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Vincent and Ratimir are both waiting for me by the kitchen entrance. “Nothing?” I ask as I approach.
“We might have to do a more thorough sweep of the place,” Ratimir says apologetically. “We need more time for that.”
I nod. “I’ll buy you more time.” My gaze shifts from Ratimir to Vincent. “Or rather—Vincent will.”
8
ALYSSA
I am shitting my pants right now.
Why did I think this would end any other way than this? When will I learn? Nothing good comes from casual sex. Or unadulterated lust. Or handsome, rich, tech tycoons who can move the earth with just one snap of their fingers.
I keep fiddling with the Z charm on my bracelet. Uri’s eyes have gone to it a few times now which makes me think he’s probably clocked onto how I only touch it when I’m nervous.
I make myself drop my hand back to my side, because more than anything right now, I need to play it cool. I need to stick to my story. And most of all, I need to be strong.
That means no more wine. Definitely no more ogling. And absolutely, under no circumstances can I afford to display any more weak knees every time Uri says or does something halfway decent.
Just to play it safe, I stare at nothing but the tea in front of me. I’m tempted to try it, for no other reason than I’m parched. But I’m nervous to, just in case it happens to be drugged or something. That sounds crazy at first blush, but then again, it sounds crazy to say there’s a bloodied, severed finger in my freezer right now, too, and we all know that’s true.
There’s also a squadron of cops crawling over every inch of my house. That’s heart-attack-inducing in its own right. What if they find it? What if I’m incriminated? What if I go to jail for a crime I didn’t commit?
And all because I wanted to avoid being embarrassed in front of my hot neighbor.
Idiot.
“Alyssa.”
I jump a foot as Uri enters the room. This time, he’s not alone. The blonde cop who showed up at my door is with him.Oh, God, is he here to arrest me?
Uri fixes me with a piercing look. “Didn’t mean to startle you.”
“I-it’s fine… Officer? Is everything alright?”
The officer’s face is a carefully orchestrated mask of detached professionalism. “We accosted one intruder trying to escape your home, ma’am. Unfortunately, we believe he wasn’t alone. For the time being, I think it’s wise for you to stay put.”
My eyes go wide. I can see Uri in my periphery, burning a hole in the side of my face. “Stay put?You mean… here?”
The officer nods. “We can give you police protection for the night but I’m afraid that’s only a temporary solution. And to be honest, with departmental budgets being the way they are these days, we can’t spare men. My advice would be for you to stay somewhere safe and there’s nowhere safer than this property right here.”
“I don’t know about that. I managed to scale the fence earlier.”
The officer’s eyebrows rise imperceptibly and he turns to Uri with an expression that seems to read,She tried to jump your fence and she still lives to tell the tale?
Uri waves a gracious hand. “Of course Ms. Walsh will spend the night here. It’s no problem.”
“I beg to differ,” I blurt.
He turns toward me with a disappointed look that makes me feel like a disobedient child. “Alyssa, don’t be silly. This is a large house with plenty of guest bedrooms. Plus, I have twenty-four-hour security and a state of the art alarm system. Officer Imbroglio is right: this is the safest place for you.”
Yeah—then why don’t I feel safe all of a sudden? I’m feeling a lot more like a cornered animal caught between a rock and a hard place.
But no good counterarguments are coming to mind and the officer seems impatient as it is. He claps his hands and nods. “Well! Glad we got that settled. If you don’t mind me…”
Uri nods. “I’ll walk you to the door, Officer.”
Neither man looks my way as they leave the living room. Even though they’ve made all the decisions for me. The male species is consistent, you gotta give them that much.
