by M. Robinson
I hired private detectives to trail every potential Constantine enemy. And I planted spies among the Morelli household staff. They listened and observed and reported back.
Four days, and I had no promising leads.
It could’ve been anyone.
I shoved away from the desk and scanned the empty penthouse. Evening approached, dimming the city skyline, and I hadn’t seen Tinsley in hours. In fact, she’d been uncharacteristically quiet and obedient for days.
She hadn’t complained about being in lockdown, hadn’t tried to sneak out, hadn’t made any attempts to be a royal pain in my ass.
Something felt off.
“Tinsley?” My stomach rumbled as I strolled from room to room, looking for her. “It’s almost dinnertime. Do you want—?”
She stepped out of the bedroom closet, dressed in a little black dress that hugged her delectable body and showed off her killer legs.
“What are you doing?” I picked my jaw up off the floor.
“Getting ready to eat.” She paused at the mirror, fastening diamonds to her ears.
I hadn’t seen her in anything but loungewear since we’d been here. She was a knockout in everything she wore. But that dress? Yeah, it was coming off. Right fucking now.
My cock swelled as I prowled toward her, gunning for a hard, wild, dress-ripping fuck against the wall.
“Don’t look at me like that.” She motioned at the suit laid out on the bed. “Get dressed. We don’t have much time.”
I froze. “Much time for what?”
“My sister’s joining us for dinner.”
“Which sister?” Suspicion hardened my voice as I assessed her appearance with my brain instead of my dick.
“Elaine.” Her back stiffened a half-second before she rolled her shoulders, feigning nonchalance.
“No visitors. Call her back and cancel.”
“You can’t keep me from my family.” She whirled toward me, her blue eyes flaring with challenge.
Why was this so important to her? She hadn’t seen Elaine in months.
Then it clicked. Her quiet cooperation, the fancy dress, the subtle tremble in her hands as she fussed with her hair… She’d been making plans, waiting for this dinner.
“This isn’t about Elaine.” My pulse thrashed with my rising anger. “You arranged a meeting with Lucian Morelli.”
“Yes.” Her throat bobbed through a hard swallow. “I trust my sister with this.”
“I don’t. I sure as hell don’t trust the man she’s fucking.”
Her nostrils widened. “Magnus—”
“No. Fuck no. I will not allow that murdering fuck near you, and that’s final.”
I pivoted toward the exit and yanked the phone from my pocket. As I dialed the security team to alert them, Tinsley ripped the device from my hand and flung it toward the bed.
“You want me involved in the business.” She lifted on tiptoes and put her livid face in mine. “This is me, getting involved.”
“This isn’t a negotiation.” My hands flexed at my sides, knuckles cracking. If I didn’t love her so goddamn much, I’d fucking strangle her. “I will not risk your life—”
My phone chirped from somewhere near the bed. At the same time, hers vibrated across the dresser.
“Get dressed, Mr. Falke.” She curled her lip, her voice mocking. “Our guests are here.”
She vanished into the bathroom, leaving me seething.
I’d considered arranging a meeting with the Morellis and dismissed the idea. Poison was a coward’s weapon, and the Morellis weren’t cowards. If Lucian wanted to murder Tinsley, he would slit her throat during a dinner meeting while I watched.
My chest caved in as I grabbed my phone from the floor and read the messages.
Lucian and Elaine were in the hotel, being detained in an office while security awaited my orders.
Tinsley stood in the bathroom doorway, hands on her hips, emanating a powerful air of resentment. She knew I was going to send Elaine away. She fucking knew I would never agree to this, which was why she’d arranged it behind my back.
She was so young. Barely out of high school. But she’d grown up in a ruthless environment. She wasn’t naive and didn’t easily trust people. Not even members of her own family.
I trust my sister with this.
Fuck.
How could I expect her to run the business with me if I thwarted every decision that opposed mine?
Fucking fuck, fuck, fuck!
I shot off a string of texts to the security team and implemented all the safety protocols. That done, I snatched the suit off the bed and changed my clothes.
As she watched me from the doorway, her arms sagged at her sides, and a relieved breath escaped her lips.
“I’m going to welt your ass tonight.” I looped the tie around my neck, fighting with the knot.
“I look forward to it.” She approached and pushed my hands away, finishing the task.
“You won’t be able to walk tomorrow.” I inhaled her soft feminine scent, which compelled me to lean closer and breathe deeper.
“Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. I kept a secret from you.” Her magnetic eyes lifted, making my cock stir. “I won’t do it again.”
“No, you won’t. And I’m no longer a priest.”
“You’ll always be my priest.”
Fuck me to hell, but I loved this wicked woman.
Spirals of white-blond hair fell like satin ribbons around her face. Long lashes fluttered over large, wraparound eyes. A tiny nose, delicate bone structure, flawless complexion—her elven features glowed with magic. Fucking enchanting.
My pulse thrummed, and my skin heated, burning off the edge of my anger.
“You look stunning.” I held out my hand.
“Thank you.” She grasped my fingers and followed me out of the bedroom.
I waited by the front door as the staff carried in the meal Tinsley had arranged. While they set up the dining room, armed guards flooded the penthouse.
Although I’d personally vetted every employee, I wouldn’t let Tinsley leave my side while they were here. Until I knew who was trying to kill her, everyone was a threat.
With the perimeter secure and the table set, I gave the green light to bring up our guests.
Lucian Morelli exited the elevator first, charging the air with tension. Dark eyes, black hair, sinister aura—he was the polar opposite of my petite, blond, bright-eyed sister-in-law, who accompanied him.
He tried to keep her pinned to his side, but she broke away and tackled Tinsley in a hug.
“I missed you.” Elaine pulled back to search Tinsley’s eyes. “Are you doing okay?”
“Yeah. I’m good. Thank you so much for coming.”
As the sisters reunited, I met Lucian’s gaze over their heads. We stood in a silent stand-off, simmering with distrust and animosity.
Maybe Elaine was the only reason he’d agreed to this meeting. Maybe he had no interest in harming Tinsley. Hell, he’d allowed my guards to strip him of weapons and risked his life to enter my domain.
That didn’t mean I trusted him.
“Elaine.” I gave her a warm smile. “Welcome.”
“Thank you for…” She wriggled her nose. “Well, you didn’t invite us. But thank you for letting us in.”
“Now that you’re here, let’s get this over with, shall we?” I gripped Tinsley’s hand and led our guests into the dining room.
During the first two courses, the girls dominated the conversation. They’d seen each other so infrequently that they barely took breaths to eat.
Lucian remained quiet, responding in grunts and single syllables, biding his time, observing every detail like a creeper, and using up too much oxygen at my table. But whenever he looked at Elaine, his eyes softened into something almost human.
I recognized the unguarded emotion. He would die for her. Kill for her. He would go to the ends of the earth to protect her and those she loved, including Tinsley.
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With a sigh, I reclined back in the chair. “You would never poison my wife.”
The girls fell silent, their mouths pausing mid-chew.
Not a hint of surprise registered on his face. He knew exactly why Tinsley had invited him here.
“No, I wouldn’t,” he said. “For the same reason you would never poison Elaine.” He lifted his whiskey and took a swig. “Or me.”
The sisters sat across from each other, sharing private looks. With their pale blond hair and bewitching blue eyes, they could’ve been twins. Same physical traits, same rebelliousness, same Constantine blood.
For as long as they lived, their bond would serve as an unbreakable truce between Lucian Morelli and me. Together, we would guard those two women with every drop of blood in our bodies.
“You could’ve just called me and asked about the wine.” He sat back and loosened his tie.
“No offense, but I don’t trust a word from your mouth.”
“No offense taken. Now that we’ve met…” His gaze slid to Elaine, and he winked at her. “You know my weakness.”
She flipped him off, and Tinsley laughed, shattering some of the tension.
“Why did you invite us to your Christmas Ball?” I refilled his whiskey and took a drink of my own.
“I want my family there,” Elaine answered. “It’s Christmas. I don’t see why we can’t put our differences aside for one damn night.”
“His family murdered our father, Elaine,” Tinsley growled.
I clasped her hand beneath the table. “That was never proved.”
“I’m aware of the accusation,” Lucian said, “and I can neither confirm nor deny. I wasn’t there when your father died.” He cocked his head. “Back to the poisoned wine… Was it open when it arrived with the invitation?”
“Yes.” My phone buzzed in my pocket.
I removed the device and read a message from my private investigator. As I absorbed the words, a chill ran down my spine.
Son of a bitch.
Red blurred my vision, and my fingers clenched around the casing, making it creak.
“Magnus?” Tinsley leaned in, trying to see the screen.
“How did you deliver the invitation to Tinsley?” I met Lucian’s cold, black eyes.
“Ah, so now you know. I was just getting around to telling you—”
“What the fuck, Morelli?” I launched from the chair and slammed a hand down on the table, rattling the platters.
“Simmer down.” His jaw tightened. “Two weeks ago, a woman approached me and made me an offer.”
My heart hammered as I lifted the phone and read the text message again.
Edward: I uncovered something. Two weeks ago, a woman was seen leaving Lucian Morelli’s estate. The night of the dinner party, the same woman was spotted at the Constantine mansion. She was carrying a bottle of wine, dressed as a courier. I just emailed the full report.
A vein throbbed in my forehead. I switched to my inbox and opened the email attachment. There, at the top of the document, was a name I recognized from the dark, baleful depths of my past.
“Amanda Herschel.” Lucian lifted his whiskey, finishing it off in one swallow. “She offered me fifty grand to kill your wife.”
“You declined.” I seethed, an impulse away from murdering him.
“I’m not a fucking hitman for hire.” He scoffed.
“Magnus, sit down.” Tinsley skimmed a hand up my rigid spine, her touch soft. Too soft to penetrate my tunnel vision.
She could’ve died that night, and this soulless bastard sat here all calm and collected as if her life wasn’t on the line.
I snapped, lunging across the table and toppling dishes. My hand caught him around the collar as I roared in his face, “You didn’t think to inform me that someone was planning a hit on my wife?”
“No.” He stretched his chin above my fist, his eyes hard. “I told Amanda Herschel I would consider the offer, hoping it would hold her off from doing anything stupid while I had her investigated.” His fingers closed around my wrist at his neck. “Imagine my surprise when I connected her to a dirty business deal you made fifteen years ago.”
“That deal was legal.” Gritting my teeth, I shoved him away.
“But still dirty as fuck.” He laughed, straightening his tie. “Christ, you were a cruel motherfucker. I’m fucking inspired.”
“Lucian.” Elaine elbowed him. “Stop goading him.”
“He’s right.” I lowered into the chair and pinched the bridge of my nose. “I wasn’t a good man.”
Fuck, I hated this. I hated that Lucian Morelli was a spectator of my filthy secrets. But as I turned to look at Tinsley, she was the only one who existed.
“Amanda Herschel was in love with me.” I searched her bright, angelic eyes.
“I can’t blame her for that.” She rested a palm against my rigid jaw as if trying to soften it.
“I didn’t reject her gently. Instead, I fucked her brutally. Then I fucked her over on a business deal and left her destitute.”
And brokenhearted.
My cruelty against Amanda was the least of my sins. I’d spent ten years as a priest, attempting to absolve a decade of crimes.
“You’re not that man anymore.” Tinsley touched her brow to mine, her sweet breath stroking my lips.
Since she knew every horrific detail of my past, this didn’t faze her.
What sent my heart into a rage was the revelation that a spurned woman from fifteen years ago had decided to take revenge on my wife.
Tinsley and I had married this year, and the wedding had been a grand, overly publicized affair. How many other nutjobs were lurking in the shadows, waiting to attack after hearing about our nuptials?
First, I needed to deal with this one.
“Where is Amanda?” I glared at Lucian. “I assume you had her followed.”
“Yeah, but my guy lost track of her four nights ago.”
“The night the poisoned wine was delivered to Tinsley.” My hands clenched.
“Yep. Amanda gave my guy the slip a few hours before Caroline’s dinner party.”
“That guy no longer has a job.” Elaine squared her shoulders, her watery gaze on Tinsley. “I swear, we didn’t know Amanda would go off on her own and try to hurt you. We didn’t know she was anywhere near Mother’s dinner party. God, Tinsley, we didn’t even know the wine we sent got poisoned until Mother called me.”
“I don’t know where the murderous bitch is now.” Lucian’s scowl curled into a shit-eating grin. “But she’ll be at the Morelli Christmas Ball.”
“What?” My head pounded as I tried to guess his game. “Why?”
“When she made that ridiculous offer to me, I told her she could see you in the flesh on Christmas.” He leaned back and clasped his hands behind his head. “I gave her an invitation.”
The fuck?
I regarded his arrogant, devil-may-care expression, trying to dissect the brain behind the lazy sprawl and fearless smirk. He was smart. Ruthless. Manipulative. Always scheming.
When Amanda had made him that offer, he knew he couldn’t let her go. He couldn’t have a threat against Elaine’s sister running around.
He could’ve just killed Amanda right then. Eliminated the problem. So why hadn’t he?
Maybe he wanted to fuck with the woman for a while? Especially after he learned about her connection to me.
Maybe he wanted to let this all play out just to see what I would do.
“Oh, and the spies you planted among my staff?” He flashed his teeth. “They’re headed home, grateful their limbs are still intact.”
The devil and his goddamn games.
“Listen, Magnus.” Tinsley drifted closer, drawing my gaze. “Amanda will show up at the Morelli Christmas Ball, because you will be there. I’ll tell all my friends we’re going, announce it on social media, and start spreading the word through Bishop’s Landing. Amanda will hear the buzz.”
It was an ironclad plan. Captu
ring Amanda at the party would be easy. A foregone conclusion.
But once I had her in restraints, what would I do with her?
Would I turn her over to the police?
Let Lucian kill her?
Would I gut her myself?
I wasn’t a murderer.
But I might become one once I confronted the coward who tried to poison my wife.
“The trap is set.” Lucian watched me with a disturbing glint in his eyes. “It’s up to you to decide what to do with it.”
Chapter Five
Magnus
On the night of the Christmas Ball, I stood in a cavernous, darkly masculine den in the Morelli estate. My pulse hummed an ominous rhythm as I checked my watch and returned my hand to my pocket.
In the distance, an ensemble of instrumentalists played classical holiday music. The ball had just begun, and I was past ready to dance with my princess.
This secluded room was situated down the hall from the ballroom, off the beaten path. Given the pristine settees, immaculate rugs, and shiny wood surfaces, I doubted anyone ever used the pretentious chamber.
Multiple closed doors led to storage rooms, closets, and a full bathroom. My guards hid in those areas, their weapons at the ready.
Amanda wouldn’t be armed inside these walls. Everyone in attendance was required to walk through a weapons scanner. Everyone except my security detail.
But the scanner was necessary, considering this monumental assembly of Morellis and Constantines.
It would be a miracle if the night didn’t end in bloodshed.
I made no promises.
“I need to return to my guests.” Lucian strolled past me, reeking of money and corruption in his sleek, tailored tuxedo. “When Amanda arrives, she’ll know where to find you.”
“I’ll be ready.” I lowered into an armchair and loosened my bow tie, letting it hang against my disheveled button-up.
The trap was simple. Lucian’s sister, Eva, would make sure Amanda overheard her gossiping about an argument between Tinsley and me, a fight that had sent Tinsley fleeing from the ball and me to this room in a rage.
In reality, Tinsley was waiting in Lucian’s office, surrounded by an army of guards. His and mine.
