Nick sat across from Ari at the small dining table Jace brought in the day before. Apparently, he wanted to start having dinner with her. How romantic. The thought made her gag and took away her last shred of appetite. Plus, she only ate cookies. They seemed like the only thing he couldn’t drug and even then, she wasn’t sure.
Nick showed up alone, carrying a big tray of food, with two empty plates and wine glasses. “To prove the food is safe, we’re eating from the same serving dishes,” he said, arranging it on the table. “You’re too thin.”
The food smelled wonderful, way better than sandwiches and fruit. Beyond starving, Ari served herself a full plate of chicken, rice and vegetables. She didn’t even wait for Nick to serve himself, instead, shoving food in her mouth with her plastic fork.
“I’ve heard the name Reggie before,” Ari told him through a mouthful of rice.
“I’m not surprised. The girls call me Reggie.”
“No, other than that,” Ari said. “Davis called you Reg. I only just now made the connection.”
Nick flinched. Barely.
Ari took another sip of wine, feeling the effects almost immediately. “He never told me you were his brother, not really. It kind of slipped out when he was talking about you. He said the name Reg.”
“I’d rather not talk about that during dinner. Why don’t you tell me about one of the books you’re reading?”
Ari shrugged. “Why can’t we talk about it? Obviously it’s related. You obviously know I had a relationship with Davis. It obviously bothers you very much.”
“If you know it bothers me then why are you bringing it up?” He rested his fork on his plate and sighed.
“Why are you holding me captive against my will?”
“If you’re going to be like this, then I guess we can’t have dinner together right now.” He stood and began clearing the table. Ari chugged the remainder of her wine before he took the glass away. “I’d hoped this would be the beginning of a more civilized period between us, eventually resulting in you coming upstairs with the rest of the family. Obviously, that’s impossible right now.”
Ari jumped up and followed him to the door. “You keep saying this is about me, but I don’t think so. I think this is about him. You’re trying to hurt him through me.”
Nick spun, losing a wine glass in the process. It hit the ground, shattering into a million pieces. He set the tray back on the table and took a step toward her. “I know it may be impossible for you, but you need to learn to shut your mouth. One more outburst and you’ll find out how this isn’t a game you’re going to win.”
“He’s better than you,” Ari whispered, separated by a sea of glass.
Nick stepped forward, the glass crunching under his shoe. He pressed his fingers to his temples. “You don’t know anything about him.”
Ari laughed. “Okay, sure.”
“You’re right, though. This is about him. Believe it or not, you’re the only person he’s cared about since our father died.”
“Died? You killed him!”
He shook his head. “I’m sure that’s what he told you to make himself feel better. To make you love him. This vigilante crap is just his way of trying to be better than everyone else, without actually doing anything worthy. He’s a thug.”
“How can you say that? He helps those kids! He—” She remembered what Davis told her about Nick’s manipulative nature and stopped arguing. Ari backed up a little. “What do you mean I’m the only person he cares about?”
“Just that. He’s spent the last several years alone, building his little fortress and soldiers. Somehow you broke down the wall.”
“And you’re using that against him.”
“After our last altercation, I decided the best way to get back at him was to become more successful than him. More powerful. I’ve managed to do this both in the professional world and the criminal. I had been waiting for the right time to reveal myself.”
“With Alvarez? By gunning down an innocent?”
“All’s fair in love and war, Ari. You know that.”
Unfortunately, Ari did.
Chapter 24
Ari and Hope swept and cleaned the floors. The glass seemed to cover every inch of the room.
“Help me move the bed,” Ari said. The two of them pushed the bed to a clean patch of floor. Ari got on her hands and knees with a small broom and dust pan, searching for the tiny pieces.
“What’s that?” Hope asked.
In the tight space between the wall and the bedside table, Ari saw a black box. Her black box.
“I don’t know,” she lied. She didn’t exactly trust Hope. There was a reason Nick sent her down here every day, and it wasn’t just to unnerve her. Hope had gained his confidence. “Probably trash. Okay, I think I got it all. Can you push that side?”
Once they had the bed back in place, Hope took the dust pan from Ari. She casually said, “Shanna’s working tonight.”
“Where?” Ari’s heart leaped into her throat.