Page 13 of The Woman with the Handcuffs

And as for the man himself, well, he was gorgeous. His face was all sharp angles with dark hair and deep, ocean-blue eyes.

But there were plenty of beautiful people who did ugly things.

Like make someone’s only family member disappear.

I wouldn’t pretend to understand what business my father had with someone the likes of Gavino Costa. But I was about to demand some answers.

I cuffed the guy to the chair, put down the gun I was worried I might drop it at any second with how sweaty my hands had become.

I snatched the hat off my head, feeling the sweat on my scalp cool in his chilly apartment.

The two big windows in the living room were yanked open wide, the cool night air spilling into the space.

I took in the apartment itself.

It was smaller than I’d been anticipating. But I guessed these new builds were trying to squeeze as many apartments into one building as possible.

I appreciated that the place wasn’t that black and white, hospital-sterile design you usually found in new apartments and houses.

There were ornate crown moldings and wood accents around the doors in a medium wood color, leaning a bit to the cool side rather than warm. It matched the wood of the floors and in the kitchen.

The dining table I stood at was round, made of reclaimed wood—complete with a pretty hefty chunk taken out of it in one spot. The chairs around it—including the one Gavino was currently cuffed to—were wood and a warm brown leather.

The walls of the main common spaces were an off-white but it managed not to look unfinished thanks to some large art pieces on the wall.

It was a nice, cozy kind of apartment.

It wasn’t something that screamed “A single man lived here.” There were even throw pillows on the couch and drapes on the windows. Not only drapes but sheers too, ones that billowed each time the breeze flew in.

I bet this guy even had a headboard.

Possibly even more than two towels.

The bar was in hell, I knew. I mean, I once dated a guy who didn’t have sheets. He slept on top of his clean laundry. Then got up and put one of said outfits on his body.

Was I pleased at being impressed by the man who had my father disappear? No. But I couldn’t seem to shake the thought either.

“Is anyone else here?” I asked, realizing that I was too much in my head instead of the moment.

“No.”

I reached for my gun. “I’m going to check.”

“Be my guest,” he invited, watching me with those dark eyes as I made a wide circle around him. As if he could reach out and grab me.

Down the short hallway beside the kitchen, I found a full hall bath, two generous closets (one full of cleaning supplies, the other completely empty), a primary bedroom color-drenched in a moody gray with linen bedding and a massive en suite bathroom, and, finally, the guest bedroom. Only it wasn’t a bedroom at all. It was a study. Or maybe even more appropriately, a library.

The walls were covered floor-to-ceiling in built-in bookcases painted a smoky dark green, all the shelves featuring paper and hardback books. There were even brushed brass gallery lights over each one, casting the whole shelf in a warm, golden glow.

To the side of the room was a single wingback chair with a light and a table. A forgotten mug of coffee sat on the table. A book was on the seat cushion, a blue bookmark peeking out of the pages. One I was familiar with. Because I got the same book subscription box every month. Though his choice had been one I’d immediately decided wasn’t for me.

Turning my focus, I found a wooden desk in the center of the room with a rolling leather office chair, but the surface was completely empty.

I tried to tamp down my surge of jealousy. Me, with my cheap bookcases from a big box store, all the shelves bowing under the weight of my tomes.

I moved back out into the hallway, watching the back of the man I’d just cuffed to a chair. He was leaned back. Almost casual.

I rounded the table, putting the gun back down, then going into my backpack to grab the bag of zip ties, fumbling with the thick plastic until I ripped it open and pulled out two.