Page 16 of Vows of Silence

Luca:Yes, Belle…?

I could practicallyseehis shit-eating grin through the phone.

Isabelle:You wouldn’t happen to know the code, would you, dearest?

Luca:I do not…

Damn. I really thought he might have—

The light flashed green, and then the door clicked open.

“What…” I breathed.

Luca:I do, however, know how to bypass these ridiculous systems. Never felt the need to learn his code when I could just override it whenever I felt like it.

Isabelle: I think I may love you.

Luca:I’d have preferred more than “think” but I’ll accept.

Isabelle:Shut up and keep watch.

He replied with a zipped-up mouth emoji.

I hurried inside, softly closing the door behind me, and rushed over to my dad’s desk.

Isabelle:This thing isn’t booby trapped, is it?

Luca:Yes, Belle. Yes, it is. Open the top drawer, and it will release the trapdoor beneath the desk, feeding you to the ogre that lives in your basement.

Isabelle:Oh, so that’s where you’ve been hiding when you spy on me. Good to know.

Luca:You’re not opposed to me eating you?

Isabelle:Stop distracting me and keep a lookout!

Luca:You didn’t say no to eating you. Oh, you best believe we’re putting a pin in this conversation!

I laughed despite myself.

This fucking man!

Shaking my head, I reached for the top drawer, cautiously opening it, and then feeling ridiculous when it turned out to be a regular, run-of-the-mill desk drawer.

“Don’t you dare laugh,” I said out loud, not wanting to waste precious time with texts.

I propped my phone up on the desk, our message thread open, and glanced up just as he sent an angel emoji.

“Yeah, there’s not a chance in hell you’re an angel,” I muttered, picking up a stack of papers and carefully rifling through them.

Luca:What is it you’re hoping to find?

“I’m not sure. But there has to be something. He’s clearly got something more going on than real estate.”

Luca:I wouldn’t be hiding my secret life in the top drawer, that’s for sure.

That made me pause.

“Where would you put it?”