âMost people would have taken their millions and disappeared. But she never gave up on her brother. I admire the loyaltyââ
âAfter five fucking years? Thatâs not loyalty, itâs obsession.â TJ poured a generous amount of whisky into a crystal glass and handed it to Rick. âMy mission in life is to persuade her to give up the search. Any ideas?â
Rickâs backbone straightened. âAre you so sure heâs dead? Because otherwise, who am I to tell her sheâs wrong?â
âGood point. Except Trent himself believed the victims die instantly. Torn apart by cosmic forces right there in the sinkhole. Hopefully without pain, but thatâs another issue. Agreed?â
âAgreed.â Rick downed the drink in one gulp. âSo? You and Alexia?â
âYou noticed the sexual tension?â TJ chuckled. âItâs legendary.â Settling into a leather armchair next to the fireplace, he motioned for Rick to take the opposite seat. âI became an honorary member of the Montoya family when she was just a kid. I wanted to be a second big brother to her, but by the time she was sixteen, she was openly lusting for me. And trust me, it wasnât easy to ignore, since that dynamite body was already emerging. But I was Trentâs friendâhis brother in a very real senseâso I pretended not to notice.â
What an a-holeâ¦
TJ shrugged as though heâd heard Rickâs indictment. âIf you could see how she threw herself at me, you wouldnât judge. Anyway, the family went through a lot after that, and I was there to support them. First the mom ran off with another guy. Then she died. Then Roberto died the next year. So when Trent won the Nobel Prize for discovering how to recycle bio-metal, we were on top of the world. Trent, me and Lexie. She had just started college, but came home for the party. You should have seen her,â he insisted reverently. âSexy and legal. And all of us were drinking our weight in cocktails. So I danced with her, and it went crazy fast, to the point where she put her hand down the front of my pantsââ
âYou know,â Rick interjected, âI donât actually want to hear this crap.â
âBut itâs relevant,â TJ insisted. âBased on one excellent hand job, Alexia believed we were now a couple. But as soon as I sobered up, I knew it was a mistake and told her so. She was so freaking pissed. Hell hath no fury, right? She ran out of there like her hair was on fire. Trent noticed it and complimented me.â
âHuh?â
âYeah, he figured I had resisted her and thanked me for having such great self-control. Obviously, I couldnât tell him what actually happened, but I did confess I was beginning to find her attractive. And he surprised me by begging me to marry her. He claimed he and Roberto had always dreamed it would happen, knowing sheâd be in good hands with me.â
Determined to put an end to the subject, Rick glanced toward the hall leading to bedrooms. âI wonder whatâs keeping her. Maybe you should check.â
âShe isnât here. She opted to stay in the other penthouse. Iâm sure sheâs on her wayââ
âAre you saying sheâs walking across the platform alone?â Rick stood and moved toward the coat rack. âYou saw how those assholes were this morning. And the dome lights are already dimmed for the night.â
âSheâs fine,â TJ assured him. âLetâs check the monitors. And remember, those guys work for me. I gave them strict instructions not to hassle her.â
âThey work for your father, not you,â Rick muttered as he buckled his gun belt.
TJ activated a monitor on a nearby desk. âSee? Sheâs right downstairs, gabbing with the night watchman.â
Relieved, Rick joined him and studied the eight-inch display. Her back was to the camera, but
Learning to Kill: Stories