The kitchen smells like oranges as I clean, meticulous in every detail so that Lucia knows I appreciate her sharing her kitchen with me yet again. Pots scrubbed and stacked. Every surface wiped to a shine. Every dish washed, dried, and put back where I found it.
I’m almost done, everything in place, when the kitchen door opens. Jett and Darius walk in, and the blood drains from myface. They were kind enough this morning because they were under orders to get me here, but now their faces are stern.
I keep wiping the counter.
“Miss Bellamorte.” Jett is all business. “We need you to step out of the kitchen.”
I look up at him pleasantly. “I just need a few more minutes to finish the clean-up.”
“Unfortunately, that’s not possible.”
I continue wiping the counter. “Not possible? Of course it is. If you want to wait—”
Darius moves to the shelving unit along the far wall and starts pulling down canisters.
I toss the cloth on the counter and put my hands on my hips. “What are you doing?”
He doesn’t answer. He pulls the lid off the first canister, peers in, sets it aside then moves to the next.
“Excuse me.” I cross the kitchen and start to put the canisters back. “Those are Lucia’s. Please don’t—”
He dumps another canister onto the counter. Fine semolina dust rises in a small cloud.
“Hey.” I grab his shoulder and he steps back smoothly as Jett takes hold of my arm.
“Let go of me.” I keep my voice even. “Will someone please explain to me what is happening?”
Jett looks down at me. “We’re looking for hemlock.”
Oh.
A hot, crawling flush starts on my chest and works its way up my neck.
“I see,” I say.
Darius works his way systematically through the shelving unit, but even though I’m not fighting him anymore, Jett doesn’t let go of my arm.
“Can you let go, please?”
Jett shakes his head. “No.”
I try to yank out of his grasp, but he just holds me tighter.
“You should know that hemlock is hardly the only tool available to me if I wanted to cause harm to someone in this household,” I hiss. “Now let me go.”
“Mr. Demonio’s orders are that you be escorted to his room,” Jett says. “You’ll stay there until his medical procedure is finished, and he can join you.”
I stare at him. “I’m sorry?”
“His room. Until he is ready for you.”
“I heard what you said. I am not going to his room towaitfor him like a—” I stop. I don’t know how to finish that sentence. All of my concern over his health evaporates in an instant. If he’s able to give orders, especially ridiculous orders like this, he’sfine. It’s time for me to go home. “I need to clean up the mess you made, and then I am going back to the city. Today.”
Just one day. Nothing more.
“Mr. Demonio’s instructions were very clear, miss.”
“His instructions were very—” I stop again because Darius plucks the bag of hemlock from Lucia’s hiding place and holds it up to show Jett.
