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Lost in my thoughts, I didn’t immediately notice Everleigh’s breathing change. When her eyes opened, they went wide at the sight of me, but she didn’t make a sound.
Our eyes met, as if we were waiting for the other to make the first move. I didn’t know what possessed me to slide my hand between us palm up, but that was what I did.
But the more astounding thing was Everleigh fitting her small hand into mine, holding on. Her eyes closed again, and her breathing returned to normal.
And I finally drifted off as well, never once letting go of her hand, still holding it when I woke up a few short hours later.
Chapter9
Everleigh
A knockon my door woke me up, my body still tired, my eyes slow to open. I’d closed the heavy drapes last night, and the room was as dark as when I went to sleep. A glance at the clock on my nightstand told me I must have slept through my alarm. That had never happened before.
My whole body flushed at the reminders of last night. Of waking up to Lucius lying in bed with me. Of holding his hand. It was big and calloused but closed around mine with a softness that was addictive.
I didn’t know what had possessed me to put my hand in his. But deep down, I knew he would never hurt me. He was different from Maurizio’s other men. What I hadn’t been able to figure out was why he was here. This place wasn’t for him.
Another knock sounded, and I opened the door to Santino. “I overslept. I’ll be ready in five minutes.”
All my movements halted when I set eyes on him. The black eye he’d had since yesterday was turning a dark purple, rivaling the bags under his eyes in color. His usually shiny hair was dull and hung on his head in limp strands. “Are you okay?”
He took up position next to my door, arms crossed, eyes forward. “I’m fine. We’re running late.”
Okay, then. Guess it’s going to be that kind of day today.
I raced through the room, clothes flying everywhere during my search for my jeans. I had two pairs, and one was in the wash. Unearthing the remaining pair from underneath the bed, I rushed to the bathroom to get ready.
A quick splash of water on my face before cleaning my teeth, a brush of my hair that I then put into my usual French braid, and after getting dressed, I was ready. I didn’t bother making the bed; the room was always impeccable when I returned, a housekeeper attending to it every single day. She was the only one besides me and Lucius who had access to the room.
Santino walked me to the kitchen and took his seat, not once looking at me. Mariana, on the other hand, watched me with too much interest, her face worried, her usual happy chatter absent.
“More?” she asked, pointing to the scrambled eggs in her pan. I had hardly touched what was on my plate, but I couldn’t get myself to eat it. She must have felt mighty sorry for me to attempt to speak English, but I couldn’t even get excited over the fact that she was trying.
“Thank you, Mariana, but I’m full.” I patted my stomach to emphasize my words.
She shook her head at my refusal to eat more and continued to fuss over me. She patted my hair every time she walked past and asked me if I needed anything, at least as many times.
I forced a smile onto my face. She didn’t buy it and continued to push pastries and cups of tea at me. I ate a bit of everything to be polite. She went through a lot of trouble baking so much.
Santino nursed his coffee and read the paper, ignoring me as usual.
Mariana took both of my hands and kissed my cheek when I stood up. She gave me another one of her amazing hugs, and with one last squeeze, she released me.
Santino led me to the office and locked me in with a grumbled “Stay.”
Seriously, would it kill him to at least speak in full sentences? Or say “please”? You don’t see me going around growling at people. And I have way more reason than he does to be pissed off.
At least work would take my mind off my impending doom at seeing Maurizio again. I’d closed all the accounts the old accountant had used to funnel money into. Once I found them, it wasn’t all that hard to take control. It also helped that during my senior year in college, I had a light class load and developed a crush on the resident computer nerd, Stan. That year I learned how to write code, hack computers, and that Stan wasn’t interested in what I had to offer. But I’d made a lifelong friend, and I had great fun hanging out with him and his boyfriend, Toni, before they moved to New York.
They were two of the only friends I had besides Thea.
I’d made no progress on finding a way out and I felt defeated. Hopeless. And, most of all, useless. I couldn’t even get myself out of this mess. How was I supposed to help Archer? He was still out there somewhere, and I wouldn’t give up until I found him.
I’d graduated at the top of my class. Everything I had in life, I had built myself. I never took anything for granted. Never took stupid risks. Except for going after my brother. And it seemed my one mistake would cost me my life.
I was too tired to think anymore and placed my head on the desk.
“Wake up.” Santino nudged me, and I shot up, disoriented at first. I nervously studied him, but he didn’t seem to care that I’d been sleeping.
