“He’s not fine,” Noah says, “and neither are you.”
Wes flips an end table and stalks off to the gym area. He disappears into the shadowy recess and goes quiet. Noah watches in that direction for a moment, then he focuses on me.
“We need to ID these bodies,” Noah says, getting to business, “and we need to figure out what to do with Elias.”
“Elias is mine,” I say.
Noah’s eyes flick up to the loft. “Is he a prisoner?”
“He’s mine.”
Noah studies me. I don’t know what he sees. I don’t know what thereisto see. I don’t know what I’m feeling. Everything still feels broken apart inside me.
But this one piece is clear to me. Elias is mine.
Noah lets it go. He goes to look at the first man I killed. He crouches and rolls the body over in the pool of blood. He pulls out his phone and starts scrolling.
“Shit,” he mutters. “I think this is Ernesto Atolli.”
“Yes,” I confirm. I recognized him the second I shot him. He’s the one who was at Lush.
Noah rummages inside Ernesto’s jacket and finds Ernesto’s phone. Picking up Ernesto’s limp right hand, Noah presses Ernesto’s thumb to the biometric scanner. He starts scrolling.
Noah says, “It doesn’t look like he was communicating with Piero about this. His calls and texts are to Sylvester. Andre, check that other body for an ID.”
I don’t want to leave my spot guarding the stairs, and it makes me hesitate long enough that Wes emerges from the workout area. His dick is still hard, but he’s under control. His face is stony.
Wes goes to the body, which is pretty close to me, but Wes doesn’t look my way. He digs out the dead man’s wallet and finds his driver’s license.
“Sylvester Frinzetti,” he reads.
Noah is still scrolling on Ernesto’s phone. “That buys a little time, but not much. This location has to be considered compromised, and we should move fast. Wes, can you help me with all this?”
“Yes.”
“If that changes and you need to leave—”
“I’m fucking fine.”
Noah sighs. “All right. Does he have the car keys?” When Wes digs them out, Noah says, “Pull it into the garage so we can load them up. Andre, go open it.”
I look up at the loft to check on Elias. He’s still at the railing. He’s looking down at me, but there’s no expression on his face.
Noah says, “He’s fine here with me. Go open the garage for Wes.”
I do what Noah says, but I don’t stay with Wes as he walks out to where Ernesto’s SUV is parked. I go back inside, where I can hear Noah talking to Elias.
“Are you sure?” Noah asks.
I don’t hear Elias’s reply, but I hear Noah sigh and say, “All right.”
I go to the guy with the broken neck and pull him up, hefting the body over my shoulder. I carry it out to the garage, whereWes has parked the SUV beside my Escalade. The back of the SUV is open and I sling the body inside.
Wes, meanwhile, walks into the apartment with a folded-up sheet of plastic. I follow behind and watch him and Noah roll up Ernesto’s messier corpse. When they cart it out to the SUV and throw it in the back with the other, I linger in the garage doorway.
Wes gets in the driver’s seat and starts the vehicle. He backs it out and keeps it idling beside Noah’s truck.
Noah walks back my way, digging keys from his pocket. “You can go to my place,” he says.
