Penélope.”
Tobias buried his face in his hands. His heart started beating so fast that he felt as if it would pop out of his chest. He wiped the sweat out of his eyes and grunted. He looked up to see Annabel gazing at him curiously with her legs crossed. He sighed. “Obviously, someone made that video to blackmail Antonio’s uncle. We just need to think who.”
“That list could go on and on,” Annabel said. “He’s the head of The Dominguez Organization. They’re huge. Anyone could want to blackmail him, even Antonio.”
“You said that earlier, but it still doesn’t make sense.”
Annabel shrugged. “Come to think of it, that’s the only thing that does make sense. How else could Penélope have had the recording on her? Unless she was working with someone else to take Juan down. Maybe even the police.”
“You think?”
Annabel banged her head against the arm of the sofa twice. “I don’t know anymore. None of it adds up.”
Tobias leaned his forehead to the wall for a few seconds before turning to face Annabel. “What if we did the same?”
“What do you mean?”
“We’ve got the video, right? He won’t want to go to jail. What if we blackmailed him?”
Annabel stood up in a huff, glared at him and walked to the kitchen, where she lit a cigarette.
“Just hear me out,” Tobias said, running after her. He lit a cigarette, too, cursing himself for restarting a habit he’d taken so long to kick.
“And what exactly do you think we can get out of Juan Cabrera, even with this recording?” She rolled her eyes at him and took a drag on her cigarette. “If we try and blackmail him, it will make him more determined to see us dead. And if Antonio did make the tape, he’ll also make sure there’s no evidence of that. What do you think happens to us then?” Her breathing relaxed. “You need to get all thoughts of blackmail out of your head.”
Tobias stubbed his cigarette in the sink with almost half of it left. He filled a glass with water. “Okay. I guess I’m just scared. You have to understand, this kind of stuff never happens to me.” He walked back to the front room, Annabel close behind. “Put me in a room full of CEOs or directors and I’ll own them. Show me a girl who hates men and I’ll convert her.” Annabel smiled. “That’s what I do.” His voice became shakier. “I know I’m not the nicest guy when it comes to women. Yeah, I’m a bit of a player, but who isn’t?” He put a hand over his mouth and squinted. His eyes slowly turned red. “I ... I—”
Annabel held his right hand tenderly. “It’s fine. You don’t deserve this, Tobias. As angry as I am with Antonio, you shouldn’t be dragged into this, but it is what it is.” She put her hands on his shoulders and looked into his eyes. “But if we’re going to get away from this, you need to trust me.” She glanced toward the front door. “I saw the way you were when I was opening the door. I saw where your hand was.”
Tobias looked at the floor in embarrassment.
“I’ve lost something, too. She was the best person I knew”—she scowled—“and if it’s the last thing I do, I’ll find whoever killed her.”
Tobias stood still for a moment before taking a step back. “It’s cool. For better or worse, we’re in this together, right?”
“Right.”
“Okay then.” He sighed and arched his neck back. “So what can we eat around here?”
Annabel walked into the bedroom and returned with a medium-size suitcase. “First things first. We need to get rid of everything. Clothes, credit cards, everything.” She unzipped it to reveal at least four pairs of jogging bottoms, sweaters and sneakers.
“A tad casual, isn’t it?”
Annabel unbuttoned her shirt and removed it. “That’s the point. There can be no link to who we used to be.” She pulled her jeans down. Tobias forced his eyes toward the window.
Annabel eased herself into baggy blue jogging bottoms and a matching sweater. She opened
Tobias buried his face in his hands. His heart started beating so fast that he felt as if it would pop out of his chest. He wiped the sweat out of his eyes and grunted. He looked up to see Annabel gazing at him curiously with her legs crossed. He sighed. “Obviously, someone made that video to blackmail Antonio’s uncle. We just need to think who.”
“That list could go on and on,” Annabel said. “He’s the head of The Dominguez Organization. They’re huge. Anyone could want to blackmail him, even Antonio.”
“You said that earlier, but it still doesn’t make sense.”
Annabel shrugged. “Come to think of it, that’s the only thing that does make sense. How else could Penélope have had the recording on her? Unless she was working with someone else to take Juan down. Maybe even the police.”
“You think?”
Annabel banged her head against the arm of the sofa twice. “I don’t know anymore. None of it adds up.”
Tobias leaned his forehead to the wall for a few seconds before turning to face Annabel. “What if we did the same?”
“What do you mean?”
“We’ve got the video, right? He won’t want to go to jail. What if we blackmailed him?”
Annabel stood up in a huff, glared at him and walked to the kitchen, where she lit a cigarette.
“Just hear me out,” Tobias said, running after her. He lit a cigarette, too, cursing himself for restarting a habit he’d taken so long to kick.
“And what exactly do you think we can get out of Juan Cabrera, even with this recording?” She rolled her eyes at him and took a drag on her cigarette. “If we try and blackmail him, it will make him more determined to see us dead. And if Antonio did make the tape, he’ll also make sure there’s no evidence of that. What do you think happens to us then?” Her breathing relaxed. “You need to get all thoughts of blackmail out of your head.”
Tobias stubbed his cigarette in the sink with almost half of it left. He filled a glass with water. “Okay. I guess I’m just scared. You have to understand, this kind of stuff never happens to me.” He walked back to the front room, Annabel close behind. “Put me in a room full of CEOs or directors and I’ll own them. Show me a girl who hates men and I’ll convert her.” Annabel smiled. “That’s what I do.” His voice became shakier. “I know I’m not the nicest guy when it comes to women. Yeah, I’m a bit of a player, but who isn’t?” He put a hand over his mouth and squinted. His eyes slowly turned red. “I ... I—”
Annabel held his right hand tenderly. “It’s fine. You don’t deserve this, Tobias. As angry as I am with Antonio, you shouldn’t be dragged into this, but it is what it is.” She put her hands on his shoulders and looked into his eyes. “But if we’re going to get away from this, you need to trust me.” She glanced toward the front door. “I saw the way you were when I was opening the door. I saw where your hand was.”
Tobias looked at the floor in embarrassment.
“I’ve lost something, too. She was the best person I knew”—she scowled—“and if it’s the last thing I do, I’ll find whoever killed her.”
Tobias stood still for a moment before taking a step back. “It’s cool. For better or worse, we’re in this together, right?”
“Right.”
“Okay then.” He sighed and arched his neck back. “So what can we eat around here?”
Annabel walked into the bedroom and returned with a medium-size suitcase. “First things first. We need to get rid of everything. Clothes, credit cards, everything.” She unzipped it to reveal at least four pairs of jogging bottoms, sweaters and sneakers.
“A tad casual, isn’t it?”
Annabel unbuttoned her shirt and removed it. “That’s the point. There can be no link to who we used to be.” She pulled her jeans down. Tobias forced his eyes toward the window.
Annabel eased herself into baggy blue jogging bottoms and a matching sweater. She opened
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