Chapter Two
Allegra
I looked at my patient schedule, smiling at the names as I traced my finger down my morning lineup. Three of my favorite patients were on my schedule this morning. They were sweet and willing to work hard, and even though life had handed them some rough times, they still maintained their positivity and took everything in stride.
My brow wrinkled when I saw Cooper Moreau scheduled for this afternoon. For a split second, I contemplated faking some kind of illness and going home after lunch.
I’d been dealing with Cooper for about a month, and he was an absolute pain. He refused to listen to me, his own pride getting in the way of everything I asked him to do. Every single stretch was a struggle, every instruction a battle. He was a naturally fit man, compounded by the fact that he must work out at the gym constantly. However, I’d tried to tell him that fitness was completely different from rehabilitation and physical therapy, but he’d dismissed me. I had him pegged for a misogynistic womanizer and the worst kind of playboy. Probably here on daddy’s dime.
I sighed, squaring my shoulders in resolve as my professionalism kicked in. I wouldn’t let Cooper Moreau ruin what was otherwise going to be a lovely, sunny day .
I relished in the unusual heat wave that was currently plaguing the city. Whereas the average Parisian felt it stifling and uncomfortable, I enjoyed the sun on my face and the warmth cocooning my body. It brought me back to my summers at the vineyards in Italy. My mother was Italian, but she’d died, leaving me in the care of my French father, who wasn’t well equipped to deal with a young child, especially given his…career. So, I’d spent many summers with my grandparents and among the grapes, learning to appreciate the soil and the heat, along with the bugs and the rain.
I missed Italy so much now. When my grandparents had passed away, I couldn’t afford to keep the vineyard. I could have asked my father for the money, but I didn’t want anything to do with his line of work and was better off on my own. Instead, I had used what little inheritance I had and decided to go to school for physical therapy. I enjoyed my job, enjoyed the ability to help people regain the skills they needed to get through everyday life. My grandfather had been in an accident when I was in middle school, and I’d watched with rapt attention when the physical therapist put him through stretches and exercises, helping his body come back to life. Even as a preteen, I knew it was the career for me.
My morning patients seemed to fly by, and before I knew it, it was lunchtime. I walked out of the clinic, down the street towards a little bakery. The owner smiled at me, handing me my usual before I even opened my mouth.
I made the journey back to the office slowly, enjoying the last little bit of my lunch break. When I turned the corner and saw Cooper’s car, an ostentatious black sports car, I seriously reconsidered my earlier plan of playing sick. You love your job , I reminded myself, opening the clinic door and entering the office.
I shared the space with eight other therapists and a program director, who acted as the liaison for the hospital our clinic was attached to. It was an arrangement that worked well. Whenever one of us was on vacation or sick, we could cover for each other. We shared the rent and the cost of the receptionist’s salary. I wasn’t wealthy by any means, but my job provided me with a comfortable little pied-à-terre that boasted a beautiful view of the city. I didn’t own a car and preferred to walk everywhere, so my expenses were minimal outside of my home.
Joanna, our receptionist, smiled at me when I passed her desk, and she nodded to the corner of the waiting room where my next patient sat.
Cooper Moreau’s dirty blonde hair fell carelessly across his forehead as he fixed me with that sour expression of his. Despite myself, my eyes traced the defined muscles of his arms, visible beneath his fitted shirt. No wonder the other female patients whispered, and the younger therapists snuck glances when he did his exercises. Even with a limp, he moved like someone who belonged in a fitness magazine. But his movie-star good looks couldn’t mask the arrogance radiating from his rigid posture, and the way his jaw clenched as if he was annoyed with me and everyone around him.
As if I had a sixth sense, I already knew how this session was going to play out. He’d be full of his usual cocky attitude, acting like he knew more than any actual physical therapist, and I’d be submissive and kind, trying not to set him off.
I walked right past where he sat and headed to my small office. Grabbing his file, I looked over his treatment plan, noting his stalled progress. I instantly became irritated at the plateau. I usually possessed a slow temper, but after the willingness I’d witnessed from my other patients this morning, I was in no mood to put up with his crap. I flicked my hair over my shoulders, then changed my mind and pulled it back into a tight ponytail. This was serious. Cooper Moreau was going to shape up or ship out.
I moved out of the small room and back towards the receptionist area.
“Mr. Moreau.” Nodding towards him, I turned my back so he could follow me down to our gym. I could hear him shuffle behind me, sighing a bit as the cane eased his trek. I slowed my walk, feeling a bit guilty as he struggled to keep up with my brisk pace.
Being a hard-ass wasn’t usually my thing. But I felt like this particular patient needed some tough love. I rehearsed my speech in my head as I approached the end of the hall, my stomach already in knots.
I entered the gym and held open the door for him as he clambered into the room. I was surprised he was still limping; I’d had patients with similar issues—broken legs from car accidents—heal much more quickly. However, they followed all my advice and adhered to my treatment plan, unlike my current patient.
Cooper sat on the chair nearest the treadmill, and instead of standing over him, I pulled up a chair and sat. He looked surprised, his brown eyes meeting mine.
“Here’s the deal, Mr. Moreau,” I started, folding my arms firmly across my chest. “I—”
“Cooper,” he interrupted, raising an eyebrow.
“Fine, Cooper,” I responded, “I—”
“Can we get started?” He leaned forward and propped his elbows on his knees. “I have places to be.”
“That’s just it, Mr. Moreau—”
“Cooper,” he corrected again, a slight smile playing on his lips.
“Unless you start listening to me and adhering to your treatment plan, you’re never going to get the range of motion and strength you had previously.” The words tumbled from my mouth; I was a bit nervous now that the words had to be spoken aloud. My speech had sounded much better in my own head.
His eyebrows narrowed, and the smile disappeared from his lips. “I am working hard, I work out every single night—”
“That’s not it, you need to be doing the right type of exercises. I can tell you’re in amazing physical shape, but it’s important to—”
“You think I’m physically fit, huh?” His grin returned, and I felt my face redden.
“That’s not what I meant—”
He leaned back, his legs spread apart and his hands going back behind his head. He always wore athletic clothing to his appointments, sweatpants and tight tee-shirts, brand new tennis shoes. His biceps bulged and his pectoral muscles tested the limitations of the cotton in his shirt. “So, you don’t think I’m fit?”
“We’re getting off topic here...”
“Maybe I like the way this conversation is going.” He lifted his head, and I could see his amusement over my frustration. It irritated me even more and made me blush harder. I knew he was flirting with me to make me more flustered, and I was angry that it was working.
“You need to be properly motivated. There has to be something that you care about, something that you miss—”
“Yes.”
His instant admission stopped my rambling. For a split second, his haughty and cocky demeanor dropped, and I could see the wounded individual underneath the hard exterior.
“What is it?”
He lowered his voice, almost bashfully. “I miss riding my motorcycle.”
It wasn’t what I expected him to say, but it was the perfect motivation.
“Then let’s get you there, Cooper. I promise, if you just listen to me, I’ll have you riding your bike within the next month.”
He looked at me, his tan skin an odd contrast with his blonde hair. He extended his hand, and I felt a jolt of warmth move through my body when I took it.
“You’ve got a deal.”
A wave of dread washed over me when my ex-boyfriend’s voice came over the intercom, desperate and pleading.
“Tomas, I don’t know what you think you’re going to do, but I certainly won’t let you in.”
“Come on, baby. I’m sorry, you know I didn’t mean it—”
“Oh really? I don’t want the same things you want, so you try and force me? I should call the police! ”
I heard an angry thud, and then rustling. He’d kicked something. Probably the trash can next to the building’s entrance. “Fine. But you’ll miss me, baby. You’ll want me again.”
Over my dead body , I thought. Not only was Tomas a cheater, but his personality in the bedroom left me both uncomfortable and a bit scared. Crossing my small living room and making my way over to the window, I saw Tomas turn and walk back down the street, no doubt to the bar around the corner. It was obvious he’d been drinking. Why else would he come to my apartment, begging me to take him back? There was absolutely no way in hell I’d ever forgive that asshole. He’d ruined a lot of things for me, sex included.
As I watched his silhouette disappear around the corner, I finally released the breath I’d been holding. I despised confrontation; it made my skin itch and my face burn.
I caught a glance at the clock hanging on the wall, and I sighed deeply before heading back towards my room. Joanna and I were planning on going out for drinks, but I’d stopped getting ready the moment Tomas had appeared outside my building. It had been several months since I’d broken things off, but he didn’t seem to take the hint. We hadn’t even been seeing each other that long, but I had been around enough men to know that he wasn’t a keeper. I had been slightly relieved when I saw him dancing with another woman at a club, and not entirely shocked as they flirted more and more as the evening progressed. I’d watched from afar, feeling somewhat detached from the entire ordeal. I hadn’t even planned on being out that night, but another friend was going through a break-up, so I had come out to support her and get her mind off of things. By the time the evening was winding down, I had watched the pair leave together. I should have confronted him right there and then, but I was surprised at the lack of rage or betrayal I felt. If truth be told, I was embarrassed at myself for not breaking it off sooner. For trusting that things would get better.
Grabbing my favorite amethyst dress from my wardrobe, I put on a tall pair of pumps to make up for my small stature. Silver hoops went in my ears, and I walked into the bathroom, eager to fix up my make-up into a sultry look so I could pretend to be someone else for an evening. Someone bolder.
Before I could move out of the bathroom, an irritated meow dragged my attention down to the floor. Bianca rubbed up against my legs, obviously annoyed that I hadn’t fed her yet. I grabbed my lipstick off the bathroom counter to throw into my little bag, and then entered the kitchen, opening a can of cat food for the fluffy white cat who nearly tripped me in her excitement for her evening meal.
My intercom buzzed again, and I ran to the front room, grabbing my beaded black clutch from the couch as Joanna’s voice came through.
“You ready, Al?”
“Yup, heading down now.”
I glanced out the window again before I left, ensuring Tomas hadn’t circled back around. Thankfully, he was nowhere to be seen. I locked my door, and then took the elevator down to the lobby of my building.
Joanna twirled in front of me as the elevator doors opened. She looked beautiful in a satin minidress. She was more of a traditional beauty than I was, tall with a thin build and gorgeous raven hair that cascaded in waves down her back, no matter what activity she participated in or what the weather was. I, on the other hand, was short and pretty much all hips, and no matter who cut my hair or styled it, it was always a boring mousey brown without a lick of curl. In lower school, I had an ill-advised perm that made me look like a poodle for a while, before I had learned to accept that my hair had a mind of its own.
“I need a night out!” Joanna proclaimed, waltzing towards me and pulling me in for a hug. We were careful to maintain our professionalism at work, but once 5:00 p.m. hit, we were best friends. It was nice to have someone who understood both my work and my personal life.
“You look upset—what happened?” Joanna was intuitive and sensed when things were off, especially with me.
“Tomas,” I said, grimacing. I hated even saying his name.
Joanna made a face, but didn’t ask me to elaborate, for which I was grateful. I didn’t want to dwell in the past, and I especially didn’t want to get into all the things that had gone wrong in my sex life, either. I just wanted to have an enjoyable evening out and relax a bit. I wasn’t super into the bar or club scene, but it did get me out of my apartment and away from my hermit lifestyle. If left to my own devices, I’d become a blob who did nothing but watch TV and pore over the latest physical therapy journals.
“ Cet Endroit okay?” Joanna asked, her French absolutely abysmal. Originally from Hong Kong, Joanna’s mom had moved to France when Joanna had been a teenager, and she never seemed to pick up the correct pronunciation. But I loved how hard she tried, and it made her more endearing to me. Since French and Italian were so similar, and my father was French, I had no trouble adjusting when I’d made the move to Paris. My French was pretty much flawless.
“Sure,” I replied, pushing open the lobby door and hearing it latch securely behind me. The units in my building were protected by a locked keypad, preventing unwanted visitors from getting into the lobby. I took a final look around, making sure that Tomas wasn’t lingering, and then I crossed the street with Joanna. We walked a few blocks to the club, and I tried to hide my distaste for the place she had chosen. It was loud and dark; not exactly the best backdrop for meaningful conversation or a relaxing drink. But still, I needed to burn off a little energy and dancing seemed like the easiest way to accomplish that.
We paid the cover charge and slipped inside the doors. Bright, flashing strobe lights cut through the darkness, and the bass was so loud I couldn’t even make out whatever song was playing. But Joanna was instantly in her element—she moved on to the floor, pulling me with her before we even did the mandatory lap around the club to see if there was anyone interesting.
Joanna might have been in the mood to find someone, but I was done with boys. I needed a break; I would wait until I could find a man instead of these wannabe little players. I hardly glanced around the room, and instead I concentrated on the beat. The music made my ears ring and was so loud that it was slightly uncomfortable, but I was young, wasn’t I? Wasn’t this what young women did before they got married and settled down?
After a few songs, Joanna was ready for some refreshments. She motioned for me to follow her, and I was relieved that she wanted to take a break. I was turning twenty-seven in the fall, and to be honest, I was starting to feel a bit older than all the eighteen and nineteen-year-olds grinding around me.
I met Joanna at the bar, and she was already ordering a couple of Long Island ice teas. I personally preferred a nice wine, but Joanna had offered to pay, so who was I to complain?
Joanna smiled at me, her obsidian hair looking glossy under the strobe lights. “Do you see anyone you like?” she yelled over the music.
“I’m not looking,” I responded, grabbing the drink that the server had nudged towards me. Instead of a lemon wedge, there was an orange slice teetering on the edge of the glass. I looked at the server, who smiled at me a bit too friendly.
“We’re out of lemons.” He added a wink to his statement, and then looked at me expectantly. I shrugged, and his attention immediately diverted to Joanna. She flicked her long hair and smiled at him, trying to talk over the music.
I sighed, looking to the side and finding a little table to sit at. My feet were already aching, and I had no desire to go back out into the crowd by myself. Instead, I watched as Joanna laughed, giggled and teased the bartender.
A tall man with a thin beard sat next to me. I was about to tell him to buzz off, but he gave me a kind smile and I didn’t have it in my heart to be rude to him. He was just telling me about his job in architectural engineering when I saw a sight that made my heart drop into my stomach.
Tomas was standing about twelve metres away, watching me intently. The knees of his jeans were ripped, and his collared shirt was ruffled as if he’d already been in a scuffle this evening, aside from having kicked my trash cans in anger. I watched as his gray eyes focused on me, and suddenly I felt—scared. There was a hostility in his expression that I’d never seen before, and when he saw me noticing him, he gave me a cryptic smile, as if he was daring me to come over and tell him off. I could feel my heart palpitating, and I wiped my hands on my dress, palms suddenly covered with sweat. The music droned on, but it was like a loud buzzing now, making my head feel full and thick.
“So, I might go back to Germany, but I—” the man, whose name I hadn’t even caught, obviously knew I was no longer paying attention. “Is everything alright?” he asked, sensing my panic.
“The man over there…he’s my ex. And he’s…watching me.”
My would-be-date looked around the room until he spotted Tomas. It wasn’t hard; Tomas still hadn’t taken his eyes off of me.
“I’m going to head home,” I said, thinking of the security system in my building, along with my first-floor neighbor, who was a policeman.
“I’ll walk you. I’m Gregor, by the way.”
“Thanks, Gregor. Let me just tell my friend goodbye.” I stood up and headed back over to the bar, and I could practically feel Tomas’s stare on my back .
Joanna was engrossed in her conversation with the bartender and didn’t even notice me. I placed my hand on her shoulder and she jumped slightly, then turned to look at me. “Al, what’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
I gulped. I would have preferred to see any type of specter rather than Tomas. “Tomas is here.”
Joanna’s gaze instantly left mine and searched the crowd, finding him quickly. “Al, I don’t like this…he looks like he’s been in a fight, which probably means he’s heavily intoxicated. I’ll walk you home to your apartment.”
I shook my head, the music still pounding in my ears. “No, you stay here. Gregor is going to walk me home.” I nodded to him.
Joanna sized him up quickly. He must have met whatever criteria she was looking for, because she nodded. “Okay, I’ll take a taxi home. But I want you to text me as soon as you’re safe in your apartment.”
“I will,” I promised, and then started towards the exit, Gregor behind me.
The sharp quiet of the street jolted me; the difference between the heavy bass of the club versus the hushed night of the city made me feel like I’d entered another world. It had rained while I was inside, as if the warm air of Paris couldn’t stand it any longer and demanded relief from the clouds. The ground was wet, but the moisture was quickly evaporating as humid rain usually does.
Gregor walked alongside me.
“Where do you live?”
“Just up the stree—”
Before I could finish my sentence, Tomas cut us off. “Allegra,” he hissed, his tone so unlike his usual speech that I was instantly frightened.
“Hey, why don’t you back off?” Gregor asked, stepping in front of me. I was immediately thankful that I took him up on his offer to walk me home.
Tomas turned red, and then pulled a knife out of his pocket. I flinched, suddenly horrified at the turn of events. I could tell that Tomas was tremendously drunk, and I knew that this situation had gone from bad to deadly. Tomas wasn’t incredibly tall or muscular, but wielding a weapon definitely made him menacing.
“Shit,” Gregor cussed, and Tomas gave a grotesque smile, pleased that he’d gotten the response he wanted. He brought the knife towards Gregor.
“You better get gone,” he threatened. “Allegra is my property.”
Gregor recoiled at the sight of the knife, stumbling back several steps.
“No!” I screamed, looking around for anyone to help. But the street was quiet with no one around to notice my predicament.
“I’m going to go get help,” Gregor yelled, turning on the spot.
“Don’t leave me!” I bellowed, but it was too late; he’d already crossed back to the door and disappeared into the club. I turned my back on Tomas and instantly started to sprint, but in my panic, I’d forgotten about the curb and tripped. My knees were torn open by the rough pavement, and my palms were skinned and burning. I tried to get up, but the split-second delay was enough for Tomas to get the upper hand.
Tomas grabbed my arm and twisted it behind my back. “We’re going to go back to your apartment, and we’ll work this out. We have a good thing, baby.”
He dragged me to the side of the building, and I fought him like crazy, but every time I moved, he tightened his grasp on my arm. I was terrified, instantly realizing the mistake I’d made.
I picked the wrong man. Apparently two months of dating wasn’t enough time to see the true monster before me. I felt a tear cascade down my cheek, and with bitter irony, I wondered who would find my body.
I couldn’t imagine that this was going to end well.
But apparently, fate had other plans. Across the alley, a loud, booming voice echoed off of the buildings.
“I don’t think the lady wants to go with you.”
I turned my head, barely able to gain traction with Tomas’s tight grasp on my hair, but I recognized the deep and husky voice almost immediately.
Cooper Moreau.
His face was a mask of collective calmness. He stood across the alley, leaning up against his expensive sports car. His hands were in the pockets of his jeans, and he was wearing a dark tee-shirt that did nothing but accentuate his muscular build. His arms were thick, the veins were practically bulging, and I knew he was a menacing sight.
As Cooper continued to take in the scene before him, his expression transformed into something lethal. His features hardened to stone, jaw clenched like a steel trap. He coiled with the quiet menace of a cobra preparing to strike.
“This is between me and my girlfriend,” Tomas spat out, trying to pull me along the alley, farther away from where Cooper stood .
“Funny, it doesn’t look like she has any desire to be your girlfriend, do you, Miss Prescott?”
I didn’t know Cooper even knew my last name, but apparently, he’d done his homework at some point.
“You know him?” Tomas hissed, practically spitting against the side of my face. I flinched, both scared and embarrassed. I didn’t know why I was ashamed of Cooper seeing me like this, but I was.
“She does,” Cooper said, answering swiftly and with an extreme amount of confidence. For once, I was glad he was arrogant and cocky. “If you don’t let her go right this second, I’ll be forced to intervene. Would you like that?” Cooper cracked his knuckles and then made a move as if to cross the street.
Tomas instantly released me, turned, and ran back down the alleyway. He tripped and fell, picked himself up, and then continued running until I could no longer hear his feet hitting the concrete.
Cooper broke the silence, letting out a low chuckle. He looked over at me, then opened his car door, pulling out his black cane. I walked over to him, and he leaned heavily on it.
“I’m glad he didn’t ask me to prove it,” he said, the corner of his mouth lifting in amusement. “I doubted he would have waited for me to grab this damn thing.” He gestured towards the cane, and his joking tone dropped quickly.
I was still trembling from head to toe. Fear gripped at my chest; for a moment, I had really thought I was going to end up dead in an alleyway, my body mixed in among the trash. A rogue tear made its way down my cheek, and Cooper looked at me, slightly horrified .
“I’m sorry,” I said, wiping my nose on my arm inelegantly. “I was really scared.”
His voice softened to a tone I’d never heard before. “Shhhh, don’t cry.” He looked at me awkwardly, like he’d never seen a woman cry and had no clue how to handle it.
But that just made me cry harder.
Without saying a word, Cooper chucked his cane in the backseat, and then opened the passenger door for me.
“Get in,” he said, his tone authoritative. I glanced to my left and saw Gregor appear with a security guard from the back door of the club, and I realized I had no desire to recount the story to anyone else or even speak to Gregor again. What kind of man leaves a woman in a situation like that?
I quickly slid into the car, and Cooper laughed quietly. “Good choice.”
I watched as he hobbled around the car, using his hand and the car’s body to support him as he made it to the driver’s side. He got in and shut the door.
He looked up the alley and saw Gregor.
“Was that your date for the evening?”
I said nothing, partly because it wasn’t his business and partly because I was embarrassed about my choice in men lately.
“Figures,” he muttered underneath his breath.
“What does that mean?” I asked, my teeth chattering slightly despite the warm air.
“Some women just don’t know how to pick ‘em.” He fired up the engine, turning up the heat on my side. The car practically purred, and I looked around, taking in my surroundings for the first time .
Cooper drove an incredibly expensive car. I wasn’t a car buff, but I could recognize luxury when I saw it…and this car was loaded with it. The inside still contained that new car smell, lightly mixed in with male’s cologne; the scent was practically intoxicating.
“Where to, Miss Prescott?” he asked, pulling away from the curb with a roar of the engine.
“I live a couple of blocks away. You don’t need to drive me.”
Instead of focusing on the road, he looked at me. I instantly flushed, realizing how much my skirt had inched up and how much my top had slid down. I quickly adjusted my dress, and Cooper snapped his focus back to the road, his head turning just a beat too late.
“If you live a couple of blocks away, that asshole could be stalking your apartment or waiting outside. I’m assuming he knows where you live?”
I nodded, another wave of panic hitting me. “I don’t think he’d do anything while he’s sober, but drunk…”
“I get it,” Cooper said. “What’s your address?”
I gave him the building name, and he turned his car around, heading back towards the direction of my apartment.
“Does he drink often?”
“He usually doesn’t, but when I broke up with him he took it really hard. He even lost his job.”
Cooper stroked his chin, one hand on the wheel. He replaced his large hand on his thigh. “He has nothing to lose, then. That makes for a dangerous man. You should get a restraining order.”
“His dad is good friends with the head of the city police department. They look the other way a lot. He got caught drunk driving while at university and his dad managed to get him out of it. I’m sure there are other things, too. I didn’t date him long enough to find out the full extent of his…proclivities.”
“What’s his name?” Cooper’s eyebrow raised slightly, almost if he was amused again.
“Tomas McCroy. Why?”
“No reason,” he responded, pulling the car smoothly into a street side parking spot.
“Thanks for the ride,” I said, reaching out to open the car door.
Cooper quickly pressed a button on his side of the dashboard and the doors locked.
I looked back at him, horror freezing my features.
“Relax, I’m not going to abduct you. I don’t do that. I mean, I know someone who might—”
He stopped himself, but then gave me another huge grin. His teeth were white and shiny, something you didn’t see a lot here in Paris among the sea of smokers.
He had a nice smile. Charming, really.
“I can handle myself—”
Cooper ran his hands through his blonde hair, and for just a moment, the gesture made him appear like a young boy instead of the strong man that towered before me.
“Miss Prescott. Look at the state of your hands.”
I rubbed my palms on my dress absentmindedly, and then winced when the fabric scratched the raw skin.
Cooper sighed, and then leaned over me. For a second, I thought he was going to make a move, and I held my breath, heart racing. But instead, he opened the glove box and grabbed a first aid kit.
“You keep a first aid kit in your car?”
A wry smile crept up on his face. “It’s always good to be prepared.”
As he sorted through the plastic container, I stole a glance at his hands. They were entirely masculine, from his knuckles to his too-short fingernails. There was a bit of grease underneath them, and I instantly wondered about his line of work.
“What do you do for a living?” I asked.
He stopped rummaging through the bandages and looked at me. “Getting to know your patient better, are we?”
I instantly flushed, but Cooper just grinned. He had a dimple on the right side of his cheek, but not on the other. The asymmetry only seemed to enhance his attractiveness.
“Importing and exporting.” He went back to the kit, pulling out some antibacterial cream. “Hold out your hands.”
I obeyed, and he took my left hand in his. The second our skin made contact, I felt a sizzle of electricity running throughout my body. I held still, trying not to react. Cooper’s gaze caught mine, and the air crackled with shared recognition.
Instead of commenting on the tension, he gently placed the ointment on the bandages and gingerly wrapped my palms.
“That should do it,” he said, putting the supplies back in the first aid kit. Instead of replacing it back in the glove compartment, he put the kit in the middle console, and I found myself disappointed he wouldn’t be leaning over me again. I had momentarily forgotten he was a patient, and off limits.
He opened his side of the car door.
“Where are you going?” I asked.
“I just want to walk you up to your door and make sure you get inside safely.”
“That’s thoughtful, but I’m sure—”
“It’s non-negotiable.” The no-nonsense tone from the alleyway was back, only more terrifying when it reverberated through the small car space.
“Okay,” I agreed quietly.
He sighed, and unlocked my car door. I thought he would offer an apology for his gruff tone, but none came. Instead, he put both hands in his pockets and strolled next to me, hobbling on his bad leg.
I rolled my eyes at his reluctance to ask for help, and immediately came over and gave him my shoulder for support.
“You don’t have to do that,” he said, obviously feeling unmanned by my help.
“It’s my job. Think of it as payment for saving me and then bandaging me up.”
He chuckled, and together we walked into the lobby of my building. We stopped at the elevator, and he looked at me, his caramel eyes seeing me as if for the first time. A charged moment passed between us, and for the second time, I thought he might lean in and kiss me.
However, I must have totally misread the situation because he leaned in and pressed the button to call the elevator down to the first level.
“Sleep well, Miss Prescott,” he said .
“Will you be okay to make it back to your car?”
He gave me a harsh look, his chiseled jaw tight with annoyance, so I just shrugged.
“Thanks again. Goodnight, Mr. Moreau.”
I moved into the elevator, and he watched me until the doors closed.
When the elevator stopped at my floor, I instantly glanced around as I exited. Thankfully, the hall was completely empty, no menacing ex-boyfriend to be found anywhere.
I unlocked the door to my apartment carefully, and then ran around and flicked on all the lights. I knew I was being paranoid and that Tomas didn’t have a key and wasn’t any kind of lockpick, but that didn’t stop me from checking every corner of every room. I latched the chain across my front door and also made sure my back door was locked since there was a fire escape outside of the balcony. But as I glanced out the window, Cooper’s car caught my eye.
He was still there, on his phone, looking engrossed in a conversation. I pulled the blind back, a red creeping up into my cheek as I realized I was spying.
I crossed over to the couch, sitting down and slipping off my shoes. I put my feet up on the coffee table and switched on the TV. I channel surfed, hoping a light-hearted comedy would help put me to sleep after my nightmare ordeal. I stared blankly at a popular sitcom, the plot washing over me without registering. My mind was too busy reliving tonight. I’d been a fool to underestimate Tomas, and Gregor was nearly just as bad.
My thoughts drifted to Cooper, and I prayed our interaction this evening wouldn’t make therapy uncomfortable. If it did, I could always pawn him off on another therapist. A few days ago, I would have jumped at the prospect. But now, as I watched him through the window, seeming to argue with someone over the phone, I wasn’t so sure I was ready to get him out of my life. I had been impressed by his bravery, his unusual ability to scare Tomas away with just a few words and a simple glance. My initial impression of Cooper was that he seemed like a jokester and a man who didn’t let much bother him, but now I wondered what was there just lurking underneath the surface.
My cell phone rang, and I nearly jumped into the air. For a second I thought it might be Cooper, who was still outside on his phone, but it was Joanna.
“Allegra! Oh my god! Girl, what happened?”
I groaned. “How did you know something happened?”
“Because that bratty German kid came in looking for help.”
I recounted the story to her, making sure to leave out that particularly heated moment in the car where I thought I’d detected a bit of chemistry between me and my patient.
“Cooper? From the clinic?” Joanna squealed a bit. “He is handsome!”
I scoffed at Joanna’s enthusiasm. “Focus, Jo. I was just assaulted by my ex-boyfriend.”
“Right, sorry,” Joanna said, her voice suddenly somber. “Are you doing okay? Would you like me to come over and stay with you?”
I looked out the window again. Cooper’s car was gone, leaving no trace. “No, I’m fine. Just a bit…shaken up. ”
“I can’t believe that German guy just left you there. What a coward!”
“Yeah,” I sighed, sinking deeper into my couch. “But Cooper Moreau showed up just in time.”
“Lucky coincidence, huh?” Joanna’s tone was teasing again.
“It’s not like that,” I protested, though I could feel my cheeks burning. “He was just in the right place at the right time.”
“Mhm,” Joanna hummed, clearly unconvinced. “And then he drove you home and walked you to your door? Sounds pretty knight-in-shining-armor to me.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “More like knight-in-a-luxury-car. You should have seen this thing, Jo. It was over the top ridiculous, but…gorgeous.”
“I bet his car wasn’t the only gorgeous thing you were looking at,” Joanna quipped.
“Jo!” I exclaimed, but I was smiling despite myself. After the horrifying ordeal I’d been through, Joanna’s easy conversation and lighthearted remarks helped to calm me. “He’s my patient. It’s not appropriate. Period.”
“Patient, smatient. He just saved you from your crazy ex. Lines are already blurred. I’d say that changes things a bit, don’t you?”
I bit my lip, considering her words for just a split second. “You know I don’t do that. It would be against everything I stand for, not to mention, incredibly complicated.”
“Life’s complicated, Allegra. Doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it a little.” There was a pause, and I could hear the club music in the background fade as Joanna presumably stepped farther outside. “Seriously though, Al. Are you sure you’re okay? I can come over and spend the night.”
I took a deep breath, considering her offer. Part of me wanted the company, but another part just wanted to process everything that had happened and then crash. “I’m okay, really. I think I just need some sleep.”
“Alright,” Joanna said, though she sounded hesitant. “But promise me you’ll call if you need anything, I can always cancel your patients in the morning if needed. Oh—and we’re definitely discussing this Cooper situation over lunch tomorrow.”
I laughed. “Deal. Thanks, Jo. Have a good night.”
“You too, sweetie. Stay safe.”
As I ended the call, my attention drifted back to the window again, looking at the spot where Cooper’s car had been. The street was quiet and empty, and I found myself wishing he was still out there. I wasn’t a woman who needed a man around, but right now, I wouldn’t have minded it.
I tried to clear my thoughts. It had been a long, eventful night, and I was overthinking things. Cooper was my patient, nothing more. The fact that he’d shown up when I needed help was just a lucky coincidence.
Still, as I climbed into bed, Bianca curled up next to me, I couldn’t quite shake the memory of his confident stance in the alley, or the way his eyes had locked with mine outside the elevator. He seemed…different to me tonight, almost like he was another person. Someone dark and intense…and I didn’t know why that was even remotely appealing to me. I felt like there was more to his line of work than he had let on, and there was a touch of danger surrounding him. After living with the consequences of my father’s lifestyle, I shou ldn’t want anything to do with anyone like that.
“Get it together, Allegra,” I muttered to myself. But even as I drifted off to sleep, my mind kept wandering back to Cooper Moreau and the mysteries that seemed to surround him.
My hand reached out, feeling around for my phone on the dresser. Groggily, I grabbed it, shielding my face from the harsh glow as I deciphered the incoming number. It was Joanna.
“Hello?” I mumbled, still half-asleep. I had tossed and turned all night, unable to relax. Every noise I’d heard left me frightened to my very core. Bianca had finally gotten so annoyed by my restlessness that she’d moved to the chair in my bedroom. I could just make out her shape in the dark of my room, lazily lounging on a pile of clothes I’d thrown on the chair.
“Al, turn on the news right now!” Joanna’s voice was a mix of shock and disbelief.
Confused, I fumbled for the remote and turned on the small TV in the corner of my bedroom. As the image came into focus, I froze, suddenly jolted wide awake.
There, on the screen, was Tomas. He was being led into the police station in handcuffs, looking disheveled and angry. He had a bloody lip, a black eye and a gash on his forehead that I hadn’t remembered seeing last night. The headline scrolling across the bottom of the screen read: “Local Man Arrested for Assault and Drug Possession.”
“Oh my god,” I breathed, sitting up straight in bed .
“I know, right?” Joanna exclaimed. “They’re saying he was picked up late last night. Apparently, someone called in an anonymous tip about him threatening a woman outside a club. When the police searched him, they found a substantial amount of cocaine.”
My mind was reeling. “But...his father’s connections...How is this possible?”
“That’s the crazy part,” Joanna continued. “The reporter mentioned that the arrest was ordered directly by the police commissioner, bypassing the usual channels. They’re treating it as a high-priority case.”
I listened, stunned into silence as Joanna rattled off more details from the news report. My thoughts kept drifting back to last night, to Cooper’s calm confidence in the face of Tomas’s threats.
“Al? Are you still there?” Joanna’s voice snapped me back to the present.
“Yeah, sorry. I’m just...processing.”
“I bet. How do you feel about all this?”
I took a deep breath, trying to sort through my jumbled emotions. “Relieved, I guess? But also confused. It doesn’t make sense. Tomas never gave any indication that he was into drugs…and I was sure he was untouchable because of his connections…”
“Maybe an even bigger fish decided to intervene,” Joanna suggested, her tone playful. “Someone tall, handsome, with killer arms...”
I rolled my eyes, even though she couldn’t see me. “Come on, Jo. Cooper’s just a businessman. He couldn’t possibly have that kind of influence.”
But even as I said it, I wasn’t so sure. There was so much I didn’t know about Cooper Moreau. The way he’d handled Tomas last night, the mysterious phone calls I’d seen him make from his car…the curt answer he’d given me about his occupation.
“If you say so,” Joanna mused. “But you have to admit, it’s quite a coincidence.”
“Yeah,” I murmured, glancing again at the spot where Cooper’s car had been. “Quite a coincidence.”
After hanging up with Joanna, I laid in bed a while, staring at the TV without really seeing it. Relief washed over me in waves—Tomas was no longer a threat. But with that relief came a growing curiosity about Cooper Moreau.
Who was he, really? And what was he capable of? Did I get rid of Tomas, only to have an even bigger top dog associated with me?