He held his hand out to her and shook it with a charming smile. “Nice to meet you.”
“You too. So…um, is everything okay? Why’s your phone off?”
I grabbed her hand, pulling her towards my bedroom as I excused us from Callum. He told us to take all the time in the world since he had some calls to make and work to do on his laptop he’d brought with him. That made me feel even guiltier about the whole situation. He was an important and busy man, and I was a liability.
When I had Allegra shut inside my room, she immediately started bombarding me with endless questions about Callum, thinking this was a date.
“Do you really think I’d be dressed like a homeless man if this were a date?”
She looked me up and down. “So what is it then? A booty call?”
“No,” I sighed. “Sit down. I’ve got so much to tell you.”
I didn’t leave out a single detail as I filled her in on everything that had happened over the past few days. I wasn’t sure how safe it would be to tell her who my father believed Santino truly was, so I just said he was a key suspect in the shipment raids.
“So Santino Buccini is like… stalking you?”
“I think so,” I winced. “I don’t know. It’s all really confusing. Is it still stalking if you’re kind of into it?”
She snorted. “You’ve always had questionable taste in men, girl, but this… I mean, I get it. He’s got that insanely hot bad boy vibe going on, but are you actually in danger? How bad are we talking here?”
“I don’t know,” I sighed. “That’s the problem. I don’t actually know who I’m dealing with. Just how dangerous is he?Papiand Callum make it sound like he’s a complete menace to society, but they won’t give me any real details or proof of the crimes he’s supposedly committed. And then Santino hasn’t exactly denied anything, but he hasn’t confessed either. He just keeps telling me I don’t need to be afraid of him because he won’t hurt me.”
“Hmm, but you think he’s using you to get your father to drop the investigation?”
“I don’t know. He hasn’t made it seem that way, but my father is losing his mind over this, so maybe he is… Ugh, this is all so messy.” She smiled, and I narrowed my eyes at her. “What?”
“It’s only messy because you really like him, don’t you?”
“No!” I lied, then groaned. “Maybe. I’m trying not to.”
“This is such a classic case of daddy doesn’t approve, which makes him irresistible,” she chuckled.
“It’s not that.” I flopped back onto the bed. “I’m just insanely drawn to him for all the wrong reasons. He makes me want things, do things, act in a way that I never would with anyone else. I don’t understand why I can’t just… stop thinking about him.”
“He’s the forbidden fruit of your enemy,” Allegra said dreamily, shaking her head. “All the sexiest love stories are built on it. Romeo and Juliet. Hades and Persephone. Shrek.”
“Shrek?” I laughed.
“Ogres deserve epic love stories too.”
“This isn’t a love story, Ally. This is a living nightmare. It’s probably all a game to Santino. I’m his best chance at blackmailing my father, and I’m starting to realise Santino isn’t going to leave me alone until he gets what he wants. He’s completely unhinged.”
“Wait, I’m confused. I thought you just said you didn’t want him to leave you alone.”
“No, I do. I think. Yes, I do.” I covered my face with a pillow and screamed.
“Then marry nice guy Callum. He’s gorgeous, too. And rich. And he’s here protecting you like some knight in shining armour against the villain. Go be with the hero. Although villains are more fun.”
I dropped the pillow onto my lap and glared at her. “Stop it. You make it sound so easy.”
“Isn’t it? Santino will leave you alone if you’re married to another man, which means he will have nothing to blackmail your father with. Buccini will go to prison and then boom, happily-boring-ever-after like everyone else.”
I rolled my head on my shoulders before staring at the ceiling. “I don’t know if I can marry a practical stranger, Ally. Callum’s nice, but I’m not really feeling it.”
“What happened to going on one of those Married at First Sight shows? That’s worse, surely. At least you know Callum’s hot and doesn’t still live with his parents.”
“True,” I said, nodding. “I always thought I’d marry for love, but honestly, I’m not sure anymore. Every boyfriend I’ve ever had turned out to be an asshole, a cheater, or emotionally closed off, and falling in love is just a recipe for heartbreak. I guess I’ve realised I’m not even sure I believe in true love. My parents didn’t work out. Most marriages end in divorce. Maybe it’s better this way. To see marriage as signing a business contract. Less risk. Less soul-crushing destruction when it inevitably goes to shit.”
