” Like me.
She opens her mouth to fire back but stops herself. Smart. She’s not winning this argument.
Then she shrugs, frustrated, and sets down her clipboard on the nearby table. “Whatdoyou want from me, Mr. Vescari?”
I want you to run; I think. I want you to get the fuck out of Chicago and never look back, before the evil catches up with you. But I can’t say that, because I’d rather burn the entire city than lose what’s mine.
