Page 69 of The Scarab's Game
Emmett pulled out his phone and showed me another auction listing. A small red jewel. “This is the scarab we’re here for. We came based on a tip that it was in Massimo’s possession. Jean-Philippe wouldn’t confess to having it, likely because it’s stolen and they’re dumping it on the black market.”
My stomach churned even more. I’d been spending all this time with Dante and in the gallery. I’d gone out to dinner with him, laughed with him, started to trust him. He’d acted like a friend. “You knew Dante was working with Fenix, didn’t you?”
“I suspected.” He placed a hand on my back, and I didn’t shy away this time. “All I knew was that Massimo had the scarab somewhere. At first, I’d wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt because it’s common enough for people to be duped when buying antiquities and art.”
“What changed your mind?” I stood still, craving his touch and fearing I’d collapse if I moved.
If Dante was such a horrible person—a liar and a thief—why would he have encouraged me to find out Emmett’s true feelings? Could I trust any of it?
Of course, I couldn’t.
Emmett had turned me down last night, hadn’t he? He rubbed my back, small circles that should have soothed me. “I didn’t want you to find out any of this.”
I pulled back to look at him, searching his eyes for the truth. “You wanted my best friend to continue lying to me for the rest of my life?”
He didn’t shake his head, disagree, or tell me the question was silly. No, he just said, “You should probably talk to her.”
I nodded slowly, tears pricking at my eyes.No crying in front of him. Not again.I pulled my phone from my purse, ready to hit Scarlett’s number, but Emmett put his hand over mine.
“Use my phone,” he said. “It’s a secure line.”
Secure line? What did that matter? And why was his phone secure?
Emmett hit the speed dial and put the phone to his ear. After a moment, he said, “I’ve got Jenn here. I told her about Noah’s body vanishing in the river, that you were too distraught to talk about searching for the body, and that he’s working with the Fenix Group now. She wants to talk to you.”
My hands shook as I accepted the phone. I couldn’t find my breath, and all I could do was stare at the phone. She’d been lying about this for two years.
Emmett and the team backed away to give me privacy.
Bringing the phone to my ear, I whispered, “Hi.”
“I’m so sorry,” Scarlett whispered back.
“What am I supposed to say?” My voice trembled, and I swallowed hard. I had to push through this. “Am I supposed to say I’m sorry you didn’t think you could tell me the truth? Or I’m sorry I couldn’t tell something was going on? Or sorry I?—”
“You don’t need to apologize for anything,” Scarlett said in a rush. “It was all me. It was grief. A whole lot of denial.”
“They honestly never found his body? You would have had police scouring every inch of the water for miles.”
“Oh, Jenn.” She let out a slow breath. “I should have told you.”
The sick churning in my stomach and the tears in my eyes faded, replaced by a fire in my belly. “You’re right, you should have. And then, when you found out he was alive, you should have told me that, too.”
“He’s not who we thought he was.”
I scoffed, bitter laughter bubbling up. “Heather always had him pegged. She always thought he was a passive-aggressive jerk.”
Scarlett gave a quiet chuckle. “Well, she was right.”
“So what now?” I dropped my head, exhaustion overwhelming me. “I’m in Monaco, supposed to be working on the job of a lifetime, hired by some rich Italian to clean a painting, and now it turns out it’s a fake. And Noah’s alive. And they’re working together.”
And your brother turned me down last night, Scar, but he slept in my bed.
“Well, it’s an adventure, isn’t it?” Scarlett said, a lightness in her tone.
The absurdity of it all hit me suddenly, and I couldn’t help but smile. “I wish you’d trusted me.”
“It was never about trust, Jenn.” She was quiet for a beat, and I straightened, looking out toward Massimo’s yacht.