Page 141 of Misdeeds of a Billionaire

Alessio was already on the move. He grabbed a pair of dull scissors from the table and strode over leisurely.

“Should I?” he offered. Upon my nod, he got straight to work. She snarled and struggled against her rope, but it was all in vain. Nobody ever got away from Nico Morrelli’s tight ropes.

“Should we gag her?” Nico asked, causing Nicki to instantly stop. “I can’t stand her screeching. I think I have a piece of cloth here somewhere. Although I think it might have blood from the last victim.”

The next hour was their worst.

But it didn’t even scratch the surface on the six years that Odette and I have spent apart. It wasn’t punishment enough nor compensation for the fear I felt when I held my wife as she lay limp in my arms.

However, I’d make sure the rest of their life would pay for all they had done.

* * *

I sat with the detective, watching the footage of Marco and Nicki spiking the tea and conspiring prior to Odette’s arrival and then as Marco handed my wife the drugged tea. Furious didn’t even begin to cut it.

“This is all the proof we need,” the detective said. “And you’re saying you have them secured?”

“Yes, they are in my warehouse.”

He shot me a weird look. Yeah, we both knew it wasn’t customary to take people and lock them up in a warehouse. Not unless you were my brother who dealt with this shit by taking matters into his own hands.

“Just out of curiosity, why did you wait two hours to call us, Mr. Ashford?”

Because I contemplated murdering them while conducting some torture techniques.

“I was more worried about my wife’s life than those two idiots.” Alessio threw an amused glance my way. He’d tried to convince me to let him handle it and make them disappear. I was starting to think he might have been right. This cop was asking way too many questions. “My brother secured them so they wouldn’t flee. They are both a flight risk.”

The detective pulled out his phone. “Send a patrol car to go pick up a male and female at this address. Apparently, they’re locked up in a secure location.” He recited the address, then hung up. “I have to ask. Did you kidnap them?”

Alessio shrugged casually. “I convinced them it was better to come along than go with the police. It was their dumb assumption they wouldn’t be turned in.”

Translation:I planned on killing them, but my brother changed his mind.

“I want both of them charged and locked up tonight.” He wrote a note in his little pad as I spoke. “Theyarea flight risk, you have to trust me on that. I want it known that we’re against any provision for their bail.” My eyes found my wife’s sleeping form in the hospital bed. “In the highest-security prison.”

The detective exhaled heavily. “We’ll do our best.”

He would, but I’d also pull my strings and ensure they were put in the worst cell.

Chapter58

Odette

It was hours since Marco had drugged me, but it felt like days. Slowly, the side effects were tapering off, but the rash remained. Fever came and went, making me slightly delusional. All the while, Byron fussed over me, bossing around the doctors and nurses.

The doctor examined me one more time, checking my vitals prior to my release. He was exactly what I would have expected. Older and seasoned looking, with smart eyes and a serious demeanor.

“You’re improving,” he declared. “The high dose of the penicillin you were given caused your cardiac arrhythmia, but we’ve got that under control now.”

I nodded. “Can I go home?”

He pushed his glasses up his nose. “I can release you with specific instructions to your husband in case your fever spikes again.”

I nodded, my lips burning. “Yeah, I want to go home.”

I could practically feel the wave of relieved sighs traveling through the room—Byron’s, but also those of the nurses. Needless to say, the staff at the hospital were happy to be rid of Byron and his attitude. His tone was sharper than a whip and colder than ice.

Ten minutes later, I sat slumped in the back seat of the car, my throbbing head resting on Byron’s shoulder. I was so full of meds and delirious from my ordeal that my focus wavered. Kind of like this low-grade fever. All I had on was a thin hospital gown beneath Byron’s suit jacket, and a throw blanket pulled from the hospital. A shiver rolled through my body, my skin clammy.