Chapter 4 - The Little Girl in the Mansion
Adrian's “house” was a limestone mansion behind iron gates.
Ivy pressed her nose to the window.
“You live here?”
“Yes.”
“By yourself?”
“Mostly.”
“Why?”
Adrian glanced at Marin.
“I ask myself that sometimes.”
Marin noticed something when they entered.
The house was beautiful.
And completely lifeless.
No photographs.
No toys.
No coats tossed over chairs.
Everything looked expensive enough to belong in a museum.
Ivy whispered, “It's kind of sad.”
Marin nearly choked.
Adrian looked down at her.
“Sad?”
“You don't have a Christmas drawing on your refrigerator.”
“It's September.”
“You should prepare.”
Adrian nodded solemnly.
“I'll work on it.”
---
Later, after Ivy fell asleep in a guest room, Marin found Adrian in the kitchen.
“You have six kinds of bottled water.”
“Yes.”
“And no cereal.”
“I don't eat cereal.”
“You're living incorrectly.”
Adrian poured coffee.
“She's asleep?”
“Yes.”
Marin leaned against the counter.
“Tell me the truth.”
“About?”
“Everything.”
Adrian's face became unreadable.
“You don't want everything.”
“I didn't want any of this.”
He accepted that.
“My father built businesses with men who weren't always businessmen.”
“Mafia.”
Adrian didn't answer.
He didn't need to.
Marin looked away.
“Great.”
“I've spent years making parts of the organization legitimate.”
“Parts?”
“Yes.”
“At least you're honest.”
“I try to be with you.”
“Why?”
His answer came immediately.
“Because you were honest with me when you had no reason to be.”
Marin looked at him.
Adrian continued.
“Victor Hale was my father's partner. I discovered he'd been stealing from our companies and using my name to cover it.”
“So he tried to kill you.”
“Yes.”
“And now he knows I helped you.”
“Yes.”
“Wonderful.”
“I'll end this.”
She stared at him.
“How?”
Adrian didn't answer.
Marin stepped closer.
“No.”
His brow tightened.
“You don't even know what I was going to say.”
“I know your face.”
“You've known me two days.”
“Long enough.”
She pointed at him.
“You don't get yourself killed because you think you owe me.”
Something shifted in Adrian's expression.
“You care whether I die?”
Marin blinked.
“That is not what I said.”
“Sounded like it.”
“You are unbelievably annoying.”
“So I've been told.”
“By everyone?”
“Mostly Luca.”
Marin almost smiled.
Then footsteps approached.
Ivy appeared in pajamas.
“Mom?”
Marin immediately turned.
“What's wrong?”
“I had a bad dream.”
Adrian watched Marin kneel.
“Come here.”
Ivy wrapped herself around her mother.
Then she noticed Adrian.
“You're still awake.”
“So are you.”
“Do you get bad dreams?”
The question hit something.
Adrian's face changed.
“Sometimes.”
“What do you do?”
“Wait until morning.”
Ivy considered that.
“You can borrow Mr. Pickles.”
She held up her stuffed rabbit.
Marin stared at her daughter.
“Ivy, you don't even let me borrow Mr. Pickles.”
“He got hurt.”
Adrian looked down at the rabbit.
Then at Ivy.
Slowly, he accepted it.
“Thank you.”
“You have to give him back.”
“I will.”
“Promise?”
Adrian's voice became strangely quiet.
“I promise.”
---
The next morning, Luca found Adrian sitting in his office.
A stuffed rabbit sat beside his laptop.
Luca stopped.
“No.”
Adrian didn't look up.
“Don't.”
“Is that a rabbit?”
“Luca.”
“This is the greatest day of my life.”
Adrian finally looked at him.
“Tell me about Hale.”
Luca's humor vanished.
“He wants a meeting.”
“Where?”
“Warehouse on Eleventh.”
“When?”
“Tonight.”
Adrian stood.
Marin's voice came from the doorway.
“You're not going.”
Both men turned.
“How long have you been there?” Adrian asked.
“Long enough.”
“This isn't your decision.”
“No. But if you're going because of us, it becomes my business.”
“Marin—”
“You said you'd end this.”
“I will.”
“You mean alone.”
Adrian's jaw tightened.
“It's safer.”
“For whom?”
Before he could answer, Luca's phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
Then at Adrian.
“Problem.”
“What?”
Luca answered.
His face hardened.
After several seconds, he hung up.
“Hale changed the meeting.”
“To where?”
“He doesn't want you.”
Luca looked at Marin.
“He wants her.”
Silence.
Adrian's expression went completely cold.
“No.”
Luca lowered his voice.
“He says Marin saw something in the alley.”
Marin shook her head.
“I didn't.”
Adrian looked at her.
“I know.”
“He doesn't.”
“No.”
Adrian picked up his coat.
Marin grabbed his arm.
“What are you doing?”
“Ending this.”
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
She tightened her grip.
“Come back.”
Adrian looked down at her hand.
Then into her eyes.
For the first time, Marin saw the fear he never allowed anyone else to see.
May you like
“I intend to.”
---
