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“Wow.” The one word echoed in the empty street. “You live here?” Her tone told me she didn’t quite believe it. I was glad for the distraction, even if it would only last a few minutes.
“Yep.” I ambled across the drive and around the path to the front door. “Not what you expected?”
She shook her head, her gaze looking left and right as she stepped into my home. “Not at all. I was sure you’d live somewhere like a gothic mansion or something with black walls and a broody vibe. Not…this.”
Closing the door behind us, I made sure all of the locks were done and the security system alarmed, then turned to find her standing in the middle of my living room, my jacket around her shoulders that she’d used as a blanket in my car, her attention focused directly on me.
“Romeo,” she whispered.
“Bailey,” I replied.
It was the first time we’d been truly alone with no one else around. The first time we’d been locked away in a house with no one to interrupt us. It was dangerous—I was dangerous—but I’d never hurt her again. Never.
“I…” Her chest moved as she took a breath, her cheeks turning red. “I don’t know what to think about all of this.”
I knew how she was feeling because neither did I. But all I could focus on was one thing and one day at a time. I couldn’t worry about what was coming next. I couldn’t look at the wider objective. All I could do was make sure that Bailey was safe—and in my house.
“Get some sleep,” I told her, pointing to the stairs. “Last door at the end of the hallway.”
She blinked, looking at the stairs, clearly confused by my answer. “Where are you going to sleep?” I pointed at the sofa she was standing in front of. Bailey glanced down at it, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip, and fuck me, she couldn’t do that. Not here. Not when we were alone. Not when I was trying my fuckin’ hardest to hold back and not destroy her even more than she already was.
“Go to bed, Bailey. We’ll talk in the morning.”
I turned my back on her, walking toward the kitchen. Leaving the light off, I headed right to the kitchen island, gripping on to the edge and letting my head drop forward as I listened intently. It was minutes until I heard her taking each step of the stairs, and then stepping across the landing and into my bedroom.
She probably had no idea that I’d sent her to go and sleep in my bed, but it would be too late by the time she realized. I could have slept up there with her in one of the four spare bedrooms, but I wanted to be down here…just in case. There was no way I’d be getting more than a few hours’ sleep anyway, so it was pointless me being anywhere but closest to the front door.
I didn’t trust Gio one bit. I didn’t trust anyone, not when it came to Bailey. So I’d make sure I was the solid brick wall between them and her. A wall they’d have to smash to pieces before they got their hands on her again.
Waiting another few minutes, I concentrated on taking deep breaths, but when my eyes started to burn, I headed back into the living room, then took a seat in the middle of the sofa, stretching my legs out in front of me. I didn’t bother to take any of my clothes off or to check my cell, instead, I just closed my eyes, hoping that a few hours’ rest would give me some clarity on what I should do next.
* * *
ROMEO
“Romeo?” A hand landed on my shoulder, shaking me. It was the wrong damn thing to do when I was asleep. My instincts kicked in as I grabbed the wrist, squeezing as hard as I could as my eyes shot open. “Romeo, the door!” she whisper-shouted.
It took me several seconds to realize it was Bailey talking and that there was knocking at my door. No, knocking wasn’t the right word to describe what was happening, more like trying to break the damn thing down.
“What time is it?” my rough, sleep-filled voice asked as I slowly let go of her wrist. I wouldn’t acknowledge the fact that I’d touched her.
She rubbed at it but didn’t say anything apart from, “It’s just after ten.”
I nodded, pushing myself up and staring down at her. My gaze flicked to her bare feet sinking into the plush rug, then back up to her face. The dark circles under her eyes told me she didn’t get a lick of sleep. “Go back to bed,” I demanded, moving past her.
“I’m not tired,” she said from behind me, but I ignored her as I moved toward my front door, looked at my security camera, disengaged the alarm system, then opened it.
“Morning, boss,” I greeted, stepping aside as Lorenzo entered. I’d expected him to be alone, or maybe even with Mateo or Dante, but it wasn’t either of them who followed him through the door, instead, it was his wife, Aida. “Aida.” I nodded, the surprise clear in my voice.
“I figured if we were being watched, coming with Aida would look less suspicious,” Lorenzo commented, coming to a standstill at the edge of the living room where Bailey was still standing. “Aida, this is Bailey, Mr. Blue’s niece.”
Aida smiled wide, just like she always did, and bound over to her, her arms open, ready to greet Bailey as she did with everyone else.
“No.” Bailey panicked, holding her arms out in front of her, her eyes squeezed closed, her body freezing on the spot. Fuck. I should have warned her that Lorenzo was coming. I should have explained what was going to happen from here, but I’d wanted to get some space from her, get some time to think, get some goddamn sleep. I hadn’t slept properly in days thanks to torturing that piece of shit who worked for Gio.
But now…now I was rested and Bailey was freaking the hell out.
Aida paused in the middle of the room, six feet away from Bailey, her face going pale.
