Chapter 6
Everleigh
The whole shower thing was a bad idea.
I honestly don’t know what the hell I was thinking.
I’d barely finished washing my hair, and I was struggling to keep my footing.
I was dizzy, weak, and barely able to keep myself from falling face-first onto the floor.
I leaned forward, resting my cheek on the cool shower wall, and inhaled a deep breath.
Unfortunately, it did little to help. I simply wasn’t ready to take a shower alone.
But no matter how badly I might need it, I wasn’t going to ask for help.
Not from him—the incredibly handsome stranger with the deep blue eyes. I was standing there completely naked with gruesome bullet wounds marking my back which made me feel broken on the inside and out.
And to think, Doc kept telling me how lucky I was.
Apparently, one bullet barely missed my heart, and another came eerily close to my liver, and he was both shocked and impressed that I’d managed to survive.
Even so, the wounds were pretty grotesque, and the last thing I wanted was for him to see me in such a state—at least not while I could help it.
So, I finished washing off, then turned off the water and tried not to fall as I got out of the shower.
I dried off; then I drummed up all the strength I could muster and put on the clothes Billy had left for me. I used the toothbrush he’d left me to brush my teeth, then ran my fingers through my wet hair. By the time I was done, I was exhausted and could barely open the bathroom door.
When I finally stepped back into the bedroom, I was practically panting and wanted nothing more than to fall into bed.
I stood there for a moment, trying to catch my breath, and was about to continue forward when Billy stepped up next to me.
Those gorgeous eyes raked over me, and my entire body tensed.
I was still struggling with how incredibly handsome my captor was and could only follow along as he took hold of my arm and helped me over to the bed.
As I sat down, he grumbled, “You always been so damn stubborn?”
“I’m not stubborn,” I argued. “I’m determined.”
“Call it whatever you want.” There was no missing the annoyance in his voice as he snapped, “Pushing yourself like this isn’t doing you any favors.”
“It was just a shower.”
“Yeah, and it took a lot out of you.”
“And I haven’t bathed in days.”
He reached over and grabbed several new bandages from the bedside table as he said, “Well, that’s not exactly true.”
“What?” I was already embarrassed by the fact that Billy had changed my clothes, but the thought of him bathing me was mortifying. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I think you know exactly what it means.”
I could’ve pushed him for a straight answer, but I didn’t really want one.
The mere thought of him giving me a sponge bath was more than I could handle at that moment, so I pretended like it never happened and leaned forward, allowing him to put fresh bandages on my back as I told him, “Regardless, I needed a shower, and Doc said it was okay for me to take one.”
“Damn, you’re even more stubborn than I thought.”
He grumbled something incoherent under his breath as he put on the last bandage, then lowered my shirt.
I rolled my eyes as I leaned back against the pillows, but quickly raised up with a pained gasp when I was hit with a sharp twinge of pain.
A look of concern crossed Billy’s face as he asked, “You okay?”
“No, but I will be.”
As I lay there looking up at his handsome face, I couldn’t help but wonder what he was doing with a monster like DeLuca.
It was a thought that should’ve scared me, but it didn’t.
I’d been around dangerous men before. They would use their money and power to intimidate those around them. He was nothing like those men.
He didn’t have a fierce Italian name or an army full of guards.
He didn’t wear an expense watch or fancy black suit.
He didn’t need those things. His mere presence was all he needed to command attention, and at that moment, he had mine—every ounce of it.
His eyes were trained on mine as I asked, “Who are you?”
“I already told you.” He eased the covers back on the bed. “I’m Billy.”
“That’s not what I meant. I’m asking... who are you?
What do you do for a living?” I knew I was pushing for answers I may not want, but I had to ask, “Why are you working with Antonio DeLuca? Are you some kind of sex trafficker or something? Does he know I’m here?
Does he want you to sell me? Is that why you saved me? ”
“Is that what you really think?”
“I don’t know what to think.” His eyes remained locked on mine as I muttered, “In some ways, it makes sense that you would be, but...”
“But what?”
“I don’t know,” I repeated. “You just don’t seem like the type.”
“That’s because I’m not.”
“Then, what was up with you and DeLuca? Were you working together?”
“It’s nothing for you to be concerned about.”
“I wish I could believe that.” I reached for the covers and eased them over me as I told him, “I learned the hard way that any connection to Antonio DeLuca is a bad one.”
“Does that include yours?”
“Oh, most definitely.”
“Is that right?”
“Hm-hmmm. It was the worst.”
My shower and all the moving about had taken its toll, and my eyelids were growing heavy. I closed them for a moment, just to give them a quick rest, but that’s all it took for Billy to say, “You’ll have to tell me about it, but for now, you need to rest.”
Without saying anything more, he stood and walked out of the room.
After a few deep, soothing breaths, I drifted off to sleep.
When I woke several hours later, it was dark and the room was cold, but I was warm and comfy in that bed.
I was considering going back to sleep, but then the questions started trickling into my mind, like where Billy was and whether or not I could trust him.
I didn’t feel like I was in danger, but at the same time, I knew nothing about the man. Hell, I didn’t even know his last name or what he did for a living. Most of all, I had no idea how he’d found me or why he’d gone to so much trouble to help me.
None of it made any sense to me. I kept mulling it all over, and then I hit the tranquil spot where I couldn’t tell if I was actually awake or asleep.
I was drifting in my own little world until I heard the faint sound of a woman’s voice in the distance.
At first, I thought my mind was just playing tricks on me, but then I heard it again just outside the bedroom door.
She was talking with Billy, and even though I couldn’t make out exactly what was being said, I got the impression that the two were close. I was pretty sure I even heard Billy laugh, which was something I wasn’t sure he was capable of, especially after how intense he’d been with me.
I lay there quietly listening to their muffled voices, hoping I might catch a bit of whatever they were saying, but sadly, that didn’t happen. They spoke for about twenty or thirty minutes, and then, after a door opened and closed, the house fell completely silent.
I was starting to worry that Billy had disappeared on me when suddenly I heard pots and pans clanging together.
The water turned on and was followed by the sound of more banging and clanking.
The commotion continued for several minutes, and then, the bedroom door eased open and Billy quietly stepped into the room.
“You awake?”
“Hm-hmm, I am.”
“I made dinner.” Concern marked his handsome face as he asked, “You think you could eat a bite?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
“I can bring you a plate in here, or I could move you to the sofa.”
“Oh, umm...” As much as I didn’t want to move, I thought that seeing a bit more of his home might help me get a better feel for him, so I replied, “The sofa would be good.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, he made his way over to the bed.
He leaned down, and without the slightest grunt or sign of struggle, he lifted me up into his arms and carried me out of the room.
Seconds later, we were walking past his enormous kitchen with its white walls and countertops and into his living room.
Again, everything in the room was white—the walls, the sofa, the chairs, and the rugs.
Even the paintings on the walls were shades of white with a black or gray background.
The guest room had been much of the same with its white comforter and carpets, and while it was all really nice, I found it a little odd.
Actually, I found it more than a little odd, but the thought quickly came and went. I couldn’t seem to focus on anything when I was in his arms. It was strange, but I’d never felt safer. Billy carefully lowered me onto his sofa and adjusted the pillows before saying, “I’ll be back.”
Seconds later, he returned with a tray of food. As he lowered it down to the coffee table, he told me, “I wasn’t sure what you’d like, so I kept it simple.”
“I’m sure it will be great.”
I looked over to the table to find that he’d made us both a bowl of chicken noodle soup and a grilled cheese sandwich.
It was the same meal my father fixed any time I was sick or feeling down in the dumps, and I found it endearing that Billy had done the same.
I took the bowl in my hand and took a quick bite before asking, “Was someone here earlier?”
“Hmm?”
“I heard you talking to someone.”
“It was my daughter, Kiersten. The one I mentioned earlier... She came by to drop off a few things.”
“Oh.” I don’t know why, but up until that moment, I hadn’t even considered the possibility that he was married, much less that he was a father. “So, she doesn’t live here with you?”
“No, she’s got a place of her own.” He took his soup and sandwich and carried them over to the kitchen table. “It’s about a half-hour or so from here.”
“It’s nice that she’s so close.”
“I certainly think so.”
I knew I was being intrusive, but I couldn’t stop myself from saying, “I’m sure your wife does, too.”
“I’m sure she would if she was still alive.” There was no missing the anguish in his voice when he said, “She passed just over ten years ago.”
“I’m really sorry. I had no idea.”
“No way you could’ve known.”
He turned his attention back to his soup and started eating, putting an end to our conversation.
We both finished eating in silence, and once we were both done, Billy collected our dishes and carried them over to the sink.
He didn’t say a word as he cleaned up the dishes and put the leftovers away.
I thought he was going to avoid talking to me for the rest of the night, but then he surprised me by coming back into the living room.
Billy sat down on the loveseat across from me as he asked, “How are you feeling?”
“Not too bad.” I smiled as I told him, “Dinner was really good. Thank you.”
“No problem.”
Silence fell upon us once again, and I didn’t know what to think. It was clear from his narrowed eyes and clenched jaw that he had something on his mind, but I had no idea what until he finally asked, “How did you become involved with Antonio DeLuca?”
“Well, it wasn’t by choice, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
“Then, what was it?”
“He used my father’s debt against me.”
Billy looked physically pained as he listened to me describe the day DeLuca’s men came to my house and forced me into their car. I didn’t go into every detail, but I told him about my father’s gambling debt and how DeLuca used that debt and my father’s life to force me to work for him.
“How long had it been?”
“Just over five years.”
“Damn.” Billy shook his head as he grumbled, “He stole five years of your life.”
“He did.” Billy’s expression softened when I told him, “You can’t imagine how hard it was to be taken away from my family and friends. I felt so alone. I hated being locked away in that room, night after night, day after day, and year after year.”
“I’m sure it was tough.”
“It was, but I stuck it out for my father. I thought the work I was doing for DeLuca was keeping him alive.”
I wasn’t sure if I could totally trust him yet, so I was careful not to tell Billy about the work I was doing for DeLuca.
I didn’t even allude to it, but he was a smart guy.
I had no doubt he’d figure it out. I lowered my head with regret as I told him, “I also thought he’d release me once I’d managed to cover my father’s debt, but I was wrong on both counts. ”
“How so?”
“He killed my father.” I had to fight back my tears as I told him, “He was dead the entire time, and I didn’t know it.”
“Damn.”
“Yeah, and to think I thought I’d actually saved him. The man never had any intention of letting him live, and he never intended to let me go. I should’ve known a man like Antonio DeLuca wouldn’t keep his word.”
“You did the best you could.”
“I wish I could believe that.”
“It’s true. He’s a very powerful man. There’s no way you could’ve gone up against him alone.”
Billy had barely finished his thought when his phone rang. He quickly pulled it out of his pocket and answered, “You’ve got Billy.”
Billy waited as the person on the other end of the line spoke, then quickly replied, “Not a good time.”
After another brief pause, Billy stood up and walked out of the room. “Where’s the game?”
He continued down the hall as he answered, “I see... And how many are playing?”
It seemed odd that Billy was interested in playing some dumb game, especially with the conversation we’d been having, but he was nonetheless. So much so, he got the information he needed, then disappeared into his bedroom. Moments later, he came out and the sight of him nearly took my breath away.
He was wearing a neatly pressed white button-down with the sleeves slightly rolled at the wrists and a pair of fresh khakis.
His hair was neatly combed to the side, and he was wearing a pair of horn-rimmed glasses—which I found odd.
Until then, I’d never seen him wear glasses.
He’d even put on a spritz of cologne—which made me wonder who exactly would be at this game of his.
I felt a twinge of jealousy when he came into the living room and announced, “I have to go.”
“Okay.”
“I will be gone for several hours.”
“Okay.”
“I should move you into the bedroom.”
“Probably so.”
He nodded, then came over and lifted me in his arms. His entire body felt tense as he carried me back into the bedroom and laid me down on the bed. His tone was brusque as he ordered, “Stay put until I get back.”
“Okay.”
“I mean it, Everleigh. Don’t move until I get back.”
“Okay. I’ll stay put.”
With that, Billy walked out of the room and closed the door behind him. Seconds later, I heard the door’s lock engage, and just like that, I was being held prisoner once again.