“Seems to be a room sectioned off. The door is just around the corner.”
I narrow my eyes at the man. “They going to be waiting in there for us?”
“No, they leave. Not here.”
“If you’re lying, I will kill you. Understand?”
He clenches his eyes shut and nods.
“You two check it out. Be ready,” I instruct Tommy and Sante.
They round the corner and disappear.
“All clear.” Sante’s voice comes through the comms device.
I take two zip ties from a pocket and secure the taxidermist, then join the others in what seems to be the main workshop. There are bright spotlights instead of windows and shelves full of equipment and chemicals. A central table in the middle of the room is covered in peacock parts. There’s another table against a wall that hosts a laptop and papers. This looks more promising.
We gather around and see scribbled notes, news articles, and piles of photos. Terina walking into yoga. Terina at a coffee shop with Isa. There’s a photo of Azzurra, but the majority are of Terina … and Isa.
“Why’s he got pictures of Isa?” I ask, thinking out loud.
Renzo sifts through the piles. “Those are more recent. It looks like everything beneath is all Terina.” He stills, then looks at me. “Do you think he could have given up on his first target and shifted tactics?”
My heart pounds against my rib cage.
“Fucking hell,” I hiss.
We both take out our phones, our murderous stares colliding when neither Shae nor Terina answers.
“We’ve got to get back to Cosimo’s,” Renzo demands hoarsely.
We all run as though death itself were on our heels.
CHAPTER 59
TERINA
Present
“Where’s Shae?”Cosimo demands after whirling into the room, his eyes manic. Mom, Isa, and I stare back at him, stunned.
“She’s putting the baby down to sleep,” Isa answers. “What’s?—”
“There’s no time. Come with me.” He races toward the stairs with us close behind, including Bonny, whose instincts have her on high alert. Adrenaline surges into my bloodstream as my brain tries to identify what’s happened. Or maybe more accurately, what’s about to happen.
Cosimo flings open Shae’s bedroom door. “Grab the baby. We’re going to the safe room.”
Shae scoops up Liora and joins us without hesitation, taking an extra second to grab a gun as well. She’s a badass like that. Her face is all business, like she’s not even fazed. I don’t know how she does it. I’m unraveling at the seams.
We follow Cosimo back downstairs to his office, where he angles a book so that it’s sticking out of the shelf, revealing a keypad. He enters a series of numbers, and a section of thebookshelf swings open into a secret room. We hurry inside after he turns on the light. The thick metal door clinks shut behind us.
The room is simple with a single overhead light. It’s a square—about eight feet on either side—and while it’s enough for the five of us to fit comfortably, someone with claustrophobia would be struggling. The only objects in the room are a small chair and a metal desk with a computer monitor.
“What’s happened?” Mom asks in a hushed whisper.
“I’m not exactly sure. I just got word from DiAngelo saying we needed to get to the safe room.” He sits in the chair and turns on the monitor. There’s no computer, just a monitor plugged into the wall.
I have Bonny sit, then join the others around the monitor. When it blinks to life, eight separate camera feeds fill the screen. We can see the guards stationed outside at the front and rear of the house. Several cameras are also inside the home.
