홈 / Mafia / To Love A Monster / 챕터 81 - 챕터 90

To Love A Monster의 모든 챕터: 챕터 81 - 챕터 90

99 챕터

eighty.

Nicholas"Oh my god. They totally fucked in there," a woman whispers to her friend as they watch us walk out, Valentina tucked close to me, my hand around the back of her neck.I give them a wide grin as Valentina's cheeks burn red."Everyone knows," she says."Everyone's jealous."I pick up Valentina's coat and slip it over her shoulders before heading to the exit and pushing the glass door open. We step out into the bracing night, and I guide her to the SUV which I double parked."The Audi," she says, taking the keys out of her pocket."I'll have someone pick it up tomorrow. You'll ride with me." I open the passenger door and when she winces as she sits, I grin.She doesn't miss it and flips me off.I chuckle, close the door, and walk around to the driver's side. Once inside, I start the engine and hear Valentina's phone ping with an alert. She looks at it."It's Mr. Higgins," she says and opens a text."What is it?""It's a link to a news channel." She clicks in to read the headlin

eighty-one.

ValentinaI wake up to the sound of tires crunching on gravel. The sky is a deep burnt amber and I fumble for my glasses on the nightstand to see the time is a little after seven in the morning."Nicholas?" I ask, sitting up when I hear car doors open and close.He's gone, his side of the bed empty.I get up, pull on Nicholas's discarded button down and cross the room to the windows that overlook the front of the house, buttoning up the shirt as I go. What I see outside, though, has me alert, the fog of sleep wiped clear.There, on the driveway are three vehicles, two of which are patrol cars, one an unmarked sedan. Four officers are climbing out of their cars, a fifth standing at the driver's side door of the unmarked vehicle. A man in a dark suit steps out of the passenger seat. The officers wait for him to go ahead of them."Nicholas?" I call out, hurrying down the stairs as the doorbell rings.From inside the kitchen, I smell coffee and bacon, and I'm almost to the bottom of the s

eighty-two.

ValentinaI don't know what I feel. Don't know what I'm supposed to feel. I'm numb. I can't process it just yet. They think Nicholas killed him. That building has security cameras running 24/7. They'll have Nicholas on video coming and going. Given their history, I'm not sure how easy it's going to be for Nigella to get him home.My head is swimming. I start to clean up, dumping the uneaten food and scraping burnt bacon from the pan. I'm on autopilot as I try to think about what I can do.The doorbell rings when I set the last dish in the dishwasher. I assume it's Hamish, so I pad down the hall to answer but when I pull it open, I'm surprised to see not Hamish, but Cielo standing there.My first instinct is to slam it shut, but he takes two steps backward so he's standing on the top step and puts up his hands. "Tina," he says and something about his voice, the way it breaks, stops me.He looks like hell. He looks like I've never seen him look. He's wearing jeans and a hoodie that's to

eighty-three.

Nicholas"Time of death is assessed at two hours after my client left the building, Detective. You want to tell me why, knowing that, you still dragged Mr. Hendrick in here? In handcuffs, I might add?" Nigella asks, slapping a report down on the table between me and the detective.I lean back in the uncomfortable folding chair that's too small for my frame and catch my reflection in the two-way mirror. I need to shave, I'm hungry, and I'm fucking fed up of this bullshit.Wells stands up, gives the report a cursory glance before putting it back down. He is very aware of what it says. The asshole dragged me down here for what exactly I don't fucking know."He was handcuffed because he presented a danger to my men. And the fact remains he was the last to see the deceased.""Second to last. The person who killed him was the last.""Well, you can understand, given their history, we were still keen to talk to Mr. Hendrick.""The shit you people get away with," Nigella says, shaking her head

eighty-four.

NicholasI'm making coffee when Nigella lets herself in late in the afternoon the following day."You know you might want to knock," I say as she walks into the kitchen and sets her briefcase down."It's my house.""Just saying it for your sake. Don't want to make you uncomfortable seeing something you won't be able to unsee. We are newlyweds." I wink."What makes you think I'd want to unsee it?" She slips off her coat and smiles wide."Well, then by all means. Come and go as you please. Coffee?" I hold up the pot."I'd kill for a cup." She pulls out her laptop and sets it on the counter."What's up?""Got the security footage and thought you'd want to see it," she says as I walk around to set her coffee down and watch over her shoulder."Have you seen it yet?" I ask as she boots up her laptop. "Or let me guess, it broke down right after I left, which I call bullshit on if that's the case.""Nope, working just fine." She turns it so I can watch. "It's pretty grainy but based on time o

eighty-five.

NicholasWe climb out, and I take her hand in mine as we head to the imposing glass doors. The bellman opens them, and Valentina ignores the press like a pro, not missing a step as cameras flash and questions are hurled at her. I guess she's had some experience. I'm glad to see her composure and proud of her. I wrap my hand around the back of her neck and give her a little squeeze."Well done," I whisper in her ear once we're inside."Thanks," she says. I notice how the lobby, which usually has guests milling around, is empty except for the staff. We walk up to the front desk, but before we have to ask which one is Horatio's room, one of Carlisle-Bent's nurses walks up to us. It's the woman. I recognize her from our last meeting."Mr. and Mrs. Hendrick, if you'll come with me. Mr. Carlisle-Bent is expecting you.""Oh, we're here to see my father, actually," Valentina says."Yes, they're both upstairs."Valentina and I glance at each other but follow the nurse into the elevator and up

eighty-six.

Valentina"Why do all the men in my life feel like they can make all the decisions for me?" I ask as Nicholas unlocks the front door of the brownstone and lets me in."I don't want you near that family. I'd think that would make perfect sense to you. Besides, why would you want to go to Sullivan Ricci's funeral? He was a puppet master pulling your strings for years."Hearing it is harder than I'd think and I'm glad he can't see my face. Behind me, I hear him drop the keys on the table by the door."I never said I wanted to go, did I?" I ask. He sets the duffel down and follows me into the kitchen, where I put my purse on the counter and slip off my coat. I drape it over the back of a stool at the bar."You're giving me fucking whiplash, you know that?" he asks."Did you hear me say once that I wanted to go?" I snap, not masking the annoyance I feel as I spin to face him. He's closer than I expect.He raises his eyebrows, clearly surprised. "It was implied," he says and doesn't move or

eighty-seven.

NicholasI try to breathe as I drive to the apartment V lived in while she was in college, the apartment the Riccis own. The phone is in the seat beside me and when I get to the building, I double park at the entrance and stalk rather than walk inside because I'm not any calmer now than I was just half an hour ago. I push the button to call the elevator and wait, seeing red all the while.I know she was with him before me. It's never been a fucking secret. But fuck. Seeing those photos of them together, knowing he is sending them to her fully aware that she's my wife, it makes me want to fucking kill him.The elevator dings and a couple step out, laughing, at least until they see me. I must look a sight because they both get very serious very fast and hurry around me, giving me a wide berth. I get on the elevator and push the button for her floor. I send a text.Me: On my way. I let the son of a bitch think it's Valentina.Cielo: I didn't think you'd come. Door's open. Let yourself in

eighty-eight.

NicholasPastI walk into the penthouse and drop my backpack by the front door. I stop a few steps in to take in the view. It's amazing. You can see all the way to Boston Harbor from the floor to ceiling windows. It's a clear day. I cross the room to those windows and look down at all the people, then out over the tops of the buildings. Ours is the highest.Well, it's not ours. Mom and I live here as staff, but we're more like servants if you ask me. The windows in our tiny apartment aren't so grand, and our view is of the air conditioning units of the building next door. Then there's the smell of the exhaust from the kitchen just beyond that wall that seems to seep into our kitchen. Mom doesn't mind, but I do. I don't know how she stands it, actually, to serve them dinner every night, to make their breakfast every morning. To wait on Mira and her friends for their liquid lunches and be treated with contempt by all of them. Sly, Mira, even ten-year-old Cielo."Nicholas, I didn't hear

eighty-nine.

NicholasI drive for a while. Something isn't right, but I can't put my finger on it. Cielo not seeming upset about Sly's death, I can understand. It's shitty, but I get it. Sly was not a warm, loving father. For outward appearances, he was exactly as he should be, of course, but behind closed doors, he was a fucking monster.If it was just towards me, maybe that would have made sense in some bizarre universe, in some backwards logic, but he also beat his acknowledged son. I saw that firsthand, and he was merciless when he did it, as merciless as when he beat me.Mira spoiled Cielo and she loves him.Did Sly love anyone?Cielo never said a word about the abuse. He never showed any signs of having been beaten. If you paid close attention, you might notice him wincing with fresh welts and bruises. I paid attention because I knew. He put on a good show, Cielo. And I guess what Sly was doing worked. He was hardening his boy, readying him for the 'real' world. It was how he justified his c

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