Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 65054 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65054 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
I start running through every implication. I look down the hallway of her building and hate how exposed she is here. This is no place to raise a child. Not my child, anyway.
“I didn’t know until twenty-four hours ago that I would have to consider my literal physical safety because you’re the father,” she seethes. “We can go around and around about this all day long, but we both lied, Dominic. Let’s call it even and try to find a way forward, please.”
That, at least, I can agree on.
“We need to get you out of this apartment,” I tell her. “You’re going to stay with me from now on. Pack a bag and I’ll send someone to get the rest of your things.”
She takes a step back from me and looks at me with horror.
“Excuse me? I’m not moving out of my apartment, Dominic. There’s trust and then there’s hyper-paranoia.”
“That doesn’t exist in my world,” I tell her honestly. “The danger is real and it’s lurking, so you will pack a bag and we will leave in the next fifteen minutes.”
She puts her hands on her hips and stares at me. “You’re out of your fucking mind,” she says.
Sofia rarely curses, so I know she’s pissed, but I don’t care anymore. Her safety matters more than sparing her feelings. She’ll see the truth of that soon enough.
I reach for the keys still dangling from her hand, and she takes another step back, holding them behind her where I can’t reach. I could overpower her easily, but that wouldn’t help this situation much.
“Sofia,” I say as calmly as I can. “I need you to be reasonable. The only way to ensure your safety is to keep you at my place. So let’s just pack a bag and go.”
She crosses her arms. “I want you to leave,” she says. “Right now.”
I shake my head. “I’m not leaving you alone now,” I say. “I can’t protect you well enough here. This isn’t a secure location.”
“I don’t care,” she shoots back. “I don’t care about any of your stupid mob shit right now. You don’t get to control me just because I’m having your kid. You should know me well enough by now to know that macho shit isn’t going to work with me.”
I groan. “We don’t have time for this, Sofia.”
She shakes her head. “Go,” she says. “Or I’m going to scream so loud, all my neighbors will come out and someone will call the cops.”
I narrow my eyes at her. “So you’re purposely being childish?”
She glares at me right back. “You’re the one trying to treat me like a child.”
We have a stare-off for several seconds before I finally throw my hands up in frustration.
“Have it your way,” I tell her. “I’ll stay here.”
“Like hell you will,” she shouts. “I don’t want you here right now, so you need to go. And if I feel like talking to you tomorrow, we can discuss it then. Although the odds aren’t in your favor right now.”
I turn on my heel.
“You’re fucking impossible,” I shout to her over my shoulder. “Do you know that?”
In response, she flips me off.
I round the corner as she shoves her keys into the lock. I’m obviously not going home. I’ll sleep in the damn town car if I have to. Hell, I’ll buy her whole building and evict her if that’s what it takes. If she thinks she can stop me from protecting her, she’s out of her fucking mind.
I’m not even to the elevator when I hear her terrified scream. It burns away every trace of my anger and yanks me back toward her. I run as fast as I can to her apartment, phone already in my hand to call for backup. I don’t have a gun on me, but there’s one in the car. Bradley can be up here in seconds.
When I reach her door, I find it still ajar. She’s standing just a few feet inside, staring at her trashed apartment.
19
SOFIA
For a moment, I can’t move. I just stand in my doorway and stare at my apartment, trying to make sense of what I’m seeing. My couch cushions are slashed open, and my books are knocked off the shelf. Every drawer in my tiny kitchen is pulled out, with half my dishes smashed on the floor. There’s a trail of broken glass leading from the living room to my bedroom.
None of that is as terrifying as the fact that the door had been bolted and doesn’t look broken. I scan the room and don’t see a single smashed window. My heart pounds in my ears, and I can’t move. I can’t make my feet carry me through the apartment to see the rest of the damage.
Dominic appears behind me fast, like he hadn’t gotten far after our fight. He sets his hand on my shoulder, and I jump out of my skin.