Deadly Devotion

Chapter 14

Chiara

The silence was driving me crazy.

Nico had left a few hours ago, going back to the house to ask his head of staff about the maid suspected of poisoning me. He had told me to stay put, and that despite the creepy fucking notes I had found, the house was spotless. My brother Robbie sent some men earlier to keep watch over me, and they were currently stationed in front of my building. I didn't see why that was necessary, given the fact that no one could come in unless I gave the front desk specific authorization, but I never expected a deranged bastard to sneak in either.

The ringing of my phone stopped me from my mindless scrolling, and I smiled as I saw Stephanie's name pop on the screen. I hadn't seen her since the hospital three days ago, and I missed having her around.

“How are you?" She asked as soon as I picked up the phone.

“Bored out of my mind,” I said with a heavy sigh.

“I have just the cure for that! Get ready, I'll be at yours in 20 minutes.”

“Where are we going?” I got up, heading back into my room. The mess Nico had made was already taken care of. I was so bored I started cleaning.

Tragic.

“Brunch, and then shopping. I also brought you the notes you missed out on.”

“My hero!”

Stephanie giggled, making me smile in return. “Glad you feel that way, because you're paying.”

True to her word, twenty minutes later she called me back to let me know she was downstairs. She had gotten a cab from her place to mine because her sister had taken her car, so we got in mine and headed to our favorite brunch spot.

“Are they going to follow us everywhere?”

I glanced in my rearview mirror, spotting the black car following right behind me. “Yep.”

“That's not creepy at all.” Stephanie pulled out a lip gloss from her purse, reapplying the cherry color she loved so much. Snapping her compact mirror shut, she glanced back at me. “Has Nico found anything yet?”

“Nothing.” I eased into an empty parking spot, the place surprisingly empty for a Friday.

“Something seems odd about this whole thing.” Stephanie unclipped her seatbelt, pausing until we were both out of the car to finish her thought. “I mean, what are they trying to do exactly?”

“Kill me, most likely.” I pushed the glass doors open, the smell of fresh baked pastries engulfing my senses immediately. I took a deep breath, relishing in the delicious aroma of cinnamon buns. “You know, given the poisoned flowers.”

Stephanie pulled her chair out, setting her purse on the table as she sat down. I followed suit, the plush, velvet chairs of the restaurant easing the tension away.

A waiter rushed to us, smiling as he took our orders. We went for our usual brunch menu, croissants and slices of lemon glazed blueberry cakes with mimosas.

“I got that part,” Stephanie said once the waiter was out of earshot. “But they're going about it in such a roundabout way that it almost seems they don't know what they're doing either."

“What do you mean?”

“Well, first they started dropping your favorite flowers at your doorstep, something you wouldn't question since your husband loves giving them to you. Then they sent you pictures of your husband with his ex to make it look like he's cheating on you. After that, you get a diamond necklace, poison, then creepy notes to threaten you. I mean, are they hitting on you, trying to ruin your marriage, or trying to kill you?”