Page 54 of His Kidnapped Queen
“You said you would take over for Nico.”
I nod. “Yeah, but something came up. He’s grown. Didn’t he take care of it himself?”
Father sets his lips in a thin, hard line and doesn’t respond.
“Was there something wrong with the books? Something didn’t add up?” I ask, feigning curiosity. I’ve already gotten a report from Oscar that everything is on the up and up. Whoever has been skimming either wasn’t there or was too afraid to do it with me in the building.
“No,” he says flatly, and it’s like he’s almost mad he can’t lecture me about something.
“Let me get you a plate,” Cecilia says, making a move to get up and I grab her wrist, shaking my head.
“I’m fine, Cecilia. I’ve gotta go.”
“You and Nico never stay to visit anymore,” she says with a sniffle, and I groan inwardly. She’s at the maudlin part of wine drunk and it’s almost like she thinks she gave birth to us even though she’s only a couple of years older than Nico.
Nico comes down the stairs with a shit-eating grin on his face and I smirk, looking up at him.
“Nico and I will come to dinner on Sunday.”
“We’ll do what now?” He blanches but I continue, standing up.
“You can help Nina cook,” I suggest to Cecilia.
She titters. “I think I’d burn the place down, but I can decorate!”
She bounces into a standing position, only swaying slightly, and throws her arms around me. “See you two on Sunday! Eight sharp, okay?”
Nico glares at me while Cecilia heads over to hug him, letting her but not hugging her back.
Father grunts and stands up with effort. The cancer has spread to his bones now, and he has trouble even standing. Cecilia originally moved in to be his nurse, has her CNA license, but now she’s…whatever she is to him.
The doorbell rings, and I head to answer it. It’s Felicity, the hospice nurse who comes to visit twice a week. I can hear Father grumbling about her as I let her in, smiling at her in greeting.
I use the opportunity to slip out, and Nico is just a few steps behind me.
“I can’t believe you roped me into dinner,” he mutters.
“It won’t kill you to take a night off from your benders.”
Nico narrows his eyes at me, but he doesn’t argue. He knows I’ll beat him if we fight, I always do. And he doesn’t know it, but I’ve got eyes on him. If he blows that money on gambling or drugs or both, I’ll know.
And there will be consequences.
He gets into his car, impatiently waiting for me to back out since I’m blocking him. I take my time out of sheer spite but finally make my way out of the gate and back on the freeway.
I’m barely present as I drive back to the cottage. Exhaustion is threatening to take me under.
Diego still sits in the chair, reading his book, when I arrive.
“Shift’s over,” I tell him.
“It’s barely noon. You should go home and get some rest.”
“I’ll rest here,” I mumble. I can’t explain to him why I want to be here. Why I need to have her in my sights at all times. I can’t even explain that entirely to myself.
Because as much as I’d like to think it’s because she knows something, because I need to find out what, it’s more than that. So much more.
Diego shrugs and gets up, placing the worn paperback in his pocket. “Just call me if you need me.”
