Page 18 of The Housemaid Is Watching

He leans back against the pillows and sighs. “Oh. This.”

“Well? Is it really necessary?”

“Why does that bother you?”

“Because.”

“Because is not an answer,” he says, which is irritatingly something I say to the kids constantly.

“I just feel like Suzette has an agenda.”

“Agenda?”

I fold my arms across my chest. “You know.”

“I do not know.”

“Oh my God.” I flop over in bed. “Enzo, that woman was flirting with you shamelessly all night! She didn’t let up for a second!”

He clutches his chest in mock horror. “A woman flirting withme?Ma va’!How can I possibly resist that?”

I roll my eyes. “Okay, okay…”

“We will probably run off together.”

“Okay.”

He grins at me. “I am flattered you worry. But, Millie, you know I would never ever look at another woman.”

“Oh really?”

“Really,” he says. “I would be stupid to cheat.”

“Would you?”

“Oh, yes.” He flops on his side, propping his head up on his hand. “You are my wife. The mother of my children. I love you so much.”

“Okay…”

“Also,” he adds, “I know better than to double-cross you. I would like to keep breathing.”

I snort. “Yeah, right.”

“How can you say you’re worried about Suzette?” he retorts. “Suzette…sheis the one who needs to worry.”

“Ha ha, very funny.”

“I am not making a joke,” he says, although his lips twitch. “I am scared of you, Millie Accardi.”

I make a face at him. “Right. Likeyou’reMr. Nice Guy.”

Truth be told, we have both done some pretty bad things. Unspeakable things, although I’d like to think they were all in the name of serving justice. But either way, if you made a tally, I would come out far ahead of my husband. I’ve done much worse things than he has. After all, he’s never done anything so bad that they took away his freedom.

But of course, that’s only the stuff I know about. I get the feeling that Enzo had a whole life back overseas that I don’t know about. I once worked up the nerve to ask him if he ever killed anyone, and he laughed like I was making a joke, but he didn’t say no. And then he quickly found a way to change the subject.

I only asked the one time. Because after that, I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.

Enzo runs a finger slowly along my jawline. “Millie…” he whispers.