"Splendid. I'll leave you to get settled in, then." Julian gives a mocking little bow and walks off.
Darian and I stare at each other. "This is a disaster," he says quietly, and my heart gives an unpleasant twinge.
"I'll sleep on the couch," I say stiffly, letting go of his hand.
But he grabs mine back. "I didn't—I didn't meanthat," he mutters, going a little pink. "I meant Julian giving you orders that contradict Don Castellani's wishes."
I look down at our entwined hands. "It's not great. But I have no choice."
Of course I do. I could go right now to Sandro, tell him Julian's giving out contradictory orders, and that is exactly what Ishoulddo.
But…I don't want to.
Like Julian, I have a lot of faith in Jack and Leo. But I also want to help, if I can. And I want to protect Darian. And if I'mtotallyhonest, I was going to suggest staying in Darian's suite anyway. Julian's orders made that a little easier.
I squeeze Darian's hand, and he squeezes back. Even gives a tiny smile. It's enough to make me feel a hundred percent better about everything.
Now all I have to do is figure out who wanted Clemenza dead badly enough to break the peace of the parley. It's not like there arethatmany suspects…just a whole house full of killers.
Oh, yeah. This'll be a piece of cake.
With I sigh, I take a look around the bedroom. I haven't been in Darian's suite since he moved in, and now I'm all up in his personal space. His bedroom is spotless, not a thing out of place. The antique furniture polished to a high shine, the bed almost still made while he's in it. It feels meticulous and reserved, like Darian himself, yet there's an inviting warmth to it here and there that draws me in, like the handmade quilt folded neatly at the foot of the bed.
No photos of friends or family. Smart, given where he's living…
Darian pulls off the covers and shuffles over to sit on the edge of the bed, taking my hand again and clasping so tight that his knuckles are white.
We're sitting close enough that our thighs press together. Darian's eyes flick to mine, then away. He worries his bottom lip between his teeth. "I shouldn't be hiding in here. Mr. Andretti wanted breakfast, and I?—"
"Andretti got his breakfast. I sent someone over with a tray of toast. If he wants to complain later, he can complain to me. And I got more of my men to set out a few boxes of cereal and milk for the Bernardis."
Darian hesitates, gaze caught on our joined hands, but he doesn't pull away. "I really should check over things."
"Not without me." Darian's eyes widen at my possessive tone, and I scramble to cover my slip. "I just meant—if anyone gives you trouble, I'll set them straight."
A ghost of a smile curves his mouth. "You're a thorn in my side turned knight in shining armor."
Thorn in his side? Yeah, I guess we've had a few run-ins over the months. "And listen, what Julian said about me staying in here…" I clear my throat, glancing away. "We need to do that, but I'll take the couch, of course."
Darian lets go of my hand, and stands. "Let's, um…let's get going. I really would like to check on Mr. Andretti."
We haven't spoken at all about that big lie I told to keep suspicion off him. But what is there to say? We're both playing our parts, and there's no need to go over and over it.
"Sure," I tell him. "Let's go look in on him." And we head out into the grounds.
But Andretti's guest house is empty, the bedsheets scattered. "He could be anywhere," I say to Darian as he tidies up and re-makes the bed, checks the towels in the bathroom. "We should forget about him and get on with finding out a motive for Clemenza's death."
"Mr. Andretti could be anywhere," Darian agrees, smoothing down the bedspread, "and he could also be somewhere he's notsupposedto be."
He has a point. Sandro told us both specifically to watch him. "Shit."
Darian just nods. "Should we..."
"Well, he can't have made it into the Manor. One of my guys would've stopped him. So let's check the cameras in the security room, see if we can pinpoint him in the grounds. That'll be quickest."
With so many competing priorities, I'm going to have to stay on my toes. The Boss wants me in peacekeeper mode, but also watching out for Darian,andkeeping an eye on Andretti. On top of that, Julian wants me to track down the killer, and as far as I'm concerned, that means Darian's involved, too.
Because Darian is not going to be out of my sight until this killer is caught. Or if hedoeshave to be out of my sight, he's going to be under the eyes of one of my most trusted men.
