Kade planted a kiss on Lexie’s lips before joining Lucas and heading across the room. “I’d say things are going well,” Lexie commented.
“I… I think they are. He’s not pressuring me for things I can’t handle.”
“One day at a time,” Lexie said with a smile.
“That’s been my motto.”
The women stood in silence for a few minutes, then Lexie’s face lit up. “Oh! There’s Kendall. She didn’t want to come early with me to oversee setup. I should go get her. She doesn’t know anyone.”
“I’m going to take a quick trip to the ladies’ room. I can meet up with you later. Can you direct me?”
Lexie pointed across the room. “Over there. In the corner. It’s unisex,” she explained. “I’ll go grab Kendall and get us some punch. Alcohol-free because we wanted to keep things under control.”
“Smart,” Maxie said. “And punch sounds great. I’ll be right back.”
She headed for the back corner, smiling at people she didn’t know along the way. Just as she reached the bathroom, a large male body blocked her way.
“Excuse me,” she said, and tried to step around him, but he continued to prevent her from passing.
“You’re Mrs. Monroe,” the man said in a vaguely familiar voice.
Nobody had referred to her by her married name since she’d left the firm and changed to her maiden name. And nobody here knew her except Lucas’ friends. “Who are you?” she asked.
“You mean you don’t recognize me?” He pulled off the mask, and she immediately identified the man. “Vincent Bernardi,” she said, a tremor rushing through her at the realization.
“Nice to see you too,” he said in a too-pleasant tone.
“What are you doing here?”
He slid the mask back over his eyes before answering. “Well, we both know your husband is a dead end,” he said, a combination of sarcasm and anger in his voice. “I sat in prison, chomping at the bit to get what’s mine. When I got out, I checked out your storage locker and your old apartment—”
She sucked in a startled breath. “You broke in there? Why?”
“Because your husband had something that belongs to me, and now that I’m out, I want it back.” He met her gaze, his eyes dark behind the mask.
Nausea rose in her throat. “I have no idea what you’re looking for.”
He studied her, assessing. “For your sake, I hope that’s true,” he said, the threat in his words and tone clear.
If she’d had any question of his guilt in the assault case—and she didn’t—it would have been erased now. The man would do anything he had to in order to get his way.
Panic filled her, and she glanced around, praying Lucas or one of the twins would come looking for her, but other than a man who walked past her and headed straight for the bathroom, ignoring them on his way, she was alone with a man she feared was unhinged.
“It is true,” she insisted. “I’m clueless about whatever you’re looking for.”
“Then let me enlighten you. I trusted your husband and gave him something for safekeeping. The information on the memory card I gave him belongs to me. I need it to start over, and you’re going to help me find it.”
She blew out a deep breath, her insides trembling. Damn, Keith. Would the surprises never end? “Keith’s gone. I have no idea where he might have left it.”
“Then I suggest you figure it out. Go through the storage unit until you find it. I was interrupted before I could finish the job. Or give me the key, and I’ll do a more thorough search—”
“No.” She didn’t want him going through her things. “I’ll look for it.” She wanted nothing more than for this man to go away and never return. “But I need time. I can’t just come up with this memory card overnight. I’ve already been through the safe deposit box in both our names, and it wasn’t in there.”
He studied her. Nodding once, he seemingly accepted her sincerity. She assumed that the reason his anger was under control was because she was cooperating. The thought calmed her, but she was still petrified he would hurt her if she couldn’t uncover the stupid memory card. After all, he had gone to jail for assault, and anger management went along with his sentence.
“I’ll find you to continue this conversation or hopefully retrieve my property.”
She blinked and he was gone, lost in a sea of masks and costumes.