Chapter 2 - The Key to the Glass House (Continued)
Luca rose from his chair in one fluid, silent motion.
He didn't panic. He moved with the quiet efficiency of a man who had survived a
dozen assassination attempts before his thirtieth birthday.
He pointed a finger toward the hidden service passage concealed behind the heavy
floor-to-ceiling mahogany bookshelves on the west wall.
“Go through that door,” he whispered, his lips barely brushing my ear as he
leaned down. “It leads directly to the primary security corridor. Daniel is
waiting on the other side. He will escort you to the third-floor private suite
above my quarters.”
“Mr. Moretti, what about Vanessa?”
“Vanessa is about to find out that her engagement dinner was the beginning of
her funeral,” Luca said, his eyes glittering like dark obsidian. “Go.”
I slipped behind the bookshelf just as the hidden latch clicked shut.
Through the narrow seam in the wood, I watched Luca casually unbutton the cuffs
of his white shirt, roll them up to his forearms, and walk toward the double
study doors.
He unlocked the brass deadbolt and pulled the door open.
Vanessa stood in the hallway, wrapped in an ivory silk dressing gown, her golden
hair tumbling over her shoulders. But her eyes were sharp, scanning the room
over his shoulder.
“Luca,” she purred, stepping into his space, resting one manicured hand against
his chest. “I woke up and the bed was cold. What are you doing down here with
the door locked?”
Luca didn't flinch. He looked down at her with that practiced, impenetrable
calm.
“Reviewing the shipping manifests for the Montreal delivery,” he lied smoothly,
gesturing to the open leather folders on his desk. “The port authority flagged
two containers in Gary.”
Vanessa’s eyes flickered to the desk. Then they dropped to the empty bourbon
glass sitting on the side table beside the fireplace.
“Were you drinking alone, darling?”
“I have a lot on my mind, Vanessa,” Luca said, stepping backward, subtly
blocking her view of the study’s interior. “Including our wedding.”
She smiled, leaning up on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his jawline. “Don't
worry about the business tonight, Luca. Soon, our families will be one. My
father will take care of the port authorities.”
“I’m sure he will,” Luca replied, his voice chillingly neutral. “Go back to
sleep, Vanessa. I have two more calls to make to the docks.”
She hesitated, her gaze lingering on the closed curtains of the bookshelf,
sensing something was amiss, but unable to find proof.
“Don't stay up too late, darling,” she murmured, turning back toward the grand
staircase.
Luca watched her ascend the stairs until her bedroom door closed with a soft
click.
Then he reached into his pocket, brought his phone to his ear, and spoke two
May you like
words:
“Grab Mercer.”
