“He’s late.” Even Evelyn seemed taken aback by that revelation.
I didn’t like the sympathetic look on her face. Especially after our earlier conversation.
“He probably got caught up in traffic or something.”
She smiles. But it’s that pitying smile you give someone that’s trying to be optimistic in an unpleasant situation.
“Yes, maybe it’s traffic.” She didn’t sound like she believed that at all.
I know what my mother was thinking. She thought the point she had made earlier was already coming to fruition. But I would not get suckered into believing Nico was cheating. That’s foolish. The man has never given me a reason to believe that. I won’t allow myself to start worrying about nonissues.
“He’s not cheating, Evelyn.”
She holds up her hands in a posture of surrender.
Just then, the front door opens. It’s odd for Nico to use the front door. He would usually come in through the garage, but maybe the car is parked out front. I make my way into the foyer but stop when I find Jake standing there.
“You ready, Boss Lady?” he asks.
“I thought Nico was coming to get me?”
He shakes his head. “Something came up at the office. He wants me to bring you to him at the restaurant.”
Look, I’ve met Nico at places plenty of times. Jake is always driving me. This is not a big deal.
Yeah, then why does it feel like your heart is trying to beat up through your throat?
“Hmm,” Evelyn hums before walking out of the foyer and back through the house.
Despite what she’s insinuating, I will not let it get to me. Going over to the coat closet, I grab my black wool dress coat out. I then follow Jake out of the house. I keep my head clear of all doubts as we arrive at the restaurant. Jake stops the SUV in front of the door. The valet opens my door, and I climb out. Jake pulls away from the curb to find a parking spot. He won’t be coming in with me.
I head into the fancy Italian restaurant. The hostess shows me to my table. When I get there, Nico is sitting down, staring at his phone. His face looks tense, and his eyes dark. I clear my throat as I take off my jacket.
Nico stands and walks over to me, placing a kiss on my cheek. He pulls out my chair. I waited for him to comment on my dress. He usually always has something to say about how I look. It doesn’t matter if I’m in pajamas or a ten-thousand-dollar formal dress, the man will always tell me I look beautiful. However, tonight, he says nothing.
After I’m seated, he takes my coat and tosses it on the back of the chair beside me before taking his seat across from me.
“Sorry about not picking you up; I had some last-minute things to handle,” he says, glancing down at his phone.
I’m still not going to jump to conclusions. Maybe he’s had a long day. Maybe he’s just not himself right now. I won’t let what Evelyn said bring me down. There is nothing to worry about with me and Nico.
chapter twenty
Boom
Nico
Ishould’ve canceled this date. The moment I got that fucking email, I should’ve called Tiffany and told her we would go out another day. I knew I wouldn’t be in the right frame of mind for this. But I didn’t want to disappoint her.
However, my mind can’t focus. The rage boiling inside me is making it hard to concentrate. All I can think about is the sick psycho that has been able to get not only my email address but also my wife’s phone number, yet we can’t find shit on him. I went directly to Maseo when I got that email hoping that he could trace the fucking message back to an IP address or something.
Maseo is among the top computer hackers in the world. He went to MIT and graduated at the top of his class. Hell, he works independently for the fucking government. He knows his shit, but not even he could figure out where that message came from. He says the IP address is routed all around the world. Trying to find the right location would be like pulling at tangled cords, hoping it leads to the correct source.
He promised to continue working on it, but it may take a while. I didn’t have a fucking while.
“Do you think what Mira said is right?”
I tune back into Tiffany’s conversation. My poor angel has been carrying this date night all by herself. In all honesty, I remember ordering drinks and food, but hell, I don’t even know what I ordered.
