"Whatever you say, boss.”
With a deep breath, I step out of the car and cautiously make my way to the front door, which is slightly ajar. A sense of unease settles in the pit of my stomach as I enter the abandoned manor. The floorboards creak under my hesitant steps, and I draw in a breath of resolve.
Covered furniture litters the rooms. Dust on every surface. It’s quiet. Too fucking quiet. Is this a trap? Have I willingly stepped into a bloody trap? I curl my hands into fists. Ihadto do something. I couldn't just sit and wait for Toni to make her move—because she would, eventually.
As I creep farther into the house, a faint clicking noise sounds from the drawing room. My hand instinctively goes to the gun holstered at my back. An insurance policy. I might be foolish, but I am not daft. I don't want to use it, and I won't unless there's a threat. Maybe this was a moronic idea. Maybe I should’ve heeded Red’s advice. But it’s too late. There’s no turning back now. She’s here. I know she is.
Rounding the corner, I freeze, bracing for impact asI come face to face with Toni. My gut twists with trepidation. That was easy. Almost too easy. It’s like she was expecting me.
Toni sits at the head of a large dining room table, a delicate teacup in her hand. Removing the ornate spoon, she taps it against the chipped surface of the cup before setting it aside, her expression neutral, almost amused.
"I am impressed, Dr. Marquis," she says, smooth and composed. "I did not think you'd find me so early on in our little game."
My heart races as I take in the sight of her, trying to keep my emotions in check. Her curly dark hair flows past her shoulders, framing her face. A face that looks so innocent, so normal. But she’s not, is she? It’s a mask. Her brown eyes meet mine, defiant and confident.
“Are you here alone, Quinton Marquis?” She casually takes a sip of tea. “Or will there be a raid to follow?”
I narrow my eyes at her. She’s asking a question she already knows the answer to. I can almost taste the smugness dripping off her tongue.
She blinks theatrically. “Are you here to say something to me or just stand there like a statue?”
I find my voice. “I’m here to tell you to leave Emery alone.”
“Tell me?” She clicks her tongue. “No. No onetellsme anything. You are here toaskme. And,” she gives me a devilish smile, “the answer is no. I will not.”
My gut twists, though I expected this. I knew itwouldn’t be a simple exchange. "What do you want, Toni? Money? Gold? Whatever it is, I’ll give it to you. Just leave her alone. This won’t end well for you, you know it won’t. So just stop. Disappear. I canhelp youdisappear.”
Toni snickers. "Money? I don't want your money. At least, not anymore." She gestures toward her computer setup. "I read about the little fund you started. How very kind of you. It must make you feelsogood to help all those people whose livesyouhelped ruin, no?"
My jaw clenches at her accusation. "You seem like a rather intelligent woman, Antonia. I was not responsible for the price hike, and you know that."
Toni's eye twitches, a flicker of anger passing over her features. "You lost the right to call me by my given name when you murdered my girlfriend."
Indignation courses through me. "Last I heard, you left Simone on the side of a road in the middle of nowhere. That doesn’t strike me as something one does to agirlfriend."
The mention of Simone's name drains the color from Toni's face, but she quickly regains her composure. “There is nothing I want fromyou, Dr. Marquis,” she sneers. “And I do not require your assistance todisappear.” She holds out her hands, the tips of her fingertips slightly red. “I am a ghost, Doctor. I do not exist. Even if those doors were to swing open and your precious FBI agent—what was his name again?” She feigns deep thought. “Right… Agent Ube. Even if he were to come in here and arrest me, they’d have no cause. They have no DNA, no fingerprints, no photographs. No record of me. At all. They’d have to let me go.” She cocks her head. “It is all hearsay and circumstantial evidence. So, no, I do not need your help to disappear. Nor do I want to.”
Motive. What the hell is her motive? I don’t know what I expected. Honesty? The truth? For her to reveal her reasons? To me? The man who killed someone important to her? Idiot.
"I don't want to hurt you, Toni," I say, taking a tentative step forward, my tone a low, rumbling warning. "But Iwillprotect those I love withany means necessary."
Her eyes harden, a defiant glint in her gaze. "So shoot me then. I know you have a gun. You wouldn't be so stupid to come here unarmed. You think I am a danger to her. So do it. Kill me."
My hand curls into a fist at my side. Is she suicidal? Does she actually want me to kill her? Her posture is relaxed, almost sedated in the way she leans back and stares at me. It’s not right. It’s not proper. Where’s the fear? Where’s her survival instincts?
I glance carefully around the room, a faint red light blinking in the corner of the ceiling catching my attention. And then it hits me. Cameras. She has cameras. That’s how she knew I was coming. That’s how she was prepared. Is she recording this? She must be. Maybe this is a trap, after all. Maybe this is what she wants. Shewantsto die. She wants it on camera. She wants me locked up. In jail. She wants the headline to read, "NovaTech Pharmaceuticals CEO Caught Murdering an Unarmed Woman on Camera."
What a sneaky little bitch.
"You're not as clever as you think you are.” I tip my head in the direction of the hidden camera. “And I’m not as stupid as you thinkIam.”
Toni perks a brow, unfazed by my words. "Impressive. I admit, I underestimated your intelligence."
I tilt my head, studying her intently. It’s not right. It’s too extreme. "Interesting..."
Toni crosses her arms over her chest, somewhat defensive, almost uncomfortable. "What?"
"You're willing to die in order to cause her pain," I observe, taking another step forward. “I find that interesting.”
