It wasn’t enough that the boss just sat in his chair, ornery like a wet hen, but he had no consideration for anyone’s personal lives. It was harder and harder to hateArabella when she was so sweet. Talk like this proved how little choice she had in her future—though I still argued she should stand up for herself. Even just a little. But this? This was a new low. I detested the grandfather for what he was doing to his grandson. Scheming to marry him off to the wrong person.
Disgusting.
It’s not your problem.
As I slipped into the hall and made a beeline for the kitchen, I had to agree with my inner consciousness. Whatever happened in this house of horrors had little to do with me. I was merely passing through.
But there was an itch, right between my shoulder blades, that I couldn’t scratch. The complete and utter lack of justice didn’t sit right with me. Standing by, watching it happen, felt like I was complicit in the crimes.
Chapter 10 – Rae
By the time I got to the kitchen, I was as worked up as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rockin’ chairs. Sitting down to eat and kick my feet up wasn’t an option. I grabbed my lunch and stormed out the back door. My head spun with arguments. As I sped down the gravel path to the staff quarters, I let myself vent. This wasn’t just some shady business that the mob boss was contemplating. It was a human rights issue.
I just didn’t see a way to help. I didn’t even know the grandson in question.
Leaking the scandal to the press, as the lawyer helpfully suggested, would be hard. I wasn’t a computer wiz and didn’t have the first clue how to protect my digital footprint.
Rounding the corner of the house, I pulled up short. The garage door was open. The one that protected my baby.
A head snapped up from behind the cherry red hood.
“What the hell are y’all doing?” I shouted, the instant rush of anger fueled by the turbulent thoughts already stewing in my mind.
A second head poked around the other side.
My heart slammed against my ribs.Oh, shit.
Eyes the color of midnight ensnared me. I read the truth in his gaze. He recognized me from the pub. And he was probably putting it together that I was the one who’d been attacked in the kitchen.
Shit.
It was suddenly too hot in my uniform.
“Rae! Hi!” AJ rushed around the side of Cherry Pie. “I tried to find you and ask if we could take a look.”
I didn’t pay attention to the groundskeeper-chauffer. Pinned by the stare of the other man, AJ seemed insignificant. That gaze pierced me, and a tangible jolt ofsomethingraced through my veins.
“Beautiful Camaro,” Dominico said pleasantly.
Damn him, that voice slid against my skin. I resisted the urge to rub my arms.
“Thank you,” I clipped out.
“Rae, I’m so sorry. I knew you were on break, and I wanted to have you here, but Nico’s in a hurry,” AJ continued to stammer.
I tore my gaze away and filled my lungs with some much-needed oxygen. “You should have waited then.”
“I’m sorry—”
“You can get back to work, Angelo,” Dominico interrupted him.
I bristled at the way the chauffeur was brushed off.
AJ looked between us, said something that sounded like goodbye under his breath, and took off.
“When I heard that the butler’s niece—our new maid—had a ’69 classic, I had to see for myself.” Large hands brushed up along the hood and pulled it shut. The clang of the metal ricocheted through my already shaking frame. “Don’t be too hard on AJ.”
Words spluttered in my mouth, getting jumbled and tied on my tongue. “Too hard? After that…. What?” I shook my head. “Never mind.”
