“Excuse me,” she said, and tried to step around him, but he continued to prevent her from passing.
“You’re Mrs. Monroe,” the man said in a vaguely familiar voice.
Nobody had referred to her by her married name since she’d left the firm and changed to her maiden name. And nobody here knew her except Lucas’ friends. “Who are you?” she asked.
“You mean you don’t recognize me?” He pulled off the mask, and she immediately identified the man. “Vincent Bernardi,” she said, a tremor rushing through her at the realization.
“Nice to see you too,” he said in a too-pleasant tone.
“What are you doing here?”
He slid the mask back over his eyes before answering. “Well, we both know your husband is a dead end,” he said, a combination of sarcasm and anger in his voice. “I sat in prison, chomping at the bit to get what’s mine. When I got out, I checked out your storage locker and your old apartment—”
She sucked in a startled breath. “You broke in there? Why?”
“Because your husband had something that belongs to me, and now that I’m out, I want it back.” He met her gaze, his eyes dark behind the mask.
Nausea rose in her throat. “I have no idea what you’re looking for.”
He studied her, assessing. “For your sake, I hope that’s true,” he said, the threat in his words and tone clear.
If she’d had any question of his guilt in the assault case—and she didn’t—it would have been erased now. The man would do anything he had to in order to get his way.
Panic filled her, and she glanced around, praying Lucas or one of the twins would come looking for her, but other than a man who walked past her and headed straight for the bathroom, ignoring them on his way, she was alone with a man she feared was unhinged.
“It is true,” she insisted. “I’m clueless about whatever you’re looking for.”
“Then let me enlighten you. I trusted your husband and gave him something for safekeeping. The information on the memory card I gave him belongs to me. I need it to start over, and you’re going to help me find it.”
She blew out a deep breath, her insides trembling. Damn, Keith. Would the surprises never end? “Keith’s gone. I have no idea where he might have left it.”
“Then I suggest you figure it out. Go through the storage unit until you find it. I was interrupted before I could finish the job. Or give me the key, and I’ll do a more thorough search—”
“No.” She didn’t want him going through her things. “I’ll look for it.” She wanted nothing more than for this man to go away and never return. “But I need time. I can’t just come up with this memory card overnight. I’ve already been through the safe deposit box in both our names, and it wasn’t in there.”
He studied her. Nodding once, he seemingly accepted her sincerity. She assumed that the reason his anger was under control was because she was cooperating. The thought calmed her, but she was still petrified he would hurt her if she couldn’t uncover the stupid memory card. After all, he had gone to jail for assault, and anger management went along with his sentence.
“I’ll find you to continue this conversation or hopefully retrieve my property.”
She blinked and he was gone, lost in a sea of masks and costumes.
Oh God. She leaned against the nearest wall and attempted to pull herself together. But how could she when Keith’s past had come back to bite her yet again? Not only did she have this dangerous man following her, he wanted something desperately. Something she had no idea how to find. And he was capable of extreme brutality when angered.
She choked back a sob.
“Maxie?”
“Lucas!” She threw herself into his arms, letting go with all the panic she’d been feeling.
“Maxie.” Lucas grasped her forearms and pulled her back. “What happened?”
She drew in a deep breath. “I was going to the ladies’ room, and this guy in a mask confronted me. I remember him. Keith used to represent him, and he recently got out of jail, where he served time for assault.”
Lucas ripped the mask off his face and dropped it to the floor. “How the hell did he find you here?”
“Apparently he’s been following me.” The words made her nauseous.
“What the fuck?” The words exploded from Lucas’ mouth.
She swallowed hard. “Keith had something that belongs to him, and he wants it back. He was the one who broke into the storage unit and my old apartment looking, but he didn’t find it. And trust me, this isn’t the kind of guy you want to cross.”
Lucas closed his eyes and visibly drew steadying breaths. “I cannot believe this. That dumb fucking son of a bitch,” he said of his brother.
“I know.” Maxie couldn’t help the wry smile that pulled at her lips. “Keith is the gift that keeps on giving,” she muttered.
Lucas choked back a laugh too.
She sobered quickly though. “Somehow I have to figure out where he would have hidden something small. It was a flash drive that has information that belongs to this Vincent Bernardi.”
“Wait. Vincent Bernardi.” He repeated the name and paused, obviously thinking hard.
“What is it? Do you know him?” she asked.
Lucas narrowed his gaze. “Last week I was at the gym, and a guy named Vinny Bernard cornered me. He tried to get friendly, asking questions about the area. He said he was new to town. But then he asked if I had a brother, and he started rambling about his. I got an uneasy vibe, and I left the gym. What does Bernardi look like?”