I wrap a silk robe around my nightgown and cinch it around my waist, then slip on a pair of sandals. When I step out the sliding door and into the courtyard, my presence startles the guards.
“You need something, Miss Moretti?” Nicky asks.
“Was he here?”
“Was who here?” he echoes.
I blow out a breath and shake my head. Of course, he’s not going to answer. A quick glance at the other guards confirms they won’t either. It only escalates my frustration.
“I’m going for a walk,” I tell them.
“Sure.” Nicky shrugs. “Let’s go.”
There’s no point in telling him I don’t need him to watch over me. It’s nonnegotiable.
“Can you just stay back a bit?” I ask. “I need to clear my head.”
“No problem,” he says. “You lead, I’ll follow.”
I take that small amount of freedom and walk through the courtyard, slipping down a narrow path to the front of theresort. For a while, I wander aimlessly until I find myself on the long, cypress-lined drive. This place is huge, and I’m not exactly sure where the boundaries are, but I figure if I walk the entire perimeter, maybe I’ll get a glimpse of the man I’m searching for.
Nicky’s footsteps are quiet and steadfast behind me, keeping enough distance so I don’t feel suffocated.
“Where’s your boss at?” I ask, trying a different approach to my earlier question.
“Seattle headquarters,” he replies smoothly.
“I don’t mean the head of IVI security.” I glance at him over my shoulder, lowering my voice. “I’m talking about Angelo, and you know it.”
“How should I know where he is?” He smirks. “I don’t keep tabs on the guy.”
“Of course you don’t.” I roll my eyes, but before I can say anything else, a commotion up ahead catches my attention.
“Best to keep moving.” Nicky appears at my side, following my gaze to the group of guards who have gathered near the fence. “You don’t need to see that.”
Ignoring him, I weave between the trees and stop short when I see the figure illuminated by their flashlights.
Strung up by his neck is the lifeless corpse of the same guard who was staring at me earlier. Only now, where his eyes were, there’s nothing but two gaping holes.
“Miss Moretti.” One of the startled guards takes notice of my presence, his flashlight blinding me as he and his crew assemble to obscure my view. “You shouldn’t be here.”
Story of my life—I’m never where I should be. But my morbid curiosity has me in a chokehold, and instead of leaving, I blurt out a question I’m certain they won’t answer.
“Who killed him?”
“Get her back to bed.” The guard ignores me, speaking directly to Nicky.
Nicky reaches out to pull me in the other direction, and I jerk away.
“I can move on my own, thank you.”
Heading back toward the hotel, I increase my pace to put space between me and my handler. He keeps his distance, leaving me to mull over the thought playing on a constant loop in my mind.
Did someone kill that guard because of me?
My sandals slap against the gravel road until eventually, I realize Nicky’s footsteps aren’t behind me anymore.
Just as I’m turning to glance over my shoulder, someone snatches me from between the trees, yanking me sideways and pulling me from the view of the main road.
