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Just as I got back to the bedroom, the door opened behind me, and I paused. What the hell? I’d been listening for him and hadn’t heard a thing. It was a reminder of just what kind of man I was dealing with. Rafael DeMarco was not someone I could afford to underestimate.
“Hey, Diana.” His eyes dropped to the plastic bag in my hand and his eyes narrowed. “What are you doing? You’re leaving?”
The “without saying goodbye” hung unspoken in the air between us, and I almost felt guilty. Almost. His chivalrous streak had been a surprising yet helpful discovery. I hadn’t counted on feeling guilty for playing on it though.
Imagine that, feeling guilty for playing with the feelings of a murderer.
I squared my shoulders. “You’ve done enough. I’m sure you don’t need me hanging around any longer than necessary.”
“You’re not in the way at all. And I don’t think you should be out there until you have a safe place to stay. You don’t, do you?”
I didn’t meet his eyes.Keep it mild. Look sad.
“That’s really none of your business. You can’t tell me what to do.”
Rafe let out a frustrated growl. “You’re right, I can’t.”
Immediately I started to panic. Had I gotten this wrong? I’d assumed he would insist that I stay as long as I wanted, but maybe I’d overplayed my hand. Damn it. If he let me leave, I wouldn’t have the time I needed to search his place. I needed him to get comfortable leaving me alone in the apartment for extended periods of time.
“Thank you for what you did. I don’t know if I really expressed how grateful I am. You could have just left me at the bottom of that ravine.”
Rafe grimaced. “No, I couldn’t have. You needed help. I gave it. It’s what I do. Or at least, it’s what I try to do.”
Was that guilt on his face? I couldn’t process the roiling emotions stirred up by his words. If he tried to help people, why hadn’t he helped my father? Did it haunt him, the things he’d done and the people he’d hurt? Maybe that was why he was trying to help people now, to atone for his past. But either way, it wouldn’t bring my father back.
“I still think you should stay,” he continued. “But I can’t force you. But I just have one question. The guy who did that.” He pointed at my ribs. “Is he out there looking for you?”
I crossed my arms. “I know how to stay off the radar.”
Surprisingly, he laughed. “Not denying that. But no matter where you go, he could find you. That won’t happen here.”
I pretended to think about it while inside I was smirking. Finally. I was in.
“I guess I could stay a little longer. If you’re sure I’m not in the way.”
“You’re not in the way. Where were you even going to go?”
I shrugged. “A motel or something. I need to think about what to do next. My life is a bit of a shit show right now.”
“Well, as someone with a PhD in shit shows, let me tell you that it’s much easier to figure out what to do next when you’re not listening to a methed-out guy next door coming down from a high. Or worried about whether someone will break in.”
I laughed as I was sure he’d expected me to. “You’re right. And I know I must seem ungrateful, but I really appreciate the room.”
I dropped the plastic bag on the bed. “So did you get groceries?”
Rafe seemed more than happy to change the subject. “Yes, I did. Although I can’t claim to be the best cook. You’re going to have to settle for scrambled eggs and… scrambled eggs.”
I shook my head. “At least I can be useful. Or at least I can do better than just eggs.”
I followed him to the kitchen and gasped at the pile of plastic bags filled with groceries on the counter.
When I looked over at him, Rafe shrugged sheepishly. “You needed food. So I just got some of everything.”
Determined not to be touched by the thoughtful gesture, I approached the counter. Just because I hated him didn’t mean we needed to starve.
“Today I have some work to do, so I’ll be in my room for a while. Then later we have a party to go to.”
I paused in the act of digging through the bags. I’d been counting on him leaving at some point so I could have more time to search the place. It bothered me that I hadn’t seen any indication of a safe. He would have one, wouldn’t he? Who stole a priceless jewel and then didn’t put it in a safe? Unless he’d hidden it somewhere else. Maybe where we were going could provide a clue.
