Page 102 of Scorned Beauty

Chapter

Twenty-Six

Sloane

My first visitwhile at Dom’s penthouse was from the feds. I was surprised Dom had let them know I was back in town, but he had a De Lucci lawyer and Lucy who’d graduated law, keep me from answering entrapment questions. None of their questions related to my job in cleaning Elyse Bailey’s apartment because technically Billy and I were working for them at that time. The feds were the ones who fucked up.

So they only asked me about my whereabouts after Anton kidnapped me and I was honest with them about where I was and I informed them I didn’t know the person who had rescued me. I gave them records of my therapy visits and that I had been in a depressive state and was on medication. The feds, clearly frustrated, scheduled another interview, but they called back later in the day and said they were done with me.

I didn’t know who intervened for me, but I was still indifferent to what was happening in my life. I did an e-visit with my therapist and she adjusted my anti-anxiety and anti-depressant medication, lowering the dosage of each.

It was now day three since my return to Manhattan. I finally scrounged up the courage to visit my brother’s grave at the cemetery. In the back of my mind, I knew I should feel more emotion. The lack of reaction was troubling knowing that Dom took care of his burial. I also knew I should be thankful, but I simply didn’t care.

You don’t care about me now, sis?

I’d been having less and less imaginary conversations with Billy. Reconnecting with my friends aided in pulling me out of my head.

You dug your own grave.

Ouch. But I’m at peace now. Are you?

No, I was not.

Dom gave us the all clear to move around. Apparently, the bratva had reached a renewed truce with the De Luccis, but Kolya Petrov had been indicted for the murder of Elyse Bailey and remained behind bars awaiting trial. For Zahkarov Holdings, the press release was that one of their security personnel was accused of being a copycat serial killer and they maintained he was innocent and the real Mistress Strangler was still out there. Their publicity machine certainly knew how to spin this. Lucy scoffed that Kolya had gained a fan following and there were women sending him lingerie in jail with a note that said, “Choke me with this.” As for Kirill, I still had no idea why he appeared at the Outer Banks other than to piss off Dom. This reiterated the issue between Dom and me. Despite everything that happened, we did the right thing to hide our affair.

It was now out in the open that Dom’s enemies could use me as leverage.

But I wasn’t technically with Dom. I didn’t know where that left me. I was doing this one baby step at a time, one day at a time. And after my visit to Billy’s grave, I decided to make Harriet my next stop.

When I arrived at Delphine, she was sitting up in bed with a blanket across her lap. The joy on her face upon seeing me elicited a nagging guilt in my chest.

“I’m sorry I left,” I said simply. I set the cat carrier on the floor and let Ginger out. The orange cat gave a tiny mewl and jumped on Harriet’s bed.

“I’m glad you’re back,” she said. “Are you still mad at me?”

“I was never really mad at you. You’ve done nothing but help my family. I was just in shock, that’s all.” I sat on the other side of her bed. “How are you feeling? Miss Sheila said you’re under the weather.”

“Just my joints reminding me I’m an old woman,” she said. “I’m sorry about Billy.”

I guessed we were jumping straight to the elephant in the room.

Sadness wrapped around my heart and squeezed some of the frost out of it. “I visited his grave this morning,” I whispered. “I couldn’t cry. I think I cried more during those first few weeks away. Maybe I’m all out of tears.”

Harriet reached across and wrapped her frail fingers around mine. “He did the right thing in the end.”

“Your hand is icy. Do you want me to turn down the AC?”

“My hands are always cold. Stop deflecting.”

“I’m not.”

“Listen.” Her voice was gravelly. “Billy couldn’t get over what he did to your father and what he did to you, letting you think your dad didn’t want you. Your mom didn’t foresee the implications to your mental health.”

“I don’t blame Mom either for hiding it from me. All she did was try to survive and keep us off the streets.”

Because of me. Because it was my fault. Because I dared to dream I could be a princess and wear an expensive emerald necklace the color of my eyes.

“In her mind she was doing the right thing.” Harriet broke through my involuntary flashback. “Keeping Billy out of jail…”