exchanged a look then Barlow flipped the image onto a crime scene photograph of Maria hanging upside down by her ankles from a bridge, quite clearly dead. I guessed my father didn’t take kindly to people trying to kill his children.
“She was found like this last night,” Barlow prompted when I said nothing.
“Like I said, I don’t know the girl. Plus, if you’re looking to pin that on me, I’ve got a pretty tight alibi.” I indicated the hospital bed and Hoskins sighed.
“We were wondering more about the possibility that she had something to do with your overdose. If that was the case, I can imagine you have a family member or two who might be a little angry about that. Maybe they’d be out for revenge?” Hoskins pressed.
I barked a laugh right in her face. “My family are businessmen, not criminals,” I said, completely deadpan. “But we have had issues with police harassment before. So perhaps it’s time you fuck off before I have to call the family lawyers on you.”
“You used to be aligned with the Calabresis,” Hoskins pushed. “How can you go from hating the Romeros to undying loyalty to them?”
“Blood will out,” I said in a deathly tone. “You need to leave now.”
They did as I asked and as I waited for the doctor to come and discharge me, I realised how true that statement had been. I was at home with my family now, no matter how many years had passed with us away from each other, my blood sang in their presence. There was something so right about being one of them. My family meant more to me than I ever could have imagined. And Winter was my family too. I was going to get her back. And I was going to rain down death on anyone who stood in my way.
The days slipped by and I swung between being distraught and feeling nothing. But as I faced another day in my room where I tried to shut the world out and refused to speak to Ramon or any maid who brought me food, I was starting to feel something else. Fear.
Fear that I had made a mistake. That I'd too quickly thrown away everything between Nicoli and myself because of what I'd seen. What if I’m missing something?
Despite what I'd seen as clear as day, I couldn't shake the feeling that Nicoli wouldn't have moved on so quickly after everything we’d been through. As I thought over each moment we'd spent together, I just couldn't marry that man with what I'd witnessed. But then what did it mean?
I'd had to rely on my gut feelings for a long time, having no past memories to defer to instead, and I had to have faith in them again this time. So I needed to speak with Nicoli and confirm what had happened, be sure he wanted nothing more to do with me before I could bear to let go of him.
I rubbed my eyes, getting up from the floor and dressing in some yoga pants and a sweater. Then I walked over to the door, turning the handle and sighing in relief as I found it unlocked. I slipped out into the quiet hall, heading to the stairs and padding down and along the empty halls towards Ramon's office.
I knocked and he grunted a response and as I pushed the door open, he lifted his head and gave me that warm smile he always reserved for me. He barely looked at the maids and only spoke in clipped tones to his guards. But when it came to me, I had his full attention. And maybe that was something I'd liked about him once.
"I'm so glad to see you out of your room," he said brightly. "Perhaps we can have lunch together today?”
I hadn't spoken since it had happened, but I had to now. I had to claw my voice out of the box it was hiding in.
Several beats of silence passed and he drummed his fingers on the desk impatiently as I opened and closed my mouth, but no sound came out.
Finally, I managed it. "I need to speak to Nicoli," I said firmly, my voice croaky from lack of use.
His eyes flashed and he stood abruptly from his desk. "Excuse me?"
I cleared my throat, speaking louder this time. "I said-”
"I heard what you said!" he barked and my heart lurched in alarm. His face screwed up with anger and suddenly he swept everything from