Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

VEDA

M y sister had no motivation. Nova dragged her feet through life constantly complaining about every little thing. People suck, this sucks, I don’t want to, why do I have to, and so on. She even found faults in the good things. Her boyfriend was a perfect example of this. I wasn’t a fan of Gio Mancini, or any Mancini for that matter – Atlas destroyed any trust I had in that family – but he loved my sister despite all the complaining she did about him.

The way he looked at her was the way my father used to look at my mother. As if she was the only person in the world. Gio Mancini may not be a good man, but he would burn the world down to keep Nova safe. It was that look that allowed me to be happy for her.

Or at least pretend to be.

I don’t think anything really made me happy anymore. All my smiles were forced, and laughing took more effort than running a marathon. The only thing I felt anymore was fear. I knew what was really out there hiding in broad daylight. I’d seen the monsters behind a charming smile and beautiful face. I felt the cold touch of the reaper, and his name wasn’t Atlas Mancini.

Atlas was just one of the monsters walking around in the world. But he wasn’t the worst. That face I saw every time I looked at my son.

“Veda, you almost done in there?”

“Yeah,” I called back out to my partner Hanna. “I just have the sink and counters left.”

I sprayed the stainless steel bin and breathed in the fresh lemon scent.

Some people considered being a maid a mundane job, but I liked it. There was a peace that could be found in the shiny surface of a clean counter. With a few swipes of a cloth, what was once fouled with dirt and grime became pure and untainted. Some things could never be cleansed like that. Some stains left a permanent mark. Like the one on my soul.

Once upon a time, I was a normal girl. I had a social life and went out with boyfriends. I was carefree and happy. Until I met him.

One date changed my life forever. My brother was in jail, my sister gave up, and I was hiding. Keeping my head down and staying to myself was the only way to avoid the evil in the world. Because the second you stepped outside, it could see you. The happy carefree girls couldn’t see it, but I could. I felt it watching me around every corner. There was no such thing as safe.

Not even this fancy house with its gated yard was safe. I could still feel danger lurking in the shadows. It was everywhere. In the pretty garden outside, and grand entryway. It was even in the way Mr. Donahue watched me clean his kitchen.

He was sitting at the table, drinking coffee while holding a newspaper open. But his eyes weren’t reading the articles, there were following me.

Trying to put it out of mind, I focused on my work and moved over to the counters. I wiped away the crumbs on the marble surface, and watched as the stone glimmered while Mr. Donahue continued to sip on his beverage. The soft slurping sounds rang through my ears, causing my heart to pick up pace. No matter how much my hand scrubbed the counter, I couldn’t chase that sound away.

Sip.

Sip.

Sip.

It was like a warning bell ringing in my head. At first glance one wouldn’t think Mr. Donahue was a bad man. He seemed like a good husband and doting father who enjoyed playing with his kids. He wasn’t intimidating either. Not too tall, with a slight frame and fairly quiet. A normal guy with a corporate job. Nothing to be scared of, right?

Wrong.

Looks could be deceiving. There was a glint in his eye. A spark of yearning that darkened when I was around. He wanted something from me. So far he hadn’t acted on it. That didn’t mean that one day he wouldn’t decide to take it. Maybe that day would be today. Who would stop him? There was no one else here but Hanna, myself and him. We were locked in here, with a hungry beast.

It took everything I had not to jump back and scream when his voice rang through the room.

“Could you get that spot on the floor, it’s been driving my wife nuts?”

I looked over to where he nodded. I could see a small blue mark on the tile in the corner. To get at it, I’d have to get down on the ground and have my back to him. I didn’t like that, but I smiled anyway.

“No problem.”

I had no choice but to walk over and bend down. This was my job. My means to take care of my son. I would do anything for him. Some people thought I was crazy for keeping him, but it didn’t matter how he came to me. Knox was mine. My baby boy was the only pure thing left from that night. Every time I saw him smile, I got a glimpse of that carefree girl who used to smile in me. He was all that was left of her.

It didn’t take me long to scrub away the mark. Then again maybe it did. My ears were too focused on the sounds in the room to keep track of time. While Mr. Donahue wasn’t actually reading his newspaper, he kept up appearances. Thumbed through it and turned pages. I hadn’t heard a page flip in far too long.

Wiping my sweaty palms on my uniform, I stood up and prepared myself for what might be coming. The breath I was holding didn’t come out until I turned around and saw him still seated at the table. He wasn’t looking at me anymore. Then again maybe he was and he didn’t want me to know? Would he pounce if I turned my back on him? Was he waiting for the right time?

Where was Hanna?

I kept my eyes on him and side stepped around the island to where I left my supplies. “All done in here.”

He lifted his head and gave me a smile. “See you next week.”

My stomach twisted at those words. Did he seem too eager for next week, or was it just me? He could be planning something. Either way, I didn’t like the way he smiled at me.

I scurried out of the kitchen and went off in search of Hanna. I didn’t want to be in here any longer than I had to. Thankfully, I found her waiting for me by the door. Her smile didn’t bother me.

“You ready?”

More than ready.

“Yes,” I nodded.

Let’s get out of here.

A relieved breath brushed past my lips when we stepped outside and headed for the blue car with Sunny Side Domestics on the side. Other than Mr. Donahue’s BMW, that should’ve been the only vehicle in the driveway. But it wasn’t. There was a red truck parked in front of our car.

My nose crinkled as Hanna rolled her eyes. “Don’t tell me you forgot?”

What did I forget?

“My appointment.” When I didn’t respond, Hanna gave me a pointed look. “I have to leave early.”

“Oh, right?” I did forget about that.

Hanna dropped the keys in my hand and suddenly the Sunny Side car looked darker and ominous. As if it was waiting to take me into the depths of hell. I didn’t like the idea of working alone, and we weren’t supposed to. Company mandate dictated that there was always more than one maid in a residence. Of course, there were exceptions, as far as the bosses were concerned. Nor could I argue and keep my job. Cleaners weren’t exactly hard to come by. But still…

“I thought this was the last house.”

When I was informed of Hanna’s appointment, I was told we would have an early day. We, not her.

“We got a last-minute call.” She explained.

Okay, those happened.

“Why didn’t they give it to someone else?” There were plenty of other teams available.

She held out a piece of paper and shrugged. “They requested you, I guess.”

They requested me? That was weird. Maybe it was one of my regulars, like Mrs. Winston. I didn’t mind her. She was a sweet older woman who was a bit lonely. Sometimes I thought she made appointments just so she’d have someone to talk to.

I waved goodbye to Hanna and headed off for the car. One house alone wasn’t bad. I could do that.

The second I read the name at the top of the address, I froze.

Cesare Mancini.