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Teo glared at him. “You’re funny,” he said, no trace of humor in his voice as he got to his feet. “No. I’ll handle this. You three keep working.”
We watched him follow her, not one of us saying anything. Then Grayson took a swig of his beer and stared at me. “Okay, Jace,” he said as we heard Sofia and Teo’s voices muffled by the sliding glass door. “Tell us what you need us to do.”
Chapter Three: Sofia
Thecoolmorningairbrushed against my cheeks as I stepped onto Teo’s balcony, the sunlight casting long palm tree shadows on the concrete ground. It was a rare moment of solitude in this world of chaos and violence that had become my life. The door behind me clicked shut, and I glanced over to see Teo leaning against the railing, his honeygold eyes locked on mine.
“Sit,” he said gruffly, gesturing to one of the chairs scattered across the balcony. I hesitated for a moment before settling into the seat, trying to find comfort in its cold, metallic embrace.
Teo mirrored my movements, sinking heavily into the chair opposite mine. The distance between us felt like miles, and I couldn’t help but notice how guarded we both were, our bodies tense and rigid.
The tension between us was a living thing, twisting and coiling in the air like an invisible snake. Teo’s face twisted, the lines around his eyes deepening as he swallowed hard. It was obvious that he wanted to make amends for last night’s events, but it seemed as though the words were stuck in his throat.
“Look, Sofia,” he finally began, exhaling a shaky breath. “I…”
He trailed off and I watched him.
“I should’ve waited to speak to you in private,” he said finally.
“Are you apologizing?” I asked him. “Is this your version of an apology?”
Teo’s jaw clenched at my words, the muscle in his cheek ticking as he scowled. “I don’t know if I owe you an apology,” he spat, his tone defensive. “You knew what you were getting into.”
My heart sank at his words, and I had to fight the urge to look away from him. He was right- I had known what I was getting into when I agreed to his plan, and I had promised him I wasn’t going to follow the killer.
But I wasn’t happy about it. The possessiveness with which he guarded me was just as attractive as before, but it had also become somewhat suffocating. It was surprising it had been so long, considering the gang had kidnapped me and everything, but I had to admit it to myself.
I had been settling into this life for a reason.
There was a lot to like about being a mafia princess surrounded by gorgeous men.
Teo’s eyes flickered over my face, and I could almost see the thoughts churning in his mind. He took a packet of cigarettes off the ledge, put one in his mouth, lit it with one hand. I watched the ink on fingers as he took a long drag.
“I don’t expect you to understand,” he said hoarsely. “But I can’t lose you, Sofia. You mean too much to me.”
“I know. I can feel it. It’s just...look, the reason I’m here in the first place is because I wanted to do my job. Being able to make a difference means a huge deal to me, and being stuck here, like Rapunzel, it’s...it makes me crazy.”
“What do you mean?”
I hesitated before finally speaking. “I just feel like...I don’t have any freedom,” I admitted, looking away from him. “It’s like I’m constantly under your watchful eye, and sometimes I just want to be able to do my own thing.”
Teo’s face softened at my words, and he leaned forward slightly. “Sofia, you know I only do it because I care about you,” he murmured. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“I know that,” I sighed, “but sometimes it feels like you don’t trust me to make my own decisions.”
He took another long drag, his fingers twirling the cigarette between them. “It’s not a matter of trust, Sof. It’s a matter of safety,” he said, his voice low and serious. “The world we live in is dangerous, and I can’t take any risks with your life.”
A gust of wind blew through the balcony, ruffling my hair as I stared into Teo’s eyes, desperately trying to read his thoughts. The tension between us was thick with unresolved emotions and unspoken words, each of us clinging to our own guarded hearts.
I understood his words, but it didn’t mean that I had to like them. “I know what you’re saying,” I said, “but there has to be a balance. I can’t just be locked up like a prisoner, Teo.”
He took another drag from his cigarette, the smoke swirling around his head like an aura. “I can’t give you space while there’s a killer on the loose and the city’s entire underbelly is looking to put a bullet through your head,” he said, his gaze boring into mine. “I’m not sorry about that, by the way. If I have to tie you to a chair myself and keep you here, then I’ll do it with a smile on my face.”
I swallowed, my heart hammering in my chest.
He took a deep breath, his elbows on his knees as he leaned closer to me. “But when this is over,” he said. “When this is over and we’re both alive, you’ll have everything you ever wanted, Sof.”
I gazed at him, my eyes wide with surprise. “What do you mean by that?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
