We already know that Emily was fully aware of my relation to her when we started dating, but I get the feeling that forcing her to admit the truth won’t do a bit of good here. In whatever fantasy world she’s living, she thinks she did nothing wrong.
Matt fakes a yawn and points at the camera. “You got some lipstick or something on your teeth, sis.”
Emily runs a finger over her teeth and checks it. Laughter bubbles out of her, and she lifts an arm.
It’s Enzo’s … and it’s not attached to him.
“I got hungry. Mom refuses to eat, though. She’s not feeling too well after you shot her, Aron. I can’t even leave this stupid shack because I can’t move her by myself.”
That’s odd. I didn’t shoot her fatally; it was just enough to hamper her while I freed Matt and escaped. Even if Emily didn’t take her to a doctor, she shouldn’t be septic this soon, and I doubt she’s lost that much blood. It was a precision shot.
“Emily, what did you do to Mom?”
Matt’s thoughts must be heading in the same direction as mine.
We assumed the email demanding control of the Syndicate was from Lucinda, but the sign-off just said “Mrs. Martinez.”
Emily’s technically Mrs. Martinez, too.
That bloody grin returns.“I just doctored her up a bit. Took some poking and prodding, but I got the bleeding stopped … mostly.”
So, she made the wound worse. I wonder what Lucinda could have done to piss off Emily.
“Now, husband of mine, I have something more important to discuss.”She drops Enzo’s arm and puts her hand on her hip.“Where did he take our daughter? When I woke up after thatnasty sedative, she was gone. I know you too well to think he killed her, so she’s got to be somewhere. I want her back.”
Thank God! Whatever Emily did to Enzo, it wasn’t enough for him to break and confess. That means Maria should be safe with Cinder and Gia, who are hopefully far, far away by now.
I’m also grateful that I sent Enzo on this task before we let anyone else know about the coordinated attacks on the Empire. No amount of torture and interrogation can make him spill information he doesn’t know.
“Well? Where is she?”
Matt shrugs. “Don’t know. She’s safe; I know that much. But her whereabouts? No clue.”
Emily scowls.“I didn’t ask Matt. I asked you, Aron.”
This is ridiculous. She’s not just insane; the woman is a fucking child. “You can speak to Matt directly, Emily. Don’t be immature.”
“Immature? You think I’m immature?”Her voice rises in tone and pitch, and her face reddens beneath the blood.“I can show you immature!”Enzo’s phone camera swings wildly as Emily crosses to the other side of the fishing shack to Lucinda.
“What’s she doing?”
Matt’s guess is as good as mine. I wouldn’t be surprised if she murdered their mother right in front of Matt. There’s not much Emily does that surprises me anymore. Murder, cannibalism … It’s all just more evidence of her growing mental instability.
“Mom?”Emily’s hand comes into the frame to poke Lucinda in her gunshot wound. Her tailored suit coat is pulled up to expose it, and there’s no dressing on the site. When Emily pokes it, putrid, greenish-yellow pus oozes out.“Mom! Wake up!”
Lucinda groans and recoils from Emily’s touch.“W-what?”
“Mattie won’t tell me where my baby is. Make him tell me!”
Mattie? Seriously? If anyone in the Syndicate called him “Mattie”—even when he was a kid, even Lucinda—they’d be executed.
“Emily … Sweetie, you need to—”A fit of coughing interrupts Lucinda.“Y-you need to let your brothers come get us. M-maybe they’ll bring Maria w-with them. Mommy needs a hospital, Emily.”
My former wife scoffs.“Psh! Hospitals are for weaklings. I gave birth in an Empire penthouse suite. I didn’t need a hospital, and neither do you.”
While Emily and Lucinda argue, I nudge Matt.
“Does the murder and cannibalism of our enforcer count as a Syndicate-level crime?” I whisper in his ear.
