He's out there somewhere. Watching. Waiting.
For what?
I don't know.
But I'm suddenly very sure I'm going to find out.
Whether I want to or not.
CHAPTER 6
Adrian
"Her name is Seraphina Romano."
Leo drops a file on my desk. It's incredibly thin considering he's been searching for several weeks.
"That's it?" I don't open it yet. "There's like three pieces of paper in this. Was I not clear?" I ask. "I wanted a full work up once you found her."
Leo sighs. "She's a ghost, Adrian. No lease, no credit cards, pays cash rent for an apartment above the bookshop where she works. No social media. One bank account, which is incredibly sad considering the kind of merchandise she sells." Leo sits across from me. "She's either very smart or very poor."
"Both, probably." I open the file. It sounds rude, but I am being realistic. Sera told me she worked with manuscripts, but I saw how dismissed she was when she tried to network. That coupled with her borrowed dress and earrings told me a story.
In the file, I see her photo—a college ID. She's younger and softer, but unmistakably her.
Seraphina Romano. Age 26. Book restorer. Antiquarian Rare Books, East 42nd Street.
"She has a brother," Leo continues. "Gabriel Romano. Twenty-four. Works at the docks. Now, he was interesting."
My hand stills on the page.
"Who owns him?" I ask.
"He owes the Russians. He's got a gambling problem."
"How much?"
"Fifty thousand. Maybe more. He's been dodging them for weeks." Leo leans back. "Could be why she's so off the grid."
Smart girl if that was the case.
"What else?"
"She went to Columbia for art history. Dropped out senior year when her mother died. She had ovarian cancer. She went quickly. Seraphina worked three jobs to pay off medical debt. She lives alone. No boyfriend. No friends that we can track. Just works and goes home."
I study her photo. Dark hair. Dark eyes. That same intensity I remember from the gala.
"She's clean, Adrian." Leo's voice has that edge. The one that means he's about to say something I won't like. "Completely. No criminal record. No connections to anything. She's just a girl who restores books and has a shitty brother."
"So?"
"So let her go." Leo leans forward. "You had one night with her. The girl can't afford any more trouble."
I close the file. Look at him.
"I didn't ask for your opinion."
"Adrian—"
