Chapter 6
CHAPTER 6
MEREDITH
T he police arrived just as Sofia was starting another episode. Roman let them in, his usual stoic expression even more severe as he eyed the two Detectives – a tall man with sharp eyes and a shorter man with salt-and-pepper hair.
"Ms. Cassaro?" The tall detective showed his badge. "I'm Detective Warren, this is Detective Cooper. We'd like to ask you a few questions."
Detective Warren was tall and lean, with sharp features that matched his equally sharp gaze. Everything about him screamed authority, from his perfectly pressed suit to his crew cut and trimmed beard. Detective Cooper, on the other hand, had kind eyes that crinkled at the corners, his salt-and-pepper hair and gentle demeanor reminding me of an old college professor who'd been too kind to us students. The contrast between them was stark.
Sofia's hand found mine as we rose from the couch, our face masks long since removed. Her grip was protective, grounding. Roman remained by the elevator, his massive frame blocking the only exit, arms crossed over his chest as he watched us move to the kitchen island.
"Would you like some water?" I offered automatically, then felt foolish. This wasn't my home to be playing hostess in.
"No, thank you, dear," Cooper said kindly, pulling out his notebook. "Whose residence is this?"
I perched on one of the barstools, trying to stop my hands from trembling. "Leonardo Donati's." Cooper's brow furrowed as he jotted something into his notes.
"You mean Leonardo Donati, CEO of Prospera?" Cooper said as he arched a brow.
"Yes…" I mumbled.
Would Leo be mad I'd allowed officers into his penthouse? I should've told him, at least to alert Roman. I glanced over at the man I'd seen around almost as much as Leo, giving him my best apologetic look. He just nodded but didn't say a word as he watched the Detectives like a hawk.
What was all of this about?
"And you stayed here last night?" Warren's tone held an edge that made my spine stiffen.
"Yes." I swallowed hard. "What's this all about?"
"Did anything unusual occur last night?" he asked, ignoring my question.
"I found my..." My throat tightened, and I sucked in a breath. "My fiancé cheated?—"
"Her fiancé showed his true colors," Sofia cut in, her tone sharp. "Is there a reason you're questioning her like she's done something wrong?"
Warren's eyes narrowed. "And you are?"
"Sofia Savoca. Her best friend."
Something flickered in Warren's eyes at Sofia's last name, but Cooper stepped forward, his presence softening the tension.
"My apologies, Ms. Savoca. We just need to establish a timeline," he said gently before focusing back on me. "Ms. Cassaro, can you walk us through last night?"
"I got home around six. I wanted to surprise Logan with dinner." The memory made my stomach turn. I'd abandoned the takeout I'd gotten from his favorite place when I'd run out. "When I got to our bedroom..."
"Take your time," Cooper encouraged when I faltered.
"She found that waste of space in bed with some office tramp," Sofia interjected, her hand squeezing mine.
"And then what happened?" Warren pressed.
"I left. Called my brother, but he was out of town. He sent Leo – Mr. Donati – to pick me up." I glanced at Sofia, who was giving the two Detectives a studious look. She didn't appear impressed by their questions.
"And Mr. Donati was with you the entire evening?" Warren's gaze was piercing, accusatory.
My stomach twisted. Before I could respond, the elevator dinged, and the atmosphere in the room shifted instantly.
Leo strode in, his presence immediately filling the room, and even Warren seemed to straighten. He commanded attention without effort, his tailored suit and cold demeanor drawing all eyes to him. "What's this about?"
"Mr. Donati." Cooper turned, clearly designated as the diplomatic one, but his expression shifted for a moment before he masked it. "We were just asking Ms. Cassaro about last night."
"Why?" The single word carried weight, and both detectives exchanged glances.
"Where were you last night, sir?"
"Here with Meredith, though I did go out for dinner." Leo's voice was ice. "I have the receipts. Roman can verify my movements."
"We'll need those receipts." Warren's eyes moved down to Leo's hands, where his split knuckles could be seen.
My heart thundered against my ribs. "What's this about? Why are you asking these questions?" The words came out breathy, panic already clawing at my chest.
I had a feeling I already knew.
Detective Warren's stern expression softened as he glanced at me, a crack in his professional veneer. "Mr. Mitchell was admitted to the emergency room last night. He suffered a severe beating."
The room tilted, Sofia's grip on my arm the only thing anchoring me. "What?" I gasped.
"He refused to name his attacker," Warren continued, his eyes having returned to Leo despite apparently speaking to me, studying his reaction. "But a woman – we believe the same woman you found him with – suggested it might be connected to you."
Bile rose in my throat. That woman, the one who'd been writhing beneath my fiancé—ex-fiancé—last night, had gone to the hospital with him? The image of her holding his hand, comforting him while he lay broken in a hospital bed, made my stomach turn. Had he called her instead of me? While I'd been ignoring his desperate messages, had he turned to her for comfort? The home-wrecker who'd shattered my life?
No, it wasn't her fault. Unless she knew about me, then they were both at fault. Logan was the one in the wrong, but now…
"Fuck," I whispered, the word escaping before I could stop it.
"That's enough." Leo's voice cut through my spiraling thoughts like a blade. He moved closer, his presence solid and intimidating behind me. "Ms. Cassaro has been through enough. If you have more questions, direct them to me."
The authority in his tone left no room for argument. Even Warren seemed to yield, although his focus was all on Leo right now.
"We have plenty of questions for you, Mr.—"
"Of course." Detective Cooper cut Warren off as he pulled out a card, his kind eyes full of sympathy as he slid it across the counter to me. "We'll be in touch. Warren, let's go."
"Here's my direct number." Leo's business card joined Cooper's, the expensive design, simple with just his name and number imprinted in gold on a black matte background, looked oddly intimidating next to the Detective's one. "I'm happy to help in any way I can." The words held a double edge that made me grit my teeth as Cooper nodded and picked it up.
Warren looked ruffled and uneasy, but kept his mouth shut as Cooper appeared to give him a pointed look.
What was all that about? Too bad my mind was a mess now, still reeling from everything.
"Will he..." My voice cracked, and I had to swallow hard before continuing. "Will Logan be okay?" Why did I even care after what he'd done? Why did some stupid part of me worry for him?
"He'll pull through," Cooper assured me, his fatherly tone somehow making it worse. "Some broken ribs, facial fractures. But he'll recover."
I nodded as the two Detectives put their notepads away, although Warren gave Leo a careful look before heading towards the elevator.
Why had Cooper stopped him from questioning Leo more?
As Roman escorted them out, my eyes fixed on Leo's hands. Those split knuckles that I'd noticed last night now seemed to scream with guilt. The dinner that had taken so long to retrieve from a place nearby... Had those hands that had so gently comforted me through my nightmare also delivered brutal justice?
"Mer?" Sofia's voice was soft, worried. Her hand rubbed circles on my back. "You okay?"
I nodded mechanically, but my mind was reeling. Had Leo really done this? Gone after Logan while I soaked in his tub, oblivious? The timing fit perfectly. The injuries matched his damaged knuckles.
"You should rest," Leo said, loosening his tie with those same hands that might have broken my ex-fiancé. "You need to focus on moving forward."
I looked up at him then, really looked. His face was an expressionless mask, but his eyes... there was something dark there, something satisfied and primitive that made my breath catch.
"Yeah," I whispered, the word hardly more than a breath. "I guess."
Sofia guided me back to the couch, but all I could think about was Logan in a hospital bed, his face swollen and broken because of what he'd done to me. Because of who I'd called. Because of who my brother had sent.
The worst part wasn't knowing Leo had probably done this. The worst part was that I didn't know how to feel about it. Relief warred with horror, gratitude with fear. And underneath it all was a whisper of something else – something that felt dangerously like validation.
That terrified me most of all.
"Your brother wants to do dinner tonight at his place," Leo said after a moment of heavy silence. "He'll be back in town by then, he's flying home."
I blinked as I sunk onto the couch, processing his words after what the Detectives had just told me.
"She should come stay with me for now." Sofia said as she began gathering her things. "After everything that's happened?—"
"No." Leo's tone was not one to be questioned.
"Excuse me?" Sofia's eyes narrowed. "She's my best friend, and I have a perfectly good guest room."
“Don’t you think I should have a say?” I mumbled, both their gaze locking onto me.
"She stays here where she's safe." Leo’s gaze was heavy as he stared at me for a moment before refocusing on Sof.
Something passed between them, an unspoken communication that made Sofia falter. "You can't just?—"
"I can and I will." Leo's jaw ticked. "Leave it, Sofia. She’s safest here."
The tension in the room was thick enough to cut. I watched as Sofia's resistance crumbled, wondering what exactly passed in that loaded look between them.
As if on cue, her phone rang. She checked the screen, her expression shifting to frustration. "Damn it. There's a situation at work. Since I skipped out on the presentation stuff and came back… crap."
"Go," I said softly. "I'll be fine. I'm sorry too."
"Don't be, they just know I'm back in town and we're short-staffed. Big accident has happened, so they're trying to get everyone in…" Her brow furrowed as she scrolled through a message. She sighed and shook her head before focusing back on me, her expression torn.
"I've cleared my schedule," Leo added, his eyes still on Sofia. "She won't be alone."
Sofia hesitated, then pulled me up from the couch and into a tight hug. "Call me if you need anything. And Mer?" She pulled back, glancing at Leo before meeting my eyes again. "Don't worry too much about everything. I know I have my... feelings about Leo, but I believe he has your best interests at heart. He always has."
There was something heavy in those words, something that made me wonder just what Sofia knew about Leo that I didn't. Did she also think he'd done this to Logan? Did she even care?
Something told me she really didn't care about Logan right now. She'd always been a harder woman than me, able to take on situations that would've made me freeze. She'd been that way ever since I met her, and she'd said it was from growing up with brothers. I'd argued, considering I'd grown up with one, but she'd said it was different, Grayson was softer with me. He’d taken on a parental role since he'd had to step up with our shitty dad, then completely take over when he died.
"You can come back after if you want, just call ahead," Leo said after a moment as Sofia was already heading for the elevator.
"Depends on what's going on with work, looks like it might be a late shift I need to cover." She pressed the button, then turned back. "Just... take care of her."
The doors closed on her pointed look, leaving me alone with Leo and all my growing questions.
Silence settled over the penthouse. Leo headed to the kitchen area, focusing on the bar section, and I couldn't hold back anymore. I jumped up, joining him and leaned on the island behind him.
"Did you do that to Logan?" I whispered, my heart tightening.
He stilled, his hand on a crystal decanter in my view, those raw knuckles screaming at me. "Would you truly care if I did? After what he did to you?"
I swallowed hard, a confusing mix of emotions churning inside me. Logan had betrayed me, destroyed what we had, but... "I loved him."
"He was unworthy of your love." Leo's voice was dangerous and low.
"You can't just go around hurting people, Leo. Even if they hurt me first. The Detectives?—"
He moved then, whipping around faster than I expected, crowding me against the kitchen island. His hands gripped the marble on either side of me, caging me in. The scent of his cologne wrapped around me as he leaned close, his eyes intense.
"I will always look out for you, Meredith. Always protect you." His voice was rough. "I always have."
My breath caught in my throat. This close, I could see the flecks of darker blue in his eyes, could feel the heat radiating from his body. The air between us crackled, and I fought the urge to shrink.
I'd never seen Leo like this.
Had I?
The odd thought slipped into my mind, and I frowned, a strange feeling of old memories attempting to surface making me swallow.
"Do you remember what I told you that day?" Those eyes burned into me, his warm breath dancing over my cheek. "When you bandaged my hand?"
The memory surfaced – fourteen-year-old me, carefully wrapping his cut palm. "I told you to be more careful. That I needed you around."
"And what did I say?" His voice was so low now, and a strange warmth bloomed deep inside me. One that had no right to be there.
I frowned, trying to remember. "You said... you said you'd always protect me."
"I meant it."
Then, just as suddenly as he'd closed in on me, he backed away. "I need to make some calls." His voice was controlled again, distant. "I'll be in my office if you need anything."
I watched him stride down the hallway, my heart hammering against my ribs. His words echoed in my mind: I always have.
What exactly had that protection cost?
I'll always protect you. Those words from so long ago surfaced in my brain, his teenage voice not as hardened and rough as it was now, like a memory just out of reach.