Charlene made eye contact with me and snapped out of shock. Without a word, she turned to lead me through the back hall and into the kitchen. A chef and a small crew were bustling around, working on desserts.

"No one is to go into the freezer until further notice," Charlene announced.

The chef casually nodded as she was plating a tray of clafoutis, barely looking up like it was a normal order to receive. Hell, maybe it was with Lucia in charge.

I followed Charlene past the pantry and down another hall where they stored the catering supplies. As I glanced down at the tray in my hands, that pink-gray dead-head liquid had begun to seep out around the lip of the lid. My knuckles went white, tightening around the handles, trying to keep it level while I kept up with Charlene. Just ahead, she stopped in front of an old wooden door with a small glass window and unfastened the bolts.

"Just place it on the shelf in the back. We only use fresh ingredients for parties so it won't be bothered here. Lucia can decide what she wants done with it later."

My heart began to pound hard enough to rattle the tray as I stepped up into the freezer. A shiver shook my whole body, not just from the cold, but also triggered from the memory of the last freezer I had walked into full of hacked up body parts back in Bay City. I guess I should have been relieved to see this one was nearly empty.

I hurried to set the tray down on the shelf.

"It's a shame, Kirby, I still could have used you." Charlene's voice was barely audible over the hum of the freezer's fan.

"Huh?"

"But you have ruined enough of the night."

As I turned around, the freezer door shut in my face. The slide of the bolts cracked. I frantically groped the panel for a handle in the dark. The only light came from the tiny square glass window. My fists pounded the freezing steel interior, palms slapped at the glass while I screamed for Charlene to let me out in vain.

She glared with satisfaction before turning off every overhead light except the farthest. Then she disappeared around the corner.

The condensation from my breath on the glass had already frosted over. I would be lucky if I made it a couple hours before freezing to death. And that was if I didn't asphyxiate first.

But Desirae would come looking for me. I knew she would. I just had to hold out until then. And hope she knew where to look. And hope she slowed down on the wine intake. And didn't get distracted by Artemisia. Or any one of the other beautiful women who had their eyes on her.

We don't split up.

Why didn't I just listen to her?

My breathing was becoming more rapid and shallow with panic. And my self-awareness only made it worse. I didn't know whether to try to keep moving to stay warm or try to conserve the oxygen in this four by four cell. My eyes refused to adjust to the darkness, fucking with my sense of space and depth perception. I continued to yell and pound for help, but none of the staff had any reason to come back here.

Charlene had made sure of it.

In defeat, I slid down to the floor and tried to cover myself as best as I could with the thin fabric of the dress. I kept telling myself that Desirae would come looking for me. And Artemisia would show her where to go. She would probably be the first of either of them to realize I had been gone too long. She was always keeping tabs on me.

But she was also focused on Desirae tonight.

And Desirae was reciprocating her attention.

I tried to imagine the two of them younger, innocent, and in love; Artemisia in expensive athleisure wear that she probably bought just so she could run with Desirae in the mornings; Desirae gutting her average pace time just so Artemisia could keep up; the two of them sharing coffee afterwards.

Part of me felt happy for them, that they were rekindling something so beautiful. But I wasn't expecting to lose them both. To each other, no less. Maybe my sole purpose in their lives was just to reunite them. If I was gonna die tonight, at least I had accomplished that for them.

Above me, a beam of light shot through the window, penetrating the dark void.

I shot to my feet.

"Wow, plot twist. Did not see that one coming." A familiar pair of dark eyes and brown curls peeked in through the window at me. Chaya laughed through the door with a beaming white smile. As she glanced down, metal clanged and the first bolt slid open. "Except, I totally did. Charlene hates you, mate."

"You." My jaw clenched. "You fucking bitch."

Her head of curls lifted. The bolt slid closed again. "Well, shit, I was gonna let you out, but not with that attitude."

My hand slapped the glass at her face. "You got me into this fucking mess."

"Me? I reckon you got yourself into this mess, love."

"You left me in bed, naked, with Georgiy's body then served his head on a platter to intimidate Lu. She knows the Brotherhood is after her. And she knows you turned on her."

Chaya's thick brows raised. "Was that what the fuss was at dinner? Props to Lu for keeping her cool, then yeah?"

"You're saying it wasn't you?" Whipping around to the shelf, I flung the metal lid off with a clatter and lifted the tray so she could stare into the dull gray head of her supposed grandfather. "That this wasn't your work?"

Her face scrunched with repulsion, but not exactly horror. "Trust me, with the number attached to that detached head, I'd own it in a heartbeat if I'd done it. But I know better."

"But you—" I realized I was shaking, chest heaving. "You killed him. You were getting your revenge. That's why you were at the villa."

"I was at the villa because I was looking for my mum's necklace. But Lu has it. I'm certain she's wearing it tonight. That's why I've been trying to get your attention all evening."

"My attention?"

"I was out on the balconies. Tossed a couple stones your way, but you were distracted." Chaya's eyebrows furrowed as she glanced down at the tray again. "Christ, Mac, put the lid back on him, would ya? He's freaking me out, staring at me with the same face that told me he ran over my dog."

"Oh, right, sorry." I turned and set the tray back down on the shelf. My fingers fumbled to pick up the lid, all stiff and numb. "If it wasn't you, then..." The hacked edge of Georgiy's neck was facing me now.

"Are you fucking that Agency baddie? It was getting pretty hot between the two of you upstairs."

"Who? Desirae?" I forced myself to look closer at the cut. Wide jagged tears of skin and muscle. It certainly didn't look like it was done with one clean slice. But also not with some type of toothed hacksaw like I had seen with the heads back in Bay City. "I am—well, I was. We were. But she's with Artemisia now."

"Is that why you kidnapped her?"

"I didn't—" I spun back around and stepped back up to the door. "Can you please let me the fuck out before I freeze to death?"

"You've barely been in there for five minutes, Mac."

"Really?" I ran my hands up and down my arms to try to warm them back up. "Well, it's deceptive in the dark."

"I saw the whole thing, love. I always told Lu she needed to watch out for Charlene. Guess I should have warned you too."

I would have rolled my eyes if my face wasn't so cold. "Chaya, open the door. My nipples are about to break off."

Her eyes lowered to my chest as she slowly slid the first bolt open. "How about a thank you for saving your life not once, but twice now in as many days?"

I really was grateful, but more confused now than ever. My chest burned as I took a deep cold breath. "Thank you, Chaya."

The last bolt cracked open against the door with her smile. "You're welcome, Mac."

She swung the door open and my numb legs didn't communicate with the rest of my body. I stumbled forward, catching in her arms.

"You really are cold," she murmured. "Do I need to warm you back up?"

My hands slid down her flexed arms. A black athletic crop top with matching leggings sculpted every muscle in her body. Not exactly dress code for the evening. She clearly was here for other reasons. "Are you really an assassin?"

"Ask half the women in there where their husbands are." Her grip on my waist didn't loosen. "Does that bother you?"

"Did we fuck the other night?"

She looked at me skeptically. "You were out of it. I would never."

"And you didn't drug me?"

"No, of course not. You fell asleep in the bathtub after I helped you get your dress back up. You don't remember anything?"

"Desirae thinks Georgiy's vodka was poisoned with turpentine."

"Like how Lu got rid of the first husband?" Chaya smirked, but shook her head. "It was sealed when I opened it at the villa for you. There's no way—" But a realization lit her eyes up with a glimmer.

"What?"

"He gets it straight from Mikhailov's."

"So they poisoned it?"

"Possibly. Everyone wanted Grandad dead." A pair of footsteps echoed from the kitchen. Chaya pushed me into the dark corner next to the freezer. My body finally began to dethaw with hers pressed so close to mine. When she was sure no one was heading our way, she continued. "But Charlene is married to one of the Mikhailov boys."

I leaned back against the wall to let all that soak in.

"See? I even said it earlier, you gotta watch out for Charlene," Chaya stated. I could tell her mind was racing like mine. "She's obsessed with Lu."

"I dunno, I've seen obsession up close and personal. Unfortunately..." I shook my head. "Charlene is obsessed, but not with Lu, it's with the club here. Her goal wasn't just to kill Georgiy. If the vodka is poisoned with turpentine, she wanted it to look like Lu did it."

"And then you mucked up that plan for her," she laughed. "Well done, Mac."

I smiled, but that wasn't the accolade I wanted. "I still don't understand what happened that night though. Why did you leave?"

"I figured you were all right to leave in the tub. Wouldn't be the first time Lu found a random woman in her bedroom. But she wouldn't have been too happy to find me rummaging through all her jewelry."

"She came home that night?"

"Yeah, I dipped as soon as I saw her step out of the black Ferrari that pulled up."

My jaw almost fell open. "You're kidding me."

"Mac, I saved your ass and needed to save my own. After I turned down the hit on Lu, they're all after me now."

"No, no, it's not that. She fucking lied to me."

"Who?"

"Lucia. She told me she saw a black Ferrari on her security cam app, but couldn't see who was driving. Clearly, she knew."

"Who was it?"

"Artemisia."

Chaya took a step back. "Mate, just get out while you still can."

"I can't. I'm kinda wanted for murder and I'm trying to prove I didn't do it. Desirae's right, I need her fucking phone so I can access the security footage."

"Lu didn't have the cams on her phone. Grandad never let her, likely because of all the sex workers and art dealings. Everything would be on his phone."

"Great. Which means the police likely have it back in Pozzallo."

Chaya shrugged with a glint in her eye. "Or maybe Lu happened to have it hidden away in her dresser here."

I threw my arms around her neck and squeezed her tight.

"Don't get too excited," she warned. "It's locked."

"That's fine. I'll figure that out later." I began to pat her down, feeling her legs tighten beneath my touch. "Where is it?"

"I'm gonna need a favor, Mac."

My fingers slowly slid up along the inseam of her leggings. "What do you want?"

"My mum's necklace."