That unsettling feeling soars. Something is off. I scanned the empty restaurant looking for Jake. He’s sitting at the bar facing me. His face is blank yet relaxed. It should ease that feeling in my gut, but it doesn’t.
Ezra starts talking again, but this time I don’t even pretend to be paying attention.
My phone vibrates on the table. I pick it up and flip it over. There is a message from Nico.
Hubby: Til death, Tiffany.
I stare down at the ominous message on the phone, not sure why that message was sent to me. Placing the phone down, I look around the restaurant. Is he here? Does he think I’m out on a date with this man? I notice the restaurant is even more vacant than before. I look over at the bar and Jake is no longer there. My heart pounds. Something is wrong.
“I have to go,” I say, pushing my chair back.
“What?” Ezra asks, concern creasing his brow.
“Look, Ezra, I need to go. If your sister and her friends aren’t coming, I don’t need to be here.”
Ezra reaches across the table and places his hand on top of mine. “Relax, Tiffany. Everything is alright.”
Both Ezra and I look to our left when the vacant chair between us is pulled out. My mouth opens but goes immediately dry when the dark brown eyes of my husband stare back at me.
“Hope I’m not interrupting.” He takes a seat down beside me.
Ezra quickly removes his hand from over mine.
My gaze scans the restaurant. The entire place is empty. When did everyone leave? The only people here are Ezra, myself, Nico, Julian, Roc, and Jake. I turn my attention back to the table, not feeling good about this situation.
Ezra tugs at his collar and clears his throat. “Mr. Basille, it’s so very—”
“You can call me Saint.”
My heart pounds double time, sounding like a bass drum in my ears. Ezra probably has no idea how terrifying what Nico just said is. The way Ezra’s gaze narrows as if he’s trying to think hard about something tells me he doesn’t.
“O..kay..” he sings, stretching the two syllables out. “Well, Saint, it’s nice of you to join us. My sister and her friends should be here soon.”
There is a beat of thick silence that floats between the table.
“Sister and friends.” Nico repeats, sitting back in his seat. He places his left foot on top of his right knee.
“Yes,” Ezra says calmly.
“They were supposed to—” my words are cut off when Nico lifts a hand to stop me from talking. He doesn’t even look at me when he does it. His attention is on a calm Ezra. Any other time, I’d have something to say about that rude gesture, but I’m smart enough to know now is not the time.
“Funny, when you made the reservations, you never mentioned a sister and friends.”
My neck nearly snaps when I turn to look at Ezra. What is Nico talking about? We were here waiting for his sister.
“What is he talking about, Ezra?”
Ezra squirms in his seat, that calm and collected vibe completely gone. His forehead beads with sweat.
“I…uhhh. Plans changed,” he says the words as if he’s pulling them out the air as they float by. “I knew how important thismeeting was for Tiffany, so I didn’t want to reschedule it. I was going to go over the plans for their house with her.”
I hear what he’s saying, but until right now Ezra told me his sister and her friends were still coming. Part of me wants to point that out, but I don’t think it’s wise given the tension.
“I see.” Nico nods his head as he leans back in his seat.
Before I knew it, Julian has a gun out and pressed to the back of Ezra’s head. I gasp, covering my mouth.
“You think I’m an idiot?” Nico asks a terrified Ezra.
