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Everleigh mumbled in her sleep when I carried her to the bed and covered her with the blanket. I joined her on the other side, turning to face her. Her hand reached out, and I scooted closer. Our fingertips met, and I resisted the urge to pull her into my arms.
The overwhelming sense of rightness at being here with her hit me unexpectedly. I wondered what would have happened if we’d met before my life blew up. Would we have dated? Would I have introduced her to Sofie?
She stirred, and our eyes locked. She’d woken up.
She didn’t say a word, just studied me as I’d done to her earlier. Our fingertips were still touching, and I ached to put my hand around hers again.
We stayed suspended in time, and for once, I could simply exist. I wasn’t thinking about anything but being here with her. I drank in her features, committing them to memory. Her full lips that arched up into a Cupid’s bow. Her high cheekbones, her unique blue eyes that resembled a churning ocean in one moment, the sky in another. Her long thick hair that I ached to run my hands through.
She’d stumbled into my life at a time when everything was broken, when all my thoughts were consumed with rage and self-deprecation. Now all I thought about was her. Her addictive scent, her soft voice, her rare laugh. I’d only heard it twice, but I’d never forget the smooth tinkling sound.
Her small hand closed around mine, and the tension drained out of my body. I held on and felt my eyes close a few minutes later.
11
EVERLEIGH
The next morning, Maurizio was back. The house resembled a beehive, a mad scramble to polish the already gleaming silver and mop the spotless floors. Mariana was the only one who didn’t seem to be affected. She bustled around the huge kitchen, humming to herself when I entered.
My mind was on last night, taking away the anxiety of the return of the man who held my fate in his hands.
I should have been more concerned, but my thoughts were taken up by Lucius. Every night, I looked forward to our time together. The first time I woke up in bed with him, I’d been terrified. I had lain awake for hours, waiting for him to make a move.
But all he’d done was sleep. I didn’t understand him or his actions. But I also didn’t put a stop to them.
Because now I couldn’t wait for our stolen moments together. He made me feel safe and took away the terror being a captive evoked, if only for a short time.
“Cariña,” Mariana greeted me with a comforting hug. To my utter delight and Santino’s horror, she reached up and pinched his cheek when he walked past.
I stifled my laughter and took my seat at the bar. Every time I offered to get my own breakfast, Mariana would glare at me and yell something in Spanish that I had no hope of understanding. But hey, if she wanted to cook me the world’s best omelet, who was I to stop her?
One thing about her cooking: it managed to get some of my appetite back. My curves were almost gone, but at least I wasn’t losing more weight. And I secretly loved her taking care of me. She always made sure I had something to eat for lunch, and dinner was ready and waiting for me every night.
Santino and I had established somewhat of a truce, and I thought I might have judged him too harshly. He wasn’t a bad guy once you got to know him. Except for the whole working for the cartel and kidnapping people part, of course.
After breakfast, I sat at my desk and went over numbers that, for once, didn’t seem to make sense. I’d stumbled across a new account that didn’t have any apparent purpose. But Maurizio made a deposit of $20,000 into it every month. That amount was a drop in the ocean for him, but the account was in the States.
I’d noticed the discrepancy because all the other accounts were balanced, and I’d been double-checking that I didn’t miss anything. My Spanish accounting vocabulary was improving every day, and I was quite proud of not having to consult my scribbled notes much anymore.
But I absolutely could not make sense of this new account. I couldn’t decide if I should ignore it or probe further. I didn’t want to delve too deep, but at the same time, my curiosity was piqued.
My hesitation was my downfall when the door opened and Maurizio appeared. He strode in with the swagger of a man who knew he was the boss. His arrogant grin fell on me, and my body locked up tight under the scrutiny of his lifeless eyes.
“I hear you have good news for me.”
I nodded a bit too vigorously and earned myself a raised brow. “I recovered all your money and closed the accounts as requested.”
Always the good little worker, eager to please. That’s me.
“Good. Very good.” He looked around the small office, then leaned in until we were nose to nose. “Remember: you’re only here as long as you’re useful.”
My breath hitched at his declaration. Before coming here, I hadn’t had a panic attack since I was ten and our housekeeper accidentally locked me in a closet. My parents were out, the housekeeper went home, and I spent all night in the dark. But now they seemed my new normal.
But the last thing I wanted was to appear weak in front of Maurizio. I took deep rattling breaths in and out, watching him, trying to maintain control.
He pointed to the computer. “Show me the accounts.”
When he saw the one I’d been looking at, he grabbed a fistful of my hair, making me yelp in surprise. “That account is none of your business. Make sure the money goes in, but you don’t look at it otherwise, and you don’t tell anyone it’s there. You understand?”
