Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 73663 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 368(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73663 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 368(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
“Your mother,” I repeat, letting out a long breath. “Oh. Okay. Right. That’s why there’s a home nursing aide, right?”
“She has Alzheimer’s.” He looks at his watch. “It’s after six. Some nights are worse than others. Most nights are pretty bad.”
I lean toward him and reach out on impulse. I touch his shoulder, my hands lingering there. “She’s sundowning, right? That’s what it’s called?”
He nods, not looking at me. “She’ll calm down soon. I can usually help.”
“I’m so sorry,” I say, but he pulls away and stands up. His hardness comes back, the lines of his face pulling tight as he stares down at me.
“I don’t need pity. My mother isn’t a burden.”
“I didn’t mean that.”
“Stay here. Don’t leave this room until I return, do you understand?”
“Yes, I just—”
“My mother is off limits to you. New people can be difficult for someone with her condition. Any variation in her routine can set her back. You will learn to navigate around her, or we will have some problems.”
“Right. Of course. Whatever you need.”
“Good. Don’t move.” He walks away, closing the door behind him.
I collapse back onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. His mother has Alzheimer’s and she’s sundowning. That’s what was happening—the nurse was trying to keep her calm as she suffered from her disease. And now Renzo’s going in there to help, which doesn’t seem like him at all.
I’m torn between terror and strange, grudging admiration. I’m afraid I’ll screw this up and somehow make his mother worse, and he’ll take his frustration out on me—but I’m also impressed by his devotion. It can’t be easy, taking care of his mother like this.
There’s no more screaming. Renzo’s gone for a half hour, but he comes back eventually. I’m sitting in the reading nook again, blanket pulled over my legs. He pulls off his jacket, looking exhausted, and begins to unbutton his shirt.
“Just going to strip down in front of me?” I say loudly, heart pounding into my throat.
He glances over. “I forgot you were there. You’re too quiet, bella topo.”
“You told me to stay in here. It’s not my fault you didn’t remember. How’s your mother?”
He keeps unbuttoning his shirt, clearly not concerned about undressing with me in the room. “Mother’s fine. Don’t worry about her. We’ll have to set some ground rules moving forward.”
“No kidding.” I push the blanket away and get to my feet. “Your pal Dante whisked me away from work. I didn’t know today was move-in day.”
“Did you need time to gather your meager possessions?” He lips quirk and his eyebrows raise.
Anger simmers in my stomach. “Yes, actually, that would’ve been nice.”
“I apologize. Next time, I’ll let you pack the two boxes before my men carry them here.”
“Are you done making jokes about my stuff? You realize my boyfriend stole from me, right?”
He tilts his head to the side. “Yes, I’m aware. Do you want me to find him? I can have him killed if you like.”
“What?” My eyes go wide and my hands raise. “No, no, don’t do that.”
“You wouldn’t like it?” He drops his shirt on the floor. A pulse runs down into my stomach, tingling down between my legs. The man’s gorgeous. His chest is defined, his abs are shredded, and his shoulders are broad enough to hold up the world. Tattoos are etched into his skin, a lot like Dante, but they don’t encroach above his collarbone. A snake wrapped around a dagger, a rose and a cross, something in Italian on his ribcage, an owl, a hand with two fingers pointed down, a skull with a crown.
“I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”
“You’re telling me you wouldn’t get some pleasure out of knowing that your piece of shit ex-boyfriend suffered because of what he did to you?”
“I don’t want to be a part of that.”
He stops inches from me. His lips quirk in amusement. “Now you know what I am and suddenly you think you have the moral high ground?”
“You should have told me.”
“And how do you think that conversation would’ve gone?”
“I don’t know, but—”
“It doesn’t change a thing. You won’t be part of my organization’s activities. All I need you for is this.” He moves closer, puts one hand on the small of my back, and the other on my belly. The meaning is clear.
“Stop it,” I say, brushing him off and stepping away, breathing hard. Excitement streams into my veins, but I need to keep calm. My head isn’t level, and too much has happened too fast. “You lied to me. Or at least you kept the truth from me.”
“It doesn’t matter. You’re in my home now. You’ve seen my life and you’ve come this far. You’re mine.”
I go very still as he looks at me with a predatory smile.
“Until our contract is over,” I say, meeting his gaze. I force steel into my backbone. All my instincts are screaming that I should run, but this man won’t be kept in check by softness. I have to stand up to him, at least a little bit, or he’s going to walk all over me and take whatever he wants.