Us? So he was working with her father all along?
Did you see me? I’ve often wondered, but you never showed any signs that you had so I left you alone.
Why would she have seen him the night her mother died? Her stomach twisted. What was she going to do? She was here alone with him. And Hux? Was he still alive?
“I . . . I . . .” Shit, Vivi. Get it together. “Are you saying you were there the night my mother drowned?”
He sighed and shook his head. “Never were the smartest, were you?” He spoke in a voice she’d never heard from him. He’d always been kind and loving towards her. How many times had she wished she could go live with him instead of with her dad?
“I killed her, you idiot,” he confessed.
In the back of her head, a voice whispered that it wasn’t good he was telling her all this. That people didn’t confess to murder unless they were certain that the person they were confessing to wasn’t going to speak up.
And there was only one reason she wouldn’t speak up. No, maybe two. Death or a threat to her men.
But that whisper was drowned out by sheer, agonizing fury. “You killed my mother?”
“The bitch deserved it. She stuck her nose into things that weren’t her business. When she threatened to go to the cops, I knew I had to take care of her. It was almost too easy. I just threatened to kill you and she swallowed the drug concoction I gave her, then I threw her in the pool.
“You bastard!” she screamed.
He shook her, making her teeth snap. “Shut up. I’ve created enough distractions that no one should be around, but just in case they are I don’t need you screaming and bringing them over here. I was going to grab you in the mad dash as everyone left the palace, but you made it simpler for me, coming here. Much simpler.”
He looked to the pool. She stared over at it as well. What was he thinking? She was certain she didn’t want to know. Right now, all that mattered was getting answers. Then she could get away from him.
He was strong, though. Younger than her father. And Aleki had barely started teaching her self-defense moves.
“You put those boxes in the gardens? And set up the fog machine? How did you even get into Escana?”
“With a little help. I know a lot of powerful people. And the boxes and fog were a distraction. I needed a way to get you away from those three assholes you’ve hooked up with. Little slut. Tonight was the easiest night to do it. Thanks for having this ball, it really helped my plan. Oh, and for alienating that bitch who told your father where you were.”
Who? What bitch? Who would tell her father where she was? There was only one woman she’d had anything to do with since being here . . .
“Do you mean Marilyn?”
“I have no idea what her name is. I only know your father got a call from some woman telling him where you were. Gotta say, coming here was a smarter move than I gave you credit for. But then, I expected you to die in that underground garage.”
Her heart raced. She wanted to vomit. “I can’t . . . I can’t . . . you shot at me? It was you?”
“Well, not personally. I sent two of my men to grab you. One of them shot at you when you ran. I wasn’t pleased that they failed. You don’t want to know what happens when I’m not pleased. But then, you do know, don’t you? I wasn’t pleased when your mother got nosy and then threatened to go to the cops. I wasn’t pleased when William decided to betray your father. Idiot never realized that his reporter friend was double-crossing him.”
“What? He told you about what William was doing?”
“I have a number of reporters and cops on my payroll. Thankfully, William’s friend was one. Of course, none of them know who they actually work for. I have several middlemen. William’s friend contacted one of my men. I sent my man to meet with William and he made sure that William would never betray anyone else.”
“He killed him?” she whispered.
“Of course.”
He said it as though it was a normal. It made her feel sick.
“My man gave him something to make it look like he died of a heart attack. It was far less than he deserved. And it was a mistake. I should have had him tortured first for information. That would have been hard to explain though. Lieutenant Governor is tortured is not a headline we wanted. That would have too many eyes on your father.”
“T-tortured?” she stuttered.
“Yes. See, I never guessed that you were in on this with William. I thought your loyalty was tied to your father. Well, to be honest I thought you were suitably cowed and would do as he ordered. Then you texted William’s friend, saying you had the information for him.”
“So you set up that meeting with me and had your men go to get me?”