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CHAPTEREIGHT
ALLEGRA
“Morning, Allegra,” someone whispers.
My heart kicks violently, ripping me out of sleep as I pull the blankets over my head like a shield.
Where am I? Who’s with me? Am I in danger?
“You’re safe,” comes the voice I now recognize as Armando’s. “Sorry, angel. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
I lower the blankets and blink, adjusting to the morning light illuminating the room. Kind hazel eyes meet mine, and a soft smile stretches across his handsome features. “I guess I’m still a little jumpy,” I murmur, feeling heat crawl into my cheeks.
Armando frowns, but then offers a genuine, heart-stopping smile as he cups my cheek. “I hate that you ever had to wake up in fear. Never again, sweet girl.”
I nod, fighting back the tears. I still can’t believe this is real, thathe’sreal. Last week I was sleeping in a closet, struggling to survive. And now? I’m in a cozy, warm bed with the sexiest man alive, and he’s kind and gentle and knows how to speak directly to my soul.
It’s too good to be true.
I peer over at Armando, sitting on the bed, fully dressed in a suit and tie. It strikes me how little I know about the man I’ve been living with. And now sleeping with.
“Going somewhere?” I ask, giving him a smile. I feel dumb for freaking out on him, but I know Armando isn’t judging me.
“I have a meeting this morning.” The answer rolls off his tongue easily enough, but something is off.
“What do you do? We haven’t talked about it much,” I hedge, sitting up in bed a bit.
Armando takes a deep breath, running a hand through his close-cropped, dark hair. “I wear a few hats at my job. Security, collections, stuff like that.”
“But, like, where do you work? Security for who?”
He’s quiet for a concerning amount of time before answering. “It’s… complicated.”
I frown, studying his face for any hint of why he’s being so dodgy. “Okaaaay, well, where is your meeting?”
“Other side of town.”
I roll my eyes, growing tired of his non-answers. “We’re in New York City. Can you be more specific?”
“Sorry, old habit. Our meetings are private, so we’re trained not to disclose that kind of information. Besides, I’ll be back soon, so no need to worry.” He smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes.
Trained? Private? Complicated?Who is this man?
“I thought maybe I could come with you? Not to the meeting, but I could look for some work applications. I’m not going back to my uncle, so I figured I should start earning my–”
“No,” Armando says forcefully, cutting me off.
I stare at him, blinking a few times to reconcile this man with the one who whispered such sweet, soothing things to me last night.
“I’m sorry. I’m not mad at you, sweetheart. I know that all must sound like bullshit,” Armando says with a sigh. “I promise I’ll tell you everything.”
“Can you at least pick up some applications?”
Armando smiles, a real one this time, making me almost forget his strange reaction to my questions. “There’s no need for you to work, angel. I make plenty for us to have anything and everything we need.”
And just like that, my suspicions are back. Growing frustrated with this man, I cross my arms over my chest and narrow my eyes. “How am I supposed to trust that you’ll provide when you won’t even tell me what you do for a living? Plus, what if I want to work? It’s not always about the money but about having a purpose. Or are you saying my only job is to wait around for you to come home?”
I’m out of breath by the time I’m done with my rant. My brain finally catches up to what my stupid mouth has been saying, and panic twists with regret in my stomach. In my experience, telling men off usually ends badly. Looking up at Armando, I can’t read his expression, so I dip my head and curl my shoulders, bracing myself for his wrath.
