Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 87848 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 439(@200wpm)___ 351(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87848 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 439(@200wpm)___ 351(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
I nudge her ahead of me and she traipses in front of me, her head down, bowed in, well, probably not shame, but the facsimile of it. I pick up the rifle and put it under my arm and we both go back to the chateau where I am going to have to deal with this issue once and for all.
When we reach my office, I disassemble the rifle, just to remove the threat of the thing.
“It only has a basic scope,” I note. “That was a good shot given the circumstances. Well done.”
She stares at me, wide-eyed. I note that she put on a camouflage jacket and pants for this attempt. None of it quite fits her. More of her late husband’s things, I suppose. She is petrified, poor thing, no doubt expecting a brutal end. I perch on the desk and fix her with a firm but kind look.
“Jenny, you can’t kill me right now. Not yet. Give it a few years, you can take all the shots you want, but right now it’s just not a good time.”
She chokes on her words. “Not a good time? I can’t kill you because it’s not convenient for you right now?”
“It’s not convenient for anyone. You’re mourning your mate, but there’s a point at which you’ll realize it is for the best. I’ve initiated stipend payments so you don’t have to worry about losing any of your assets. Your house is yours. I suggest you take the time you were spending plotting my demise and think about what you want for yourself.”
She gives me an incredulous stare.
“You’re not going to hurt me?”
“I think I have hurt you enough. I am sorry for the pain I caused when I killed your mate. I maintain he deserved it, and you are better off without him, but I caused you hurt nonetheless and you are understandably furious. I don’t blame you for wanting revenge. I just ask that you serve it more coolly.”
This might seem merciful, but it is at its core, practical. I have wronged the woman, and she is right to try to gain her vengeance.
“Is this because of the detectives who were here?”
Brave question.
“No, Jenny. It’s because you just tried to explode my skull.”
“Oh.”
“Do I need to assign a detail to babysit you?”
“No, that won’t be necessary, Maître.”
I disagree there. I need to know that she is being taken care of, and that there is someone ensuring that the darkest plans emerging from her miserable mind do not come to fruition.
I pick up my phone and send a voice message. “Beau, can you come to my office, please?”
Beau is similar to Jenny in age, which is to say, significantly younger than her mate was. He served in the foreign legion for a time, and is a big man with blue eyes and dirty blond hair with a lighter trimmed beard to match.
“Do you know Jenny?”
“Barely,” he says, with a little bow to her. “Enchante, mademoiselle.”
For a woman who was just on the verge of murder avenging her mate, she is remarkably receptive with a hint of an answering smile.
“I need you to ensure that Jenny is comfortable, safe, and not getting into anything she shouldn’t,” I tell him. “For the next thirty days, I’d like you to be her constant companion and bodyguard.”
“Understood, Maître.”
“Very well. The two of you may be on your way.”
I sit down in the aftermath of the attempt on my life and I am surprised by how calm I am. My mate is God knows where doing God knows what with bodies and tags, I just had a bullet whistle by my skull by the grace of the same deity, and now I am left wondering if this is the end of things. Have we covered our tracks? Will we atone for our sins? Beatrix especially.
Ironic that I just sent Jenny away with an armed guard, but my murderous little scamp is doing as she pleases.
I also have the strangest feeling I’m still forgetting something. I used to be on top of all pack business. No matter how many irons were in the fire, I used to feel as though I had everything under control. Now I wonder if anything is under control.
I take a deep breath.
“Maître…”
“Yes, Antoine?”
“We’ve discovered a vehicle accident on the backpack road. Must have happened a couple of days ago.”
“The detectives!” I suddenly remember what I forgot to do. “I meant to send an escort after them. Was anybody hurt?”
“Well, the tree they hit isn’t happy. But they’re missing.”
“Missing?”
“The car is empty. There’s blood in it, but nothing else. We followed some tracks not far off and found a collection of bones. As if they’d been eaten by wild animals. But there are no wild wolves in this region.”
He gives me a pointed look. We all know what this means. She’s struck again. I really thought I’d gotten through to Beatrix. Calmed her down. Made her behave, but it feels as though the second my back is turned she is off murdering people.