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“But that doesn’t change the fact I’m a criminal.”
“Your only crime was that you did not tell anyone,” Gianni says.
“My parents had so much on their plate with my grandad. I couldn’t burden them with Carl. I thought he’d stop, or get bored, or move on to someone else.”
“I understand, and at fourteen, that seems reasonable. At that age, you think you can deal with anything, but you can’t.”
“But I set fire to my own house and then lied to the police.”
“I know you have been living with this for a long time, but I’m going to ask you something, and you need to be honest.” Gianni takes a deep breath as his eyes burrow deep inside my head. “If you were in that bedroom with him again and had the lighter held against your face, would you do anything differently?” I take a minute to think this through even though I know my answer.
“No.”
“You acted on instinct.”
“And then lied about it after.”
“You’re too hard on yourself. Besides, the past is the past. Can you do anything to change this?”
“I could confess.”
“And what good will that do? Carl has already done his time, and as it stands, I don’t think they should have let him out at all.”
“He stabbed Lewis because of me.”
“Stop blaming yourself. You didn’t make Carl come and hunt you down. You didn’t put the knife in his pocket. And if it wasn’t you, then I’m guessing a guy like Carl would’ve had some other victim lined up. Guys like him are never far from trouble. You did what you did, and that part is over now. You have to think about the future.”
“And what does that include? A murderer on my tail? Never being able to relax, always looking over my shoulder. I came here to pack a bag because he knows where I live, and he knows where my parents live. I have nowhere to go that’s safe.” Gianni remains silent, pondering what I’ve said.
“Pack your bag and come stay with me.”
“What? I can’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’re my boss, and it’s crossing a line.”
“And I just fucked you in your mother’s kitchen, so I think if there are any lines, then we are well and truly over them. Chloe, I’m not arguing with you.” He takes my head in his hands, cupping my face like a fragile egg. “I am not about to let anything happen to you, and the only way I can keep you safe is not to let you out of my sight.”
I want to retaliate, but it is a reaction, not what I truly mean. He’s already lost a wife. He doesn’t want to lose anyone else, hence the big protective role. I sense a problem here if Gianni and I will move forward together. But right now, this is what I need. I need shelter, a shield, and this man is offering it to me, and I can’t deny I’m relieved I might finally have someone with whom I can share these things. I’ve been on my own for so long. Maybe I should stop fighting this and accept the help I’m being offered. Maybe if someone had helped me before, I wouldn’t be where I am now.
“And what’s this between us?” I have to know he isn’t going to walk away from me.
“What do you think it is?” Gianni pushes back against the headboard.
“I know what I feel. I know what I’d like it to be, but I also live in the real world, and I don’t believe in fairy-tale romances.”
“Hmm, I’m not into fairy tales. There’s always a bad guy hanging around somewhere.”
“Or woman,” I add.
Gianni raises an eyebrow. “I can’t get you out of my head. I want you, I want to be with you, and I think you feel the same.”
“Yes,” I whisper. Gianni runs his hand down my arm, making me shiver and the hairs on my arms stand on end.
“There’s one thing,” Gianni says. His hand stops on my arm. This is the part where it all comes crashing down around me, where he tells me he’s a vampire or he used to be a woman.
“What?” I bite my lip and lean forward.
