Accardi (Genevieve and Matteo) by Allison Franklin novel Chapter 109

Chapter One Hundred and Nine

Gen kept her head propped up in her hands while she tried and failed to read the latest email she’d received from the new PR Rep, Cindy. Gen took her glasses off, rubbed her eyes and put them back on. She felt like shit. She hadn’t been able to keep anything down all weekend. Her fever wasn’t high but her body… it just felt off. Matteo said her symptoms didn’t align with being poisoned or the ‘small sedative‘ Frankie had administered. He assured her over and over it was merely a cold brought on by the shock of killing someone for the first time. But he hadn’t been able to hide the worry in his eyes each time he’d

press the back of his hand to her forehead.

Killing someone for the first time. She couldn’t figure out what bothered her more about that sentence. The fact that she, Genevieve Belle Sinclair, had murdered someone or that it was implied it would happen again. She groaned as another wave of nausea hit her. She stood up and crossed the room. She turned her back and pressed her head to the cool glass of the window. She’d discovered this trick one morning in which Matteo had to take a few important calls and attend meetings. He’d invited Jada over to keep her company while he was out. When they’d run out of ice packs, Jada passed along her very own

hangover remedy.

“All you need is a window!” Jada yelled far too loudly for Gen’s sensitive cars.

It wasn’t the only helpful bit of wisdom that Jada had to impart. Luckily Jada had already been told of the sin Gen had committed so she didn’t have to voice it aloud, making it more real. They spent most of their morning with their heads pressed to glass, discussing Jada’s own downfalls into the darkness that was involved with the mafia. Jada had never committed murder herself, but she’d been around enough men and women to know the best ways to help get them through it: food, discussion, and activities that kept the mind from spiraling.

The activities were easy. They’d watched celebrity gossip channels, looked at images the press had released from the Royale, and browsed pictures of puppies up for adoption at the local humane society for Jada to surprise Louis with. The food part… that wasn’t so easy. Nothing helped her stomach. Even her favorites made nausea roll through her. She chalked it up to the deed she had done. Every time she thought of the blood it made her queasy. Despite the fact that Matteo had done a great job in eliminating any trace of blood on her skin and clothes, she could still feel it dripping down her face, along her

arms, soaking into his hoodie.

Gen shivered at the same time as her phone pinged. She pulled it from her sweater pocket and looked down at the text from her roommates‘ group chat.

Sarah: All done here. Detective Johnson said he would keep us updated and he gave me his phone number in case any of us have any questions. Flyers should be printed if you can pick those up on your way home, Louise.

Louise: Headed there now! I spoke with a few of her coworkers and they’re up for helping us do a search tomorrow! Don’t worry, guys, I know

she’s okay. We’ll find her!

Sarah had called Gen that morning to inform her the girls were putting in a missing persons report for Becca. Sarah had gone on and on about how she hadn’t been able to get in contact with any of Becca’s family. It had taken all of Gen’s willpower to not tell her friend that her only family, her brother, was the reason why Becca wouldn’t be coming home. Matteo had his men searching for Becca’s… body. He promised they wouldn’t stop until they had answers.

Her stomach turned over again and she pressed her hand to her mouth.

After a few minutes she opened her eyes and saw Leo walking down the hall carrying a white pharmacy bag. She moved a foot over and pressed her head back against a part of the window that was still cool. She shut her eyes and sighed. A moment later a crackle came over the intercom on her desk.

“Genevieve?” Matteo called.

She groaned and staggered forward. She hit the button. “Yes?”

“Come to my office,” he ordered.

She sighed, took a deep breath and walked toward his office with one eye shut. She reached the door just as Leo was stepping out. His knowing eyes missed nothing as his regard swept over her, calculating what may be wrong. He held the door open for her to pass by. She thanked him before stepping inside. Matteo was partially seated on the side of his desk closest to the door. He didn’t lift his head while he pulled medications from the pharmacy bag and lined

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Chapter One Hundred and Nine

them up beside each other.

“What is…”

“How are your symptoms?” he asked, looking up and scouring her face for any changes.

“I’m… I’m fine, what did you…”

He pressed the back of his hand to her forehead and clicked his tongue. “This will help with the fever,” he said, holding out a liquid bottle for her to take.

He stood up and turned away from her.

“Are you still feeling nauseous?” he asked, holding up a bottle of pills to read.

“Yes.”

“And have you been able to keep anything down?”

Gen chuckled. “Matteo…”

“Your body should have acclimated by now. The stress of the weekend must have brought about some kind of flu or something. Just take all of these,” he

said, putting them all back in the bag and handing it to her. She glanced down at the seven different bottles. She looked up with a brow raised in

amusement. He shrugged but his face remained completely serious. “It’ll make me feel better.”

“Okay, I’ll take them if it will help alleviate some of your stress.”

“I’m not…”

Gen gave him a look.

“Just take them, Weakness,” Matteo said. His phone rang and one look at the caller ID had him walking around to his side of the desk. “I have to get this. Take them all, Gen. Hello?”

Gen rolled her eyes and left his office. She set down the various pain killers, stomach remedies and liquid cough medicines on her desk. She shook her head and started reading over each medicine to decide what to take. She was certain at least two of them would be enough to knock her on her ass. While reading one label she noticed a disclaimer: may cause certain hormonal birth controls to become ineffective.

“We certainly don’t want that, do we?” she giggled, setting it aside and moving on to the next bottle.

She continued to read the words on the bottles: looking but no longer comprehending. Her mind had shifted elsewhere. Her gaze flicked up to the window. She stood up from her chair.

“Kaitlin, I’m taking an early lunch,” Gen informed her assistant as she walked down the hall.

“O–okay! I’ll reschedule your appointment with Mrs. Tutt then!” she called after her.

Genevieve jogged down the steps and pushed through the doors of the front lobby. She kept her head down, now deep in thought and her own calculations, as she walked toward the sidewalk.

“Miss Sinclair,” Leo called.

Gen looked up to find him and Stephen waiting by the SUV. She skidded to a stop, still unsure how it was Leo always knew when she was leaving the

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Chapter One Hundred and Nine

building. He gestured to the door he’d opened for her.

“I can walk,” she informed him, setting off down the sidewalk.

“Take the car back, Steve–O,” Leo instructed his younger assistant.

A moment later, Leo was walking abreast of her. He didn’t ask where they were going. Perhaps he could read the conflicting but panicked emotions racing through her mind. She was never good at hiding how she felt and he did like to joke about being psychic. She spotted the pharmacy ahead whose name had been stamped on the bag Matteo had given her. She walked in and ignored the loud ping announcing their arrival. She walked down each aisle, searching for

what she needed.

“I think I’ve been quiet long enough, Miss Sinclair,” Leo said as she spotted what she was after a bit further down.

“Do you remember when we first met and I asked if you had to tell your boss everything and you said only if it affects my safety?” she asked.

“Yes?”

“This is going to be one of those times where you keep your fucking mouth shut.”

Gen came to a stop and glanced over the various brands. Her heart was lurching in her chest, threatening to break free of her ribcage. The nausea she’d

been feeling had calmed as if her getting closer to the truth was medicine of its own.

“Holy fuck, Genevieve,” Leo whispered in disbelief as she pulled the pregnancy test down from the shelf and gave him a look mixed with fear and sudden

certainty.