Chapter 3 - THE BODYGUARD WHO KNEW MY ROOMMATE
The bodyguard’s name was Roman Cross.
Adrian had trusted him for eleven years.
That trust cracked in less than eleven seconds.
“Explain.”
Roman looked at the photograph.
Then at me.
“I met her once.”
“Why?” Adrian asked.
“She approached me.”
“When?”
“Six weeks ago.”
I stared.
“Kenzie knew you?”
Roman nodded.
“Yes.”
“What did she want?”
“She asked questions about Mr. Vale.”
Adrian’s face hardened.
“What questions?”
“His schedule. Security. Which nights he came to Black Orchid.”
“Did you answer?”
“No.”
“Then why meet her?”
Roman hesitated.
That was enough.
Adrian stood.
“I asked a question.”
Roman’s jaw tightened.
“She had information.”
“About?”
“Evelyn.”
Silence.
Adrian went completely still.
“What information?”
Roman looked at me.
I hated that.
“Tell him.”
Roman exhaled.
“Kenzie claimed Evelyn contacted her.”
My stomach dropped.
“That’s impossible.”
Adrian didn’t speak.
Roman continued.
“She said Evelyn was alive.”
No one moved.
I looked at Adrian.
His face had emptied.
“She died,” he said.
Roman’s voice softened.
“I know.”
“You saw the body.”
“No.”
That mattered.
I could see it immediately.
Adrian looked at him.
“Who did?”
“Your brother.”
Adrian’s eyes changed.
I had not known he had a brother.
Roman continued.
“Damian handled identification because you were hospitalized.”
“Why was I hospitalized?”
Roman looked at me.
“After Evelyn’s accident, Mr. Vale tried to reach the crash site. Another car hit him.”
Adrian’s jaw tightened.
“I remember.”
Roman looked down.
“He spent three days unconscious.”
I thought of the rumors.
Three years with no woman.
No interest.
No relationships.
Maybe grief was not the entire story.
Adrian picked up the photograph of Kenzie.
“Where is she now?”
“I don’t know.”
“You were supposed to find out.”
“I tried.”
“And failed.”
“Yes.”
Adrian turned away.
I looked at Roman.
“What did she tell you about Evelyn?”
“That Evelyn was hiding because someone inside the Vale family tried to kill her.”
Adrian turned back.
“Who?”
Roman hesitated.
“Damian.”
Another silence.
Adrian’s younger brother.
I rubbed my arms.
“So what does any of this have to do with me?”
Roman looked uncomfortable.
“That’s where it gets worse.”
“Wonderful.”
“Kenzie said you were important.”
I laughed.
“I’m twenty-five, broke, and I serve pancakes for tips.”
“She didn’t explain.”
“Then why steal my rent?”
“She told me she needed to force you out of the apartment.”
“Why?”
“So you’d take the Black Orchid job.”
My heartbeat slowed.
“No.”
Roman nodded.
“The emergency server notice was planted.”
I stared at him.
“The waitress didn’t call in sick?”
“No.”
I looked at Adrian.
“You knew?”
“No.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
His expression hardened.
“Yes.”
I looked at Roman again.
“So Kenzie stole my money, got me threatened with eviction, pushed me toward this club, and somehow arranged for me to wear a mask containing a message from a dead woman.”
“That appears to be what happened.”
I started laughing.
Not because it was funny.
Because the alternative was screaming.
Adrian stepped closer.
“Lila.”
I raised a hand.
“No.”
He stopped.
That surprised me.
I breathed.
“Why would Evelyn care about me?”
Roman said nothing.
Adrian looked at him.
“Answer.”
Roman’s eyes met mine.
“Because Kenzie said your mother knew Evelyn.”
I froze.
“My mother died when I was twelve.”
“Yes.”
“She worked at a library.”
Roman’s expression changed.
“No.”
My stomach turned.
“What?”
“Your mother worked for Victor Vale.”
Adrian went still.
His father.
Roman continued.
“She was his accountant.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
“She disappeared from the organization twenty years ago.”
“My mother didn’t disappear. She died.”
Roman’s voice dropped.
“That’s what everyone was told about Evelyn too.”
Then Adrian’s phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
A woman’s voice whispered through the speaker.
“Adrian?”
Every bit of color left his face.
“Evelyn?”
The line went silent.
May you like
Then she said:
“Don’t trust your brother.”
