9. Lennie
Lennie
T his motherfucker.
Every time I think I have an inkling of who Elijah is, he turns everything on its head.
I thought he’d live in the Ritz. Somewhere with a doorman, for sure. Instead, he bought an entire gutted warehouse and converted the highest floor into an actual cozy living space.
The colors are warm earthy tones. The space is livable with comfortable seating and throw blankets on the back of the couch. There’s a dog bed but he’s unbothered by the giant hairball sitting on the sofa.
I’m amazed at the greenery and mix of books along the shelves. Row after row of Oxford Worlds Classics and the black spines of Penguin Classics. There’s a record player, jazz music playing.
There’s a row of barstools, the kitchen peninsula separating the living room and kitchen. I’d like to open his fridge because I’m curious to know what Elijah eats. I wrongly assumed he dines on the souls of lesser men but turns out he’s human after all.
An open door leads into a dark room. My eyes keep gravitating toward it, wondering if that’s his room. What’s his bedroom like?
But there are more pressing concerns than snooping around.
“I’m going back to Plan A,” I mutter, crossing my arms.
Fuck international incidents. Both Leopold and Elijah can stare down the barrel of Isolde’s gun.
Albert’s soulful eyes peek between us and the furrow of his little brow makes my heart ache.
Okay, maybe I won’t kill his owner, but whatever game Elijah’s playing, I’m not having it.
He smirks, the trademark move irritating me. “Worse matches have been made.”
“I’m not marrying you.”
He hums under his breath, staring off absentmindedly.
“But maybe we could pretend.”
I can’t believe I’m the one who says it.
He looks over, surprised too. But then a feline smirk widens again. “Do you want to court me?”
I try not to roll my eyes. “Do you always have to sound so full of yourself?”
This is possibly the dumbest thing I’ve come up with. But as annoying as Elijah is, I know because of our family connections and history, he won’t hurt me.
He’ll piss me the fuck off. But he won’t bodily harm me. At least. . . not more than he already has.
He must understand what I’m thinking because he tips his chin down to stare at the drink in his hand. “And what will Gia think of all of this?”
“She won’t.”
He raises a mocking eyebrow.
I sink in my seat. “I mean does she have to?”
He looks off again and I hate this trick. He’s not deep in thought. He’s giving space for others to form their own trap.
This time I keep my mouth shut.
“You’re very secretive these days.” He pets Albert’s head. “In order for this to work you realize this Leopold will need to know we’re a couple.”
“He just needs to think we’re a couple,” I mumble.
Elijah’s almost disappointed. “And how do we do that? A few photos on social media? A stern talking to? One or two dates. No, I’m afraid for a scoundrel like Leopold it won’t be enough. The only way to make someone believe the lie is to live the lie.”
He wears a mask of boredom, but there’s a spark of mischief in his gray eyes.
“I’m not going to really date you.”
“Why not? Do you have any other offers of marriage Leopold needs to know about?”
When I think too long without answering, he adds, “You came to me because you wanted a solution. I’ve presented one to you. Turn your nose up at it, Leonora. What’s it to me if you marry Leopold.”
My fingers curl into fists. His eyes flick down, noticing, and I quickly play with the hem of my dress. From his angle on the couch, it feels like my legs are on show.
“How would it work?” I slowly ask.
“Simple. From this point forward you’re my girlfriend.”
An exasperated girlfriend.
“What does that mean?” I ask. Janis taught me about boundaries. This situation calls for some.
“For starters you don’t go out on dates with other men.” Albert lifts his head at the words. “I’ll have to punish you for that, but once?—”
A pillow smacks him in the face. It falls on his lap, leaving a stunned Elijah.
He frowns. “What was that for?”
My fingers curl around my kneecaps. “I’m here because Leopold’s an ass. There’s no need for you to be one too.”
“I’m not an ass.”
“Do you punish all your girlfriends?”
“Yes and they beg me for it.”
Heat pricks my cheeks. “Well, the only punishments around here will be fake. Just like this relationship.”
“I thought we already established there is no faking anything.”
“No punishments, fake or otherwise.”
“Are you certain, Leonora? I think you’d like it.”
The heat along my cheeks builds. “I don’t think so.”
“The point stands, you’ll not be going out on dates with other men.” There’s no smirk on his face. His fingers tighten around the tumbler of whiskey. Albert places a cute little paw on his forearm, almost like he’s trying to calm him.
“Fine.” As it happens, I’m not in the mood to go on any more dates. “But you’re not going to go out with anyone else either.”
Elijah’s relationships usually remain private, but fake relationship or not, I’m not going to be made into a fool.
He smiles over his whiskey. “Agreed. I’ll deal with Leopold. He’ll know to back off. You simply went to dinner with him because you were catching up with an old friend from university.”
My muscles relax for the first time in hours. “Thank you.”
“And then you’ll come stay the night with me.”
A choked noise rattles around my throat. “E-excuse me?”
He shrugs, not perturbed. “If I’m telling a man to back away from my woman, it’s because we’re serious. I’ll expect to see you more.”
This is what he does. He traps people. He might eye me up when we’re in the same room, but I’m not under the impression it’s because I’m a prize.
Most likely he sees a use for me and that’s why he agreed in the first place.
I need to be careful or I’ll end up in Elijah’s arsenal as a weapon waiting to be deployed.
“Or,” I suggest, fighting against Elijah’s spinning web. “You get Leopold to back off because you want to help me and we call it even.”
“This man spent four years pretending to be friends with you in university. He ‘bumped’ into you in the street. If he’s anything like me, he won’t call it quits. If I’m going out of my way to defend my woman, then you will be seen as such. If you don’t like the deal, Leonora, don’t take it.”
I’m not sure what he thinks needs to happen in order to convince Leopold we’re together. “I’m not going to sleep with you.”
“Get ahold of yourself, Leonora. I said stay over.”
“But my mom.” I shake my head. It’s so ridiculous. At my age, I shouldn’t care about pleasing my mother. But my insides twist at the thought of my mom.
“Make me into your dirty little secret, Leonora. Don’t tell Gia, that’s fine, but everyone else will know you have a man in your life. Me. You’ll stay here when I want you to and when I call, you answer.”
Always with the directions. And always with my full name.
“I have work,” I tell him. “I can’t just move in with a guy.”
He sighs again, a disappointed look crossing his face. I hate his play-acting. “Pick a few days. I’m not fussed about when. And I’m putting a guard on you at all times.”
“What the actual fuck.”
“You can’t come here and tell me about a stalker and think I won’t react,” he says.
“I’ve got Ferdinand.”
“And now you’ve got another,” he retorts. “Don’t worry. You’ll never see him.”
“You’re going to put a guard on me and think that won’t raise questions with my father?”
“Ferdinand’s good, but he’s not that good. I’m not leaving anything to chance.”
“I came to you for help and now you’re acting like my jailer.”
“You came to me because if you went to your mother you’d never be able to leave the house. One guard to keep the motherfucker away is nothing. Besides, if I didn’t put someone on you, he’d know something was wrong.”
He picks a piece of lint off his dark shirt and realizes I’m not following.
“If my woman comes home and tells me someone’s after her, I’m not leaving things to chance. He’s clever enough to know that.”
I’m losing everything in this deal. I’m lying to my parents, being forced to spend time away from home and now getting an additional bodyguard despite never wanting one to begin with.
I narrow my eyes at him. “I’m getting shafted.”
A rather pleased smile crawls along his face. “I’ll tell you when you’re getting shafted.”
I stifle an angry noise in the back of my throat. “Why?” I shake my head, so he understands the question isn’t regarding his last sentence. “Why help and then make all these demands?”
“They’re not demands. I’ll be damned if Leopold is allowed near you.” He frowns as he speaks like I should understand that.
“Just a few months.”
He cocks his head like he doesn’t understand.
“Leopold will get bored.” Or marry someone else. Hopefully, not to anyone I know, but I’m sure there’s an alliance to be made with the Italians or the Irish.
He hums under his breath but chooses not to say anything.
“Let’s reevaluate in two months, shall we?” I suggest.
“Three.” He places the whiskey on the table. “And you’ll tell me exactly what the asshole did tonight that scared you so much.”
The apartment remains silent in the dead of night.
He scowls. “Did he touch you?”
I shake my head.
“Leonora.”
“H-he touched my arm,” I admit with shame. Because it was a little touch, a power move. Maybe I’m the one overreacting.
No, you’re not.
I decide to trust the voice in the back of my head for once.
That doesn’t mean I want him dead, though. “No funny business.”
Elijah makes no promises. “Stay the night.”
I laugh. “Absolutely not.”
“If my woman tells me of a threat, I don’t let her out of my sight.”
I lift myself off the chair. “Good thing your woman has an armed guard outside.”
I fought with Mom about going out without a guard and yet for some reason an SUV is downstairs. And even better, I’ve added to the count. I don’t want to think about how complicated I’ve made this all.