Page 57 of Above ’N’ Beyond

Near the top wrung, she unwrapped the cord, then plugged in the camera. A bright blue light confirmed the cam had power. She pulled a roll of black electrical tape from her pocket, tore off a tiny square, then pressed it over the light, the same way she’d done with the other two puppy cams. Before shifting the ferns in place to conceal the camera, she tugged her brand-new cell phone from her back pocket and cued up the app to verify the lens angle.

As soon as the store had opened that morning, she’d traded in her ancient cell phone and gotten one with an upgraded operating system. Then she’d logged into her account and followed the directions Jimmy had given her to sync the new phone to the cameras.

Thank you, Jimmy.

Still poised on the ladder, she touched two fingers to her lips and shivered. Kissing Jimmy again shouldn’t have happened, but it had. A moment of weakness on her part. She’d been so upset over Paola’s and Tony’s harsh words.

Forcing herself to acknowledge the truth, Bella shook her head. It wasn’t just a moment of weakness. It had been one of sheer unadulterated desire. How was that even possible? How and why was she getting so hot and bothered over someone who was so impossibly wrong for her?

Marco was good-looking and had a thing for her, but he’d never stirred even an iota of desire in her, and the thought of kissing him… Her stomach rolled.

Even if she didn’t think of Marco as a cousinly extension of Tony, the man had a simmering violent streak just below the surface. Not once since Marco had come into Tony’s circle had she witnessed that violence erupting, but it was as much a part of him as generosity and caring was part of who Jimmy was.

Did she want Jimmy to kiss her again? No.

Again, who am I kidding?

Yes, she did. The practical, logical side of her brain reminded her of who and what he was. Her heart couldn’t care less, which stymied her, because those two organs were normally so in sync.

The mystery of why she was still so attracted to him remained unanswered, but he was very much a part of her aunt’s criminal enterprise and everything she despised. Fully trusting him was still off the table. She’d have to keep it from him that she’d placed the cameras in the private room rather than in the dining room like they’d discussed.

The app came up on her phone, as did a live image of what the camera was seeing and the audio picking up. She adjusted the camera for a better angle of the banquet tables, then reset the potted ferns back into place for maximum concealment. When she was done, only a small portion of the camera’s view around the edges was blocked by leaves.

Adrenaline and a not so small amount of fear made her hands tremble. “This could actually work,” she whispered.

Now to return the ladder to the storage shed before anyone saw her with it. Especially Jimmy. It was Tuesday, so the dinner crowd should be light, but he was still scheduled to work tonight. If he caught her with the ladder, he’d only offer again to help put up the cameras in the dining room.

Something rattled. Bella snapped her gaze to the door in time to see the knob jiggling. Good thing she’d locked it. With her phone still in her hand, she quickly backed down the ladder. Slowly, the door to the private room opened.

Bella gasped, nearly falling off the bottom rung. The phone slipped from her hand, hitting the floor with a dull thud. She snatched up the phone, then straightened to find Paola glaring at her.

“What are you doing?” Her aunt’s eyes narrowed further as she took in the ladder.

Directly behind Paola stood Tony, Marco, and…Jimmy.

Bella swallowed. Her throat went drier than a grain of uncooked rice. “I was replacing some of the bulbs on the string lights.” She glanced up at the ceiling. “They’ve been out for a while. Makes the room look sloppy and unmaintained. You know?”

Jimmy glanced at the ladder, then to the phone in her other hand. She could practically see his brain putting two and two together. He knew exactly what she’d been doing.

“Whatever.” Paola flicked her fingers at Bella. “Just get this place cleaned up. We’ll be dining in here tonight.”

Wonderful. Since Tuesdays were generally slow, the Bistro wasn’t fully staffed, but Paola wouldn’t care about mundane details like that. Bella slid her phone into her back pocket, then closed the ladder.

“I’ve got it,” a voice said over her shoulder. Jimmy. “Storage shed outside?”

She looked up into his handsome face expecting to see…what? Admonishment? Anger? None of those things were decipherable in his deep brown eyes. He hefted the ladder as if it weighed no more than a five-pound bag of flour.

“Yes. Thank you,” she said, then watched as he headed to the door.

He hadn’t said anything to Paola or Tony. Yet. Maybe he was just waiting for the right moment to rat her out. God help her if he did. She might be Paola’s niece, but that wouldn’t matter if she was caught surveilling her aunt’s private meeting room.

A bubble of fear rose in her throat as she recalled the rumors about how ruthless her aunt could be. Did that apply to family, too? She had to find out exactly what Jimmy’s intentions were.

Marco’s eyes softened. “I would have helped you with that. All you had to do was ask.”

“I know,” Bella answered, feeling somewhat guilty she could never return Marco’s feelings. “Thank you.” She turned her attention back to Paola. “I thought your special event wasn’t until next week.”

“It isn’t.” Paola strode to a table and set down her purse. A very expensive looking leather Chanel.