8. Veronica

Chapter 8

Veronica

I sat cross-legged on my bed, the familiar hum of my laptop comforting me as I logged into our group voice chat. It was late, and I was still jittery from too much coffee, but talking to them always helped calm the whirlwind in my head.

“What’s the latest? Spill the tea,” Reed asked. She looked exhausted, and I reminded myself I needed to send her a private message to find out what was happening with her. She seemed extra tired the last few times we’d been in group chats.

“Yeah, we haven’t heard from you in days. What’s going on over there?” Calia predictably had a stack of chemistry books on her desk. I’d probably caught her neck deep in her homework, but she’d told me over and over again that she didn’t mind .

“She’s probably deep in some conspiracy theory again,” Arabella huffed.

I smirked at them and replied quickly, “Oh, you have no idea. So get this. Max pulled the security detail today.”

Reed leaned forward, obviously shocked. “Wait. What? Like, all of it? That hottie is gone?” Reed had a thing for Luca. She’d crushed on him hard for years, demanding constant photos that I’d had to sneak weekly once I’d lost a bet and ended up having to get a picture of him at the pool. Granted, I couldn’t argue it had been drool-worthy.

“Yeah, all of it. He called Natasha earlier to ‘check in’ and see if we were comfortable with it. Of course, she said yes, trying not to sound too eager about having the house to ourselves. I played along because, well, you know… I have plans.”

“You’re secretly excited, aren’t you? Oh my God.” Calia smacked herself dramatically in the face.

“Maybe.” A small grin spread across my face. They knew me too well.

Arabella sighed, “Girl, this is the opposite of what normal people do. ”

“Okay, but hear me out. This gives me freedom. With the guards gone, I can finally follow up on some of my leads without someone breathing down my neck.” I could practically hear the groans coming through the screen.

“Ronnie, please tell us you’re not planning on doing something reckless,” Reed said, then paused, looking thoughtful. “Maybe I should call Luca and tell him to come back.”

“Define reckless.” I winked. “And don’t you dare.”

“This is why we worry about you!” Calia shouted.

“No, seriously. What leads are you talking about? Is this about Eli?” Arabella had narrowed in on the crux of the issue.

They were always quick to jump in, trying to be the voices of reason. But part of them loved this as much as I did, the adrenaline, the chase.

“Okay, yes. It’s about Eli. But not just him. I think Victor left breadcrumbs behind, and if I follow them, I might find more about Eli.”

“Ronnie, Victor’s dead. What can he possibly tell you?” I could see Reed’s frustration through the screen, and suddenly, I wished desperately that we all lived closer .

“Victor leased a place a few months before he died. Somewhere outside of Phoenix. I think it could be connected to Eli somehow. They were friends, remember? I just can’t figure out why Eli doesn’t have any digital footprint. It’s like I’m looking under the wrong name. I need to figure out if he used an alias or if …” Now that I’m brainstorming, I feel like I’m rethinking things. All this time, I was looking for an Eli Walters, but that obviously wouldn’t have been a name someone hiding would have used.

“And you’re sure about this? It’s not some wild goose chase?” Calia asked in a small voice.

“I’ve cross-referenced some info on the dark web, and it all points back to this place. Victor’s name is all over the lease.”

“I don’t know, Ronnie. This sounds dangerous. You’re not exactly a seasoned investigator. What if someone jumps you?”

“I know I’m not some hotshot P.I., but I’m careful. And, listen, tomorrow I have a doctor’s appointment anyway. It’s perfect. I’ll use the time after to go check the place out. It’s not that far off from the hospital.”

“Wait. Hold up. You’re going to drive yourself?!” The burst of laughter from the three of them was relentless as it rolled over the speakers. “That’s hilarious.” I shrank a little in my chair as I sighed, rolling my eyes even though I was smiling as their giggles filled the air.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. I don’t drive much,” I agreed playing along. “But I can still do it. It’s not that hard. Input the address in the GPS, and off I go. A monkey can do it.” It was a bluff, but a bluff was all I had. Sometimes, I felt like that was the majority of my life anyway, bluffing my way through.

I’m fine.

I’ll get better.

I’m happy.

The litany of bluffs. I was the queen of bluffing.

“Oh God, please don’t crash. That’ll be a whole other mess,” Calia said. “Well, just keep your dashcam on. I want video at least,” she snorted.

“You driving? I’m almost more worried about that than this whole Eli-Victor thing,” Arabella added.

“Haha. Very funny. It’s not that big of a deal. It’s just a doctor’s appointment and a quick look at the property. I’ll be fine.” I cringed a little at my lie. It seemed like I was manufacturing one lie after another .

“Promise you’ll be careful, okay? I don’t want to hear about you going off the grid again and leaving us in the dark. You’re good at disappearing.” Reed was serious this time, and I was reminded about the last time I did go off-grid, as she mentioned. That time, I had pneumonia and was in the hospital. They’d had to track down Natasha, and she’d had to tell them I was in ICU. It’d been rough on her and them.

“I promise. I’ll keep you all updated.” I meant it.

“You better. Or we’ll track you down ourselves,” Calia said, and the others nodded in agreement.

I grinned.

“Alright, alright. You guys are so dramatic. I’ll message you after the appointment tomorrow.” I knew they’d ask for an update.

“Good. And stay safe, Ronnie. Seriously.”

I was just about to log off when a notification pinged. My security system sent an alert — something moved on the back porch. A chill raced down my spine.

“Hey, I gotta go. Something’s up.”

I didn’t wait for their replies before closing the chat window. My pulse quickened as I pulled up the live feed from the camera by the sliding door. The view wasn’t great — just the dim patio light and a few shadows cast by the chairs and table. But there, near the edge of the frame, something caught my eye.

A small box.

Another gift.

I swallowed hard, my heart hammering against my ribs. He had been here again. Watching.

Pushing the laptop aside, I moved to the back door, every nerve in my body on edge. The glass felt cool against my hand as I heaved the door open, stepping out into the night air. I crouched down to examine the box. Huh. This was different.

It was small and unassuming. But I knew better. My fingers trembled as I lifted the lid. Jewelry?

Inside, a delicate rose gold bracelet. Simple but beautiful. And it was for me.

E confusion about which task was most important meant that I lost both, the towel slipping as I tumbled onto his hard lap closer to him.

“Look at how beautiful you are with your tits out. You should be naked all the time. I could tie you up and leave you on the bed like this.” My eyes widened, and I renewed my struggles but knew it was no good. I shouldn’t like his words as much as I did. My heart hammered in my chest as his eyes roved over me.

His arms around me weren’t bruising, but they kept me in place. The fact that his face was obscured just turned me on even more as his fingers removed the rest of my towel. “You’re wet for me, aren’t you, little goddess? Don’t deny it. If I slid my fingers between your legs, what would I find? Hmm?”

“Nothing. You’re disgusting.” His eyes narrowed at my words.

“Wear the bracelet, or I’ll punish you, little liar.” I wiggled, but he moved, dumping me unceremoniously onto the bed where my limbs splayed, probably flashing him in a very unsexy way.

“Asshole,” I muttered as he left, but not too loudly because I knew Luca and Enzo were still in the house, which was my guess on why he had worn the bandana. Thankfully, they were leaving early tomorrow.

Maybe he’d be back. I hoped so as I pressed my thighs together and flopped back on the bed.