Chapter 15 · Furniture

"Nico!"

The voice hit the garage like a slap, and his hand left mine before I even felt the letting go. He turned so fast his jacket cracked in the air.

A woman came down the stairwell two steps at a time, heels loud on concrete, black coat swinging open. Late thirties maybe. Same jawline as Nico. Same flat, don't-test-me eyes.

"Renata." His voice went careful. Not scared. Careful, which was worse, because I'd never heard him careful before.

"You put a gun on Vince Marchetti in a parking structure with cameras on every pillar." She said it like a grocery list. "You want to explain that to the council, or should I."

"He put a gun on Eli first."

Her eyes landed on me for the first time. Slow. Head to foot, like she was pricing me.

"So this is him."

"Eli," I said, because nobody else was going to introduce me. "The husband. Currently still alive, if anyone cares."

Her mouth twitched. Not a smile. Close to one. "He's got a mouth."

"He's got a name on a marriage license," Nico said. "That's the problem."

Renata's face didn't move but something behind it did.