After she rinses out her mouth, I unplug the tub and watch the water drain out for a second before turning the faucet back on. I rinse her one more time to wash away the remaining bubbles and then scoop her out of the tub, ignoring the rivulets of water soaking my Polo shirt and khakis. As soon as I grab a towel, I carry her into the room and set her on the long couch near the veranda doors.
“Stay here,” I tell her. “Dry off.”
“Okay.”
Her voice sounds weak but appreciative. I clear the sheets from the bed, set them in the hamper, and then stick my head out the door to call for the maids. I have them clear out the trash from around the bed, vacuum, put fresh sheets on the mattress, and shoo them away once the room doesn’t feel so stuffy anymore.
I relocate Alex to her bed, witnessing the visible relief on her face when she feels how clean the sheets are on her naked skin. She meets my gaze with a concerned expression, whimpering when I don’t look away.
“Better?” I ask in a low voice.
She shivers and then nods.
I kiss her nose. “I’ll get you something to wear.”
A moment later, she’s in pink cotton panties, a large knit sweater, and yoga pants. I’m sliding a pair of fluffy socks over her toes when she whispers, “Who do you think did it, Soren?”
I shake my head. “I don’t know, sugar.”
“Here, I found this.” I glance up to see her extending a card. “It was on his body when…” She clears her throat and waves the card. “Just take it.”
I frown while accepting the card. I read the text, shock rattling my system. “There’s no way.”
“I think it’s my fault he was killed.”
“Alex, you can’t think that.”
She shakes her head, playing with a wet strand of hair. “How can I not? Maybe I pushed Parker too hard by not being faithful to him.”
“I don’t believe it was the Somervilles, Alex. They got what they wanted, which was you. Why would they kill Lev?”
“Because of me.”
“Sugar, you have to get that out of your head. It was probably the Persian.”
She scoffs angrily and rolls her eyes. “I believe the Persian is a myth and that someone in our circle killed Lev.” She pauses for a moment before adding, “It could even have been his own father.”
“It couldn’t have been one of them either.” I try to keep my voice steady, but the way she looks at me tells me she notices my doubt. Fuck me, I have no idea what to think anymore. “Whoever killed your father also killed Lev. I truly don’t think it was your fault, darling.”
When she meets my gaze, tears flood her eyes. I hate seeing her cry like this. I despise any implication that she could have had something to do with Lev getting whacked. Her involvement is the same as ours—and we’re in way over our fucking heads at this point.
“Come here, sugar,” I whisper while opening my arms.
She falls into me without hesitation, nestling into my chest. “I was…I was going to…”
I shush her. “Don’t worry about it.”
“No, I have to tell you.” She chokes and squeezes my shoulders, wrapping her legs around my waist and clinging to me like a koala. “I was going to run away with Lev.”
Her admission stabs me. I part my lips to speak, but what the fuck am I supposed to say to that? My confidence is temporarily shaken, doubt infecting me like a poison and lacing through my body. I can feel my veins turning black as it races to my heart, preparing to stop the muscle from working.
After taking a deep breath, I let the panic wash through me. I let it pass. I tilt Alex back on the bed, guiding her into a horizontal position while shimmying between her thighs. While cradling her neck, I press my lips to hers, feeling victorious at the way her legs instinctively expand to accommodate me.
She pulls back from my kiss and whispers, “I don’t want to do this.”
“Do what?”
“Marriage.”