SWNOVELS Runaway Queen: Chapter 9
Fall in Hade Harbor was beautiful. The temperature was pleasant, hitting seventy degrees most days, but the breeze from the ocean kept it manageable. The small town sat on the water, and I loved to walk by the harbor and see the boats come in.
On Saturdays, Leo went with Angelo to his beginner’s boxing class. I trusted Angelo not to let Leo exert himself too much. Leo nearly always stayed at Angelo and Chiara’s house on a Friday nights, and I worked on my commission paintings in my studio. The additional income was a big boost for my monthly budget. Today, given the clear weather, I was making the most of my free time, painting at my favorite coffee shop, on the huge outdoor deck that overlooked the water. Today was the day I had to present my work-in-progress to Edward Sloane, an appointment I wasn’t looking forward to.
All the paperwork was done for Leo’s admittance to the hospital later today. Just the thought of it, and the hope surrounding the donor, was setting me on edge. If there was anything I’d learned in my life so far, it was that hopes were usually dashed, dreams didn’t come true, and it was best not to expect them to.
I was working on a landscape. Last night I’d made some progress on the commission, so my reward was working on something I liked. The landscape was darker than the paintings of the artists sitting around me, but that was my style. I loved the light on the water, but I loved the shadows more. My art was always dark. The students called it edgy, but I knew it was just reality, as I perceived it. I’d seen beyond the veil, to the other place, where people lived without rules or morals. After Silvio had died and my world had fallen apart, the darkness had never truly lifted.
Silvio had died? You mean after you’d killed him?
“Oh my god, that’s beautiful,” a voice called to me.
I turned. Chiara made a beeline for me through the tables. She was so stunning; several people turned and watched her make her way toward me. In tight jeans and a tight striped shirt, with her hair in a long braid, Chiara had really embraced the Maine aesthetic. She fit in here, with her sunny smiles and nautical chic outfits. I envied her. Once more, I was the odd duck. Despite living here for seven years, I still looked like a newcomer to Maine. Black was still my favorite color, and I still couldn’t get used to Moxie or Allen’s coffee-flavored brandy.
“You like it? I think the light is still too bright,” I muttered critically, turning my head to see the painting from different angles.
“Girl, that is not a worry you should ever have. I’ve seen the stuff in your studio. Being too light isn’t your problem,” Chiara sighed as she noisily dragged a chair across the tile to sit beside me.
“How was class?”
“It was great, except I have a new student who I’m sure Angelo would flip his lid over if he saw him,” Chiara smiled dirtily. She was a highly sought-after yoga instructor in town and ran a successful studio.
“Right, like that isn’t exactly what you’d like,” I teased her.
She smiled and wriggled her eyebrows. “You know that jealousy sex is the best. All the claiming, all the attempts to leave a mark.”
She shuddered delicately, and I looked away. I could practically feel her anticipation for tangling with her husband, and I couldn’t lie that it didn’t make me jealous.
She nudged me with her foot. “You know you don’t have to be a nun.”
“I can take care of my needs just fine, thank you very much. I don’t need a man to provide anything these days, not even an orgasm,” I muttered, taking the cup of black coffee she’d brought me and sipped the hot liquid, enjoying the bite of it on my tongue. I still liked my coffee dark and bitter, like my soul.
“Honey, even battery-operated devices have their limits. A vibrator can’t hold you down, spit in your mouth, and tell you that you’re daddy’s good little girl,” she said.
The man next to us snorted his coffee out of his nose, as did I.
“Christ, take it down a notch in public,” I muttered, wiping my nose on a tissue.
“I’m just keeping your day interesting, and random eavesdropper’s, too, apparently,” she directed over her shoulder at the man who had clearly been listening.
Instead of flushing with embarrassment, the man turned in his chair and beamed at us.
“I apologize, ladies. I’ve been awfully rude. It’s just that there’s no one around here even remotely as interesting as you.” His Irish accent was a pleasant surprise, and his twinkling green eyes revealed he knew just how disarming it was. He grinned at us. “I don’t suppose I could join you?”
“I don’t suppose you could,” Chiara said back sweetly. “My husband can pull the arms off a man without breaking a sweat. It’s a risk you shouldn’t take.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“She’s doing you a favor, believe me,” I said, and attempted a smile at the man.
He was handsome as hell, and he knew it. A chiseled jaw and tousled blond hair framed those green eyes, and his navy T-shirt clung to an impressive chest.
“And here I was thinking a newcomer to town had finally found a couple of guides worthy of hanging out with. I’m sorry for interrupting you,” he said and gave a small salute, withdrawing his attentions gracefully, before he became an annoyance. It was masterfully done, really.
Chiara turned back to me and tapped her lip, her eyes calculating. A wicked smile sprang to her face, and before I could tell her to forget whatever her devious mind had cooked up, she’d twisted around. “I’m married, but my friend isn’t. Maybe she can be your guide.”
“Excuse me,” I started, and flushed horribly as they both looked at me.
“That would be great, as long as I’m not stepping on anyone’s toes. I mean, I’m just looking for a local guide, where the hotspots are, good areas to live in, that sort of thing. We can work up to spitting and daddy stuff later,” the stranger quipped.
Chiara laughed, and even I felt a reluctant smile touch my lips. The guy was charming, all right, and had somehow made it less awkward. Not that I had any intention of meeting up with a man for anything romantic. Those days were behind me.
“I wish I could help, but I’m really busy with work,” I told him firmly.
Chiara sighed dramatically. “Unfortunately, that’s true. She’s a high school teacher, and she’s always slammed.”
“Hade Harbor High, is it? I heard they’ve a killer hockey team. Hade Harbor University is pretty famous, too, isn’t it?”
“It is. This is a college town,” I said.
The man pulled his phone out of his pocket and typed something in. “Well, I don’t want to push you. If you have time, or if you could just answer a message, if I shoot one off about a neighborhood or something, while I’m with the realtor, that would be appreciated. I don’t want to be a bother. I’ll give you my number, then you decide,” he said.
I nodded, feeling reluctant but not wanting to be an asshole to such a reasonable request.
He read out his number, and I typed it into my phone and then set it down.
“New number?” I mused as he tucked it away. It was odd to see someone read their number out by looking at it.
He grinned. “New phone.” The cell in his hand rang, and he answered it.
“Hello! Now you have her number,” Chiara said across from me.
I took a moment to realize that she’d called the stranger’s number immediately.
I snatched my cell from her and gave her a death look that made her roll her eyes.
“Relax, what’s the harm?”
“What should I save your number as? I’m Bran, by the way.” He extended a big, long-fingered hand to me.
I shook it uncomfortably. Bran? The unusual name was vaguely familiar. I wondered where I’d heard it before.
“Sophie, and this is Cici.”
“Sophie and Cici, nice to meet you.”
Bran’s phone chimed in his hand, and he glanced at it and then flashed us a brilliant smile. Yep, it was official. The man was charming as hell. He stood and gave us a better view of how tall and broad he was. His arms were inked with Celtic designs, and they gave me a pang. I hadn’t seen someone with so much ink in a long time. Seven years, to be exact.
“I’ve got to take this,” Bran said. He brought his phone to his ear as he started away. His eyes lingered on mine. “I hope I’ll be seeing you again soon, Sophie.”
Dropping Leo off at the hospital was the worst part of the day. I hated when he was admitted and I was home alone, but this time, it was more important than ever. Ironically, he loved the vibe in the children’s ward. He was together with a lot of sick kids he saw often. There was no staring or whispering about him and his spotty school record. He was with his own little community, and he treated it more like an extended sleepover than a hospital stay.
I said goodbye quickly, so I wouldn’t get overly sentimental and upset him, and headed toward Edward Sloane’s house. It sat on a high cliff overlooking the ocean. It was a beautiful spot. I had to give him that. Huge gates surrounded his property, and I didn’t feel like trying to drive my car inside. I parked out on the quiet street beyond the wall and got the portrait out of the car. I was on my way toward the gate when it buzzed open.
I stared up at the security camera mounted outside, taking in the entire street. I knew I was expected, but there was something vaguely creepy about the idea of Edward waiting for me to arrive and buzzing me in before I’d pressed the damn bell.
As the enormous gate rolled slowly open, I felt an itching feeling on the back of my neck. The feeling of being watched. I turned and glanced back at the street, pressing the lock button on my car keys again, suddenly paranoid. No matter how long I lived away from Mafia life, I didn’t think the unease would ever truly leave me. The feeling of phantom eyes crawled over me, and I turned back to the camera, realizing what it must be. Edward, watching me, waiting for me to enter. Understandable, but creepy.
I strode across the paved forecourt outside the vast house. It was all glass and wood, a real architectural dream. The view behind it was even better. The ocean rolling away, huge and uncaring about the petty problems of people. The salty air hit my nose and calmed me.
I headed toward the huge doors at the front of the house. They opened before I reached them.
“Good afternoon.” Edward appeared in the doorway, smiling at me with that arrogant ease of a man who knows he can buy everything he wants in life.
“Hello. Where would you like the painting put?”
Edward smiled, even though that muscle kept ticking in his jaw. “This way.”
He stepped back, allowing me into the house.
Inside was just as beautiful as the outside had promised it would be. Edward herded me through the long, arched corridors. We emerged onto a deck with a stunning view. Food was laid out on the table, salad and cold meats, bread and wine. I turned and stared at him.
“I thought I was here for work?”
“I never could separate work and pleasure.” Edward smiled, as if there was something charming about what he’d said.
“Well, I can. I can’t stay for lunch.” I gripped the painting and stepped back. This asshole kept pushing at my boundaries, and I had no idea how far he was going to go.
“I insist. I’m going to eat before I see the painting, so if you don’t want to, I guess I’ll have an audience.”
“Edward,” I bit off, exasperated.
“Sophie. Stop fighting it. It’s just lunch.” He leaned a hip on the table, his arms crossed over his chest.
He would not budge, and he’d made it so I looked like a petty bitch if I protested more. I had no problem being a petty bitch, but I hadn’t eaten, and I wasn’t going to sit around and watch him eat before he deigned to give me his attention.
He pulled my chair out as I sat. I leaned forward to avoid his touch when he pushed me back in.
“Relax. You’re so flighty. Such a city slicker. I never found out where you lived before you came to Maine.”
Edward sat opposite me and picked up the wine.
I covered my glass. “None for me, and I don’t think I mentioned it.”
He smirked. “I’m aware. I was asking where you lived before you came here.”
“Around, mostly the East Coast. We moved a lot.”
“You and your late husband?”
I nodded, the lie feeling like it was branded across my forehead. Edward’s gaze fell to my wedding ring. I’d bought it as soon as I could afford it and put it on the very day Leo had been born. I might not be able to introduce my son to his father, but I’d always wanted him to know that his parents had loved each other once.
“What was it he did for work?”
“A little of this, a little of that. He was a jack of all trades.” The evasive answers were the best I could come up with right now.
“And a master of none?” Edward smiled like it was a nice thing to say about a dearly departed loved one. “Anyway, it’s been a while, but you still wear the ring.”
“I’ll always wear it. I’m not interested in dating. I’ve told you that before.”
“Yes, you have. These things change with enough time.”
“Not for me.”
Edward chuckled. “You really have a knack for that, don’t you?”
“For what?”
“Making me want to prove you wrong.”
Instead of answering, I looked out at the garden below us. The cliff was a good hundred feet away from the wall of the property. As I looked out at the rugged beauty of the coastline, I felt the same creeping sensation of eyes on me that I had at the front of the house.
“Do you have cameras all around your property?”
Edward nodded.
“And security guards?”
He tilted his head. “Are you thinking of breaking in? I don’t bother with security guards. This is Maine.”
“Right.”
We ate in strained silence.
“Are you used to living somewhere with more security?”
I jerked out of my daydream at the question and waited for him to go on.
He waved his fork around as he spoke. Everything about him was cocky arrogance. I hated it.
“You don’t seem like a woman used to living… like you do now.”
“Are you calling me poor?” I tried to make my tone light. It didn’t quite come off.
“Wealth can smell wealth. You’ve had money before. You’ve lived a different life before.”
I turned away from his intrusive stare and focused on the trees at the end of the property.
A shadow moved.
I blinked at it. It looked like a man dressed in black. He was too far to make out properly.
Frowning, I leaned forward, causing Edward to turn and follow my gaze.
By the time he did, the figure was gone. “What is it?”
“I could swear I saw a man standing there, just on the edge of the woods.”
“What was he doing?”
“Watching us.”
Edward turned back around and chuckled. “If you think you can cut lunch short by imagining a sniper in the trees, it won’t work. You should stop fighting me with all your might, Sophie. I already told you I’m a man who gets what he wants. I wanted to have lunch with you, and we are having lunch. If I want it to be a long lunch, it will be.”
My annoyance at Edward expanded in my chest, and just like that, I was done.
Smiling politely, I wiped my mouth and pushed back my chair.
“In that case, I’m afraid I have to go.”
Edward frowned at me. “Why?”
“Because I want to. Keep the portrait, have someone else finish it, I don’t care.”
“Sophie, now wait a minute.”
Edward trailed after me as I retraced my route back through the house, grabbing my bag on the way. I left the wrapped painting on the hallway floor.
“No, I’ve waited long enough.”
I pulled open the front door just as Edward reached an arm out to stop me. I gripped his wrist and twisted it into a lock before I could stop myself. He gave a bark of pain but couldn’t move from the position.
“Don’t touch me. I never gave you permission to touch me.” I released his wrist and stormed down the steps. Damn it. My hotheaded temper had once again got the better of me, but I just couldn’t stop myself. As soon as I was back on the street, my temper cooled, and I realized how dumb that had been. Hadn’t Edward just reminded me yesterday that Leo was being treated in his wing of the hospital? It had been a veiled threat, clearly, and now I’d gone and pissed him off.
I’d have to make nice, but not today. Today, I needed to calm down.
I slowly walked back toward my car. The feeling of eyes on me returned. Was Edward watching me through his cameras?
As I got in the car, I stiffened, registering something that hadn’t been there before.
A bouquet of white lilies lay on the dashboard. A black ribbon was tied around the stems.
Inside the car.