“Yes. It didn’t take long for me to figure out that he wasn’t what he seemed, and that I’d been set up. I was his possession in his eyes, set up for the murder of my fiancée if I went to the police, my complete identity erased. I figured out he was after the necklace, but to my knowledge I never knew why or what it was worth. I just know that I hid it.”
“And that no one has found it,” Kayden adds. “They’re all still looking for it.”
Carlo narrows his gaze on me. “How did you get here, and why was Niccolo looking for you?”
“He claims I promised him the necklace in exchange for protection from Neuville,” I say. “There’s no way I’d have promised him that necklace. I’d have had a plan to avoid giving it to him.”
“In other words,” Carlo says, “he believes you have the necklace.”
“He’s aware of my amnesia,” I say. “But yes, he believes I’m the key to finding it and he’s right. I had it the night I called Neuville for help, and I remember the night I overheard Neuville talking to his bodyguard about me having it. My thought was—it’s hidden; you’ll never find it. But I didn’t remember that until two days ago.”
“The good news here is that she hid it well enough that no one has found it,” Nathan offers. “It’s bought us time to remove some of the players.” He glances at me. “What’s the story behind the watch?”
“It’s Garner Neuville’s watch,” I explain. “It was him telling me that he’s coming for me, and that he can get to any of you to do it. He wanted to own me and the necklace. He doesn’t have either, and when I left, per Niccolo, I held a gun on him in front of a crowd. He’s obsessed with me.”
“You humiliated him,” Sasha says. “Which the bastard deserved, but he won’t let that go.”
Carlo looks at Kayden. “And now we know why you invoked Evil Eye.”
I feel those words like a slap.
“I invoked Evil Eye because I want Ella by my side,” Kayden corrects. “I needed a solution that sent an off-limits message to Neuville and Niccolo, long term. Otherwise, I would have hidden her away until this was over.”
“Evil Eye won’t keep him away,” Sasha says softly, her hands flattening on the table as if she’s bracing herself for a fight.
My gaze goes to Kayden’s, a silent push to remind him that this is exactly what I’ve said, as well. He gives me a small nod, while Adriel offers Sasha the same response Kayden gave me earlier tonight. “He’d be crazy to risk Evil Eye,” Adriel says. “Not even Alessandro is that foolish.”
Her gaze snaps to her sometimes lover. “You don’t understand who and what that man is,” she says, and I realize that she’s set her hands on the table because she’s trembling.
I’m reminded then of the night of the party, and her mentioning that she’d fled Paris after crossing Neuville. I can easily imagine the many ways he might have created the anger—and the fear—radiating off her now.
“Let’s step outside, Sasha,” Adriel says softly, a tenderness in his voice that tells me their relationship might contain a real connection that neither has allowed the other to explore.
“No,” she says, twisting to direct an appeal to Kayden. “Please listen to me.”
“Carlo’s right, Sasha,” Nathan argues. “Evil Eye—”
“Won’t matter,” she bites out, keeping her attention on Kayden. “I experienced that man’s capabilities, and he just saw me as a fling. He sees Ella as a possession that you took from him, Kayden. He will come for her.” She looks at me. “He will come for you.” She gestures around the table. “He will come for us. He will kill us all, if we let him. Do you all hear me? He will kill us. And then what damn good is Evil Eye? Tell me!”
The room goes silent, everyone staring at this strong, bold woman who is no longer able to hide her trembling. I want to grab her and hug her and tell her I understand, but I know that isn’t the answer. Not here and now.
“We’re going to kill him, Sasha,” Kayden promises, his voice soft, strong, and
absolute. “We’re going to make him pay for his many sins.”
“When, Kayden?” she demands. “When is someone finally going to kill that man?”
“We are going to end him now. But you need to go take a breather with Adriel. We’ll detail a plan when you get back.”
“Respectfully, no,” she says. “I’m here. I’m fighting.” She shoves fingers through her brown hair, still a mess from the rain. “And I’m perfectly composed. I just needed to get a point across.”
“At the risk of sounding like the sane one here,” Nathan says, “I’m going to be the voice of reason. If we kill Neuville, his entire operation will come after us. And both his second and third are problems.”
“Which is why it can’t look like we did it,” Kayden states. “And they have to die with him.”
“If we didn’t do it,” Nathan asks, “who did?”
“Raul would make a damn good fall guy,” Adriel suggests. “Pit him against Neuville. He’s brutal and he’s hungry to expand his power here.”