Another side-eye. “I wouldn’t need to take you to a cornfield to dump your body. I could drop you right here in the car. Duh.”
There it is.Duh.“You can take a right here.”
“Why?”
“That’s where I live.”
“You’re not going home. You’re going to my house, where Dina is, so she can babysit for you, and you can go to work. I told you I’d help you out, but then we’re done.”
Works for me!
Chapter 2
Renne
Given Massio Crossbow’s iron rule over Selnoa, the family is well known among the people who live here. They’re as invested in the lives of this family as if they were royals. This is especially true with the Crossbow twins because of the way Massio treated their mother, namely how he murdered her and got away with it while his twins were still small.
We enter a gated property and drive up a long, tree-lined drive until we arrive at a grand stone manor that’s heavily guarded by armed men in tactical uniforms. Gardens, fountains, and, I imagine, an interior filled with marble, high ceilings, and a few ornate wood carvings left over after the renovations all point to wealth beyond my imagination.
I grew up middle-class, so we had what we needed, and I’ve stayed with a few wealthy friends before. But I’ve never seen wealth like this, the kind of wealth most people can’t even fathom.
“The new Crossbow mansion, I presume?” I ask. Last year, shortly after Massio’s death, the Crossbow mansion burned down.
“It’s called Hevister Manor,” Connor says before exiting the parked car.
I reach for the door handle just as a man in a blue suit, a light blue tie, and with slick brown hair pulled back into a ponytail opens it. “Good morning.”
“Good morning.”
“There’s a baby in the back seat,” Connor tells the man.
“I’ll get her,” I say, but Connor’s already walking away.
In the back seat, Hanna’s sleeping, and I feel bad having to wake her up, but then I remember I don’t have to. These seats can be taken out and carried. It’s not as if the seat will stay in his car. And it’s not as if he’ll return it, so I guess I’m keeping it. She seems comfortable in it.
“Are you coming?” Connor asks from behind me.
I jump because he scared me. Hanna’s eyes snap open, and she makes a sad face as if she’ll start to cry. “Oh no, don’t cry.” I shoulder the diaper bag and unbuckle then carry my baby, making sure to give Connor the evil eye.
He tugs the diaper bag off my shoulder and carries it.
“Such a gentleman,” I say.
He leans in as we walk into the manor. “What was that?”
“Nothing.”
“That’s what I thought.”
I notice the high ceilings, chandeliers, and a modern black-and-white interior devoid of personality. Nothing old remained after the remodel. To each his own, I guess.
My shoes make very little noise on the shiny marble floors, but Connor’s clomping boots make up for it.
The jeans stretch over his ass quite nicely. He also smells good and walks with confidence. I blame his allure on the diaper bag he’s carrying, which he drops onto a massive kitchen island made of black marble.
Someone is baking banana bread. My mouth waters. I haven’t eaten today yet, mainly because I usually eat at the hospital. We get discounted food at the cafeteria. Hanna must also be hungry now that she’s up from the nap.
Connor turns around and makes a face as if he’ll vomit. “See, this is why I slept at Dina’s.”