“Why is Rio Warren on the debt list?” I ask. “I just saw him a few hours ago at Fahrenheit 900. He didn’t seem off or anything.”
“I’m sure that’s because he dropped tons of money into your club and wanted you to see that,” he says. “Unfortunately, he’s months late paying us, so hopefully, he didn’t spend it all on liquor and bottle service.”
“We don’t fuck with the mafia, Trevor. Ever.”
“We do when they owe us over a quarter-million-dollars.”
I raise my eyebrow, stunned that anyone would ever be more than a second late after owing that much. Still, a man like Rio isn’t a suit. There has to be an explanation.
“Someone is probably late paying him,” I said. “Give him a few more weeks. He’s never been late before, and he’s always good for it.”
“Fine.” He motions for me to get out of the car. “I need to get back to New Jersey to finish off an IKEA manager, and you need to turn back into the Michael I know by the time I get back. I expect to hear fucking research and planned times of executions. Literally.”
I roll my eyes and step out of his car.
He speeds off the moment I shut the door, and I return to the Four Seasons. I know better than to revisit Meredith in the penthouse suite again—even though I’m tempted, so I request a different room. I also request that they extend her stay by a few days and set two aspirin, a tray of bagels, and a note from me on her nightstand in the morning. (It’s common fucking decency. It doesn’t mean anything.)
When I make it to my room, I turn the air conditioning on to the coldest setting. I open all the windows—letting in as much of the freezing night air as possible, and then I set the ceiling fan on high.
Taking off my clothes, I lay at the center of the mattress and shut my eyes for as long as I can bear it—hoping that for once, just once, sleep will come and stay for more than five hours.
Just once.
I drift off into a dream that feels like it’ll finally last a long time, but by the time my eyes flutter open, I look at my watch and realize that it’s been exactly five hours.
Fuck.
The flames of my past are still burning hot and bright, and I know they won’t stop until I finish that damn list. Until I can completely focus on putting it behind me.
I dress again and prepare to check out. As I’m walking to the elevator, my second cell phone buzzes in my pocket.
No one has this number yet, and I’ve installed software that prevents robo-calls.
Confused, I hold it up to my ear. “Yes?”
“Um, hi.” Meredith’s soft and raspy voice comes over the line. “It’s me, Meredith.”
What the fuck? “How the hell did you get this number, Meredith?”
“You opened your phone and texted the concierge at some point last night.” She sounds like she’s still in bed. “I have a photographic memory.”
I smile, impressed and completely caught off-guard. I never picked up on that while following her, so I mentally add that to my list of “Interesting observations about the Thatchwood Girl.” It can go right under “Sexy as hell without even trying,” “Unafraid of a little darkness,” and “Enjoys talking about books and authors for hours at a time.”
I rush her off the phone—shutting down any idea of meeting up with her again, and make sure my gun is loaded and concealed before stepping onto the elevator.
I’m supposed to spend today following a man who has an unfortunate criminal addiction, since I’m due to kill him in a matter of weeks, but I don’t drive to his job to stalk his routine. I don’t show up to the ice cream parlor where his family meets him in the afternoons, and I don’t hack into his personal computer when he “accidentally” leaves it in a locker at his gym.
Instead, I think about Meredith. How much I want her, how much I need to have her, at least one more time.
I try to let the thoughts remain thoughts, but before I know it, I’m using my own photographic memory and sending her an email.
Subject: One more date…
Michael
Now
Top Ten Reasons Why Meredith Thatchwood is Probably Still Alive (& Tips on How to Get Her Smoky Eye Wedding Picture Look)
If Meredith Thatchwood was a Regular, Ugly Missing Person and Not a Beautiful, Billionaire Heiress, No One Would Care
Fans Launch Petition for Gillian Weston, Author and Best Friend of Missing Thatchwood Heiress, to Release Her New Book; “Meredith was a FAN, too!”
Police Question Heiress’s Newlywed Husband Again; Officially Clear Him as a Suspect
‘Hopeful, yet very concerned’ in the search for Missing Billion-Dollar Heiress, Father Says
Officials Find Abandoned Car with Blood Stains, Meredith Thatchwood’s Locket Necklace, and Hair Strands in Trunk; Police to Test DNA