The air changed when he looked back at me.
“Then don’t make it about them,” he said.
Quiet.
Final.
My phone buzzed in my purse.
We both froze.
Francesco glanced at the sound, then back at me.His smile sharpened.
“You should answer that,” he said.“Let Kirkland know I’m here to collect.I promise you—he won’t get here fast enough.”
My breath hitched, but I didn’t answer.I kept my eyes locked on Francesco.
“You thought no one was watching?”His head tilted.“You logged in.And now I know you know how to access it.”
“How?”I asked, stalling.
“Ray received email notifications,” Francesco said easily.“Haley had access to his inbox.And now”—his mouth curved—“so do I.”
It took seconds for the words to register.
Then my stomach dropped.
“Haley?”I whispered.“Why would she—”
He made a soft ticking sound with his tongue.
“We were working together.”
My skin went cold.
“You and Haley?”
“Bingo.”
“He thought a woman like that wanted him?”Francesco scoffed.“Please.”
The air left my lungs.
“She told you Ray was stealing?”
He nodded, almost amused.“The idiot thought they were going to run away together.”
“Then why didn’t she take the money?”
He looked at me like I was the foolish one.
“Because he never told her where he hid it.”
Ray must’ve known better.Somewhere deep down.
“She was supposed to find it,” Francesco continued.“We were splitting it.Fifty-fifty.But my father killed him before we got access.”
“And Haley?”
