“Again? You did kill Brine. Why?”
“He fired me,” she said simply. “He fired Glitterati and hired that bimbo Brandy.”
“This is about business?”
“Gem did the same thing,” she snarled. “Dumped me for her. I’d done all the hard work getting the clients. Wooing them. Getting their business. And here comes Brandy reaping all the rewards.”
“Why target Gem and Brine then?” I asked. “Wouldn’t it make sense to kill Brandy?”
“That’s too obvious,” she spat. “Even you would’ve figured that out. Plus, when it came down to it—Brandy wasn’t at fault. She was pursuing business. She asked my permission to start her own company, and I gave it to her.”
“Couldn’t you have just found new clients?”
“A bigger client than Gem?” Rita scoffed. “He was my plan.”
“But—”
“It wasn’t about the parties,” she said emphatically. “Working closely with Gem would’ve gotten me onto his radar. You know the old story—late nights working together, a little too much wine... We would have made for a perfect pair. He would have fallen in love with me. But then Brandy got the job, and he fell for you instead.”
The card in my hand fell to the floor. “Me?”
“He hasn’t looked at another woman since you came into his life. I should know, I’ve been watching.” She smirked. “Maybe with you out of the way, he’ll reconsider. And with you out of the way, there’ll be nobody to look into who killed Brandy Lee. With Brandy out of the way—”
“You’ve got a lot of people to get out of the way.”
“Gem is worth it,” she said. “If Glitterati merged with Gem Industries, we could rule the world.”
Rita’s face looked blissful, dreamy even. She was wildly delusional.
“No offense,” I said, “but Gem could buy your business with the change in his desk drawer.”
Her nostrils flared. “If he falls in love with me—”
“I’m not in love with you.” Gem’s voice brought silence to the room. “I’m in love with someone else.”
Rita started. While I’d been able to see the elevator doors opening behind her, she’d been completely oblivious, sucked into the conversation with me.
“Mr. Gem?” Rita whirled around. “I didn’t mean—you only heard part of the conversation.”
I pulled myself silently off the floor, made my way to Rita. It was a simple matter to wrestle the knife out of her hand and secure her in a vice-like grip.
I looked over to Gem. “Do you have any rope by chance? I left my cuffs and gun at home. Tonight of all nights. Damn dress.”
Gem silently moved over to a closet in the corner. Rita had given up struggling, instead watching the billionaire through parted lips. From a drawer, he pulled out a pair of handcuffs. There were diamonds embedded on the sides.
“Don’t ask,” he said, and handed them over.
I didn’t ask. I just slapped them on Rita and let her gurgle excuses to Gem while my mind whirred a hundred miles an hour. I quickly gathered the letter I’d dropped in our tussle and secured it for evidence, along with the knife she’d obviously intended to use against me.
By the time I finished, I was feeling weak and out of breath.
“You’ve lost a lot of blood.” Gem was at my side. “Please, sit down.”
“Okay,” I murmured, feeling wooziness setting in. “But Rita...”
The elevator doors opened again, and this time, out came Russo.
He took one look at me, then took over care of Rita. “The cops are on their way,” he announced. “Are you okay?”
“I’ll be fine,” I said, easing into Gem’s arms. He helped me onto a seat. “Gem, no offense, but this party sorta sucks.”
“I dunno,” he said with a wry smile. “You caught a murderer and a stalker, all while wearing high heels. I think it’s kind of sexy.”
Russo scoffed. “She’s bleeding. Save it, Romeo.”
“I need her to stay awake,” Gem snapped. “Nothing makes her angrier than a good compliment.”
I waited for Russo to argue, but he didn’t. It was my turn to glare at him. “And I thought you were supposed to be my partner.”
“Gem’s got a point,” Russo said. “You do look beautiful tonight.”
I rolled my eyes. “You guys are idiots.”
Then I fainted.
I OPENED MY EYES, EMBARRASSED to find a medical team surrounding me in Gem’s penthouse. The team had already bandaged me up and declared I’d need a visit to the hospital to check out my stitches properly. They also said that I would be fine.
Russo was at my side the second he saw my eyes open. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine.”
“I know you’re fine,” he said, sounding anxious. He knelt before the couch on which the medical team had placed me. “I mean, the wounds are fine. But about downstairs, I’m not sure if I should apologize or—”
I rested a hand on his wrist. Smiled. “No. You have nothing to apologize for. In fact, I need to thank you. For everything.”
Russo ran a hand over my forehead, through my hair. Then he backed away, glanced over my shoulder. “I think someone else wants to speak with you.”
As Russo returned to Rita’s side, I felt another familiar presence. My smile grew tighter as Gem sat on a chair next to the couch.
“I’m sorry about the blood,” I said. “I’m not doing very good at keeping your things neat and in one piece.”
“You say that as if it bothers me.” Gem scooted his chair closer. “I wanted to thank you. For not only helping me out with Rita, but for keeping things discreet. I know it’s not exactly protocol, but—”
“It was a favor for a friend.” I reached for his hand, gave it a light squeeze. “It was the least I could do.”
Gem nodded, glanced over at Russo and Rita. “Well then, I guess you’ll never be coming to one of my parties again.”
“You never know. It wasn’t so bad.” I winked. “Plus, it helped my close rates for the department.”
Gem barked out a laugh. “You’re something else, detective. Well, I’ll let you get some rest. Just know whatever you need for recovery—medical bills, rides, paid time off—I’d like to cover it financially. It’s the least I can do for your help in keeping letters sealed with kisses off my desk.”
“Let’s just call it even,” I said. “Friends don’t keep score.”
Gem’s lips twitched into a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Fair enough.”
“About what you said back there, in front of Rita...”
“Forget it,” he said.
My voice came out hoarse. “Did you mean it? What I think you meant?”
Gem stood. He looked back at Russo, then at me. “Would it matter, even if I did mean it?”
I swallowed. Watched Gem and Russo, and the way two very different men had come into my life and changed it for the better. And I knew, somehow, that there would be no going back.
THE END
Author’s Note
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed going along for another ride with Detective Kate Rosetti and team. The third book in the series is currently available to be ordered on Amazon. And, if you enjoyed the book, please consider taking the time to leave a review at your retailer of choice! It is much appreciated and helps other readers find books they love.
Thank you for reading!
Gina
Gina LaManna is the USA TODAY bestselling author of the Magic & Mixology series, the Lacey Luzzi Mafia Mysteries, The Little Things romantic suspense series, and the Misty Newman books.
List of Gina LaManna’s other books:
Women’s Fiction:
Pretty Guilty Women
Three Single Wives
Detective Kate Rosetti Mysteries:
Shoot the Breeze
Riddle Me This
Follow the Money
M
urder in Style:
Secrets and Stilettos
Lipstick and Lies
The Hex Files:
Wicked Never Sleeps
Wicked Long Nights
Wicked State of Mind
Wicked Moon Rising
Wicked All The Way
Wicked Twist of Fate
Wicked Ever After
Lola Pink Mystery Series:
Shades of Pink
Shades of Stars
Shades of Sunshine
Magic & Mixology Mysteries:
Hex on the Beach
Witchy Sour
Jinx & Tonic
Long Isle Iced Tea
Amuletto Kiss
MAGIC, Inc. Mysteries:
The Undercover Witch
Spellbooks & Spies (short story)
Reading Order for Lacey Luzzi:
Lacey Luzzi: Scooped
Lacey Luzzi: Sprinkled
Lacey Luzzi: Sparkled
Lacey Luzzi: Salted
Lacey Luzzi: Sauced
Lacey Luzzi: S'mored
Lacey Luzzi: Spooked
Lacey Luzzi: Seasoned
Lacey Luzzi: Spiced
Lacey Luzzi: Suckered
Lacey Luzzi: Sprouted
Lacey Luzzi: Shaved
The Little Things Mystery Series:
One Little Wish
Two Little Lies
Misty Newman:
Teased to Death
Short Story in Killer Beach Reads
Chick Lit:
Girl Tripping
Gina also writes books for kids under the Pen Name Libby LaManna:
Mini Pie the Spy!