Chapter Fifteen
Cooper
I hadn’t meant to lose my control like that. I wasn’t one prone to rage. I sometimes got mouthy, but the amount of anger I felt knowing someone had tried to follow Allegra, and most likely had sinister motives, pissed me off to my very core. I’d never felt so furious, so possessive before, and I couldn’t even think straight—
Shit. I’d witnessed the same thing happen to Steele. I thought back to when I’d joked about sharing Ashlynn, and he got so angry he threw his beer glass—I remembered seeing the wild look in his eyes, and that’s when I had known that he loved Ashlynn.
But I was certain I didn’t love Allegra. I cared about her, and didn’t want to see her hurt. I’d enjoyed our passionate sex in her kitchen, but I’d enjoyed other women before.
It meant nothing. I was sure of it.
But when she’d ran from me, kicked me in the leg and tried to leave the sanctuary of my home, she’d ignited another fury that welled within me. When I saw the elevator doors close, I knew she couldn’t leave—but I was pissed that she had tried.
I stood in front of the elevator, pushed the call button, and the doors parted. She stood there, her pretty face flushed with her own anger, her hair wild and her eyes as big as saucers. I wanted to throttle her, wanted to put her in chains and lock her away so that no one—absolutely no one—could threaten her again.
But the second I saw her curl into a ball in the corner of the elevator, frightened and scared, the anger drained out of me like water out of a faucet. Tears had started in her eyes, and she shook like a leaf hanging on for dear life in an autumn breeze.
My features softened immediately, and I held out my hand to her.
She didn’t take it, but instead stared at me, her beautiful green eyes watery with unshed tears. Even though I’d frightened her, she refused to cry. She was strong, my Allegra.
“Allegra. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” I used the softest voice I had, the type of tone you’d use with a weakened fawn in the forest. Allegra didn’t move, still cowering in the corner, her face pressed against the wooden paneling of the elevator as if she was trying to melt into the surface.
I sighed, running my hands through my hair. I moved into the elevator, and she flinched—and my heart broke.
I didn’t want her to ever be afraid of me.
It was an odd sensation. Since taking the business over from Steele, I wanted nothing but fear and respect. I wanted to command the entire underworld, hold everyone in my own grasp and twist them to my will.
But not her. Lord help me, but not her.
I stood there for a few seconds, and she blinked, letting the first tear fall.
It broke me in a way that shocked me to my very core. In an instant I was on my knees, pulling her against my lap, stroking her hair and cooing to her like a lost dove. My leg ached and twitched, but I’d endured worse pain. Much worse. Ashlynn’s father had practically tortured me to death, and I’d held strong.
“ Ma douce , please. Don’t cry. You’re killing me. I’m sorry…so sorry.”
I wasn’t sure if it was my words or just the built-up tension she must have felt, but she buried her head into my shoulder and sobbed.
“No one is going to hurt you, angel. I promise. I’ll protect you. I’ll put a security detail on you, have them watch the clinic. You can work, live your life. I’ll worry about your safety. You needn’t fear. I’m here. And I’ll take care of you.”
Her sobs soon gave way to sniffles, and then she finally pulled back from my shoulder. Her olive skin, usually so bright, was a pale, sickly white. “You won’t keep me here? You promise?”
I exhaled loudly, trying to calm my rapidly beating heart. The thought of her walking out of the doors of my compound frightened me, but I couldn’t imprison her. That might have been Steele’s deal, but I wouldn’t do that to Allegra. She had a job she loved, an apartment that was all her own, and friends. “No, sweetheart. I’d like you to stay here, just for tonight, until I can have surveillance put in place around your apartment and your work. But I promise, it will only be for tonight, and only because I’m afraid of what might happen if you leave here right now. Will you do that for me?”
She nodded, wiping the tears from her cheeks. I could feel the dampness on my shirt, her tears soaking through and wetting the skin over my heart. It was ironic, but I pushed the thought down.
Pussy shit.
I helped her up, hiding the grimace when I put weight on my leg, and then held out my hand. She took it, and I couldn’t help but give her a reassuring squeeze. For a second, I thought I might have ruined things forever between us, and that thought scared me more than any player in my dangerous world might.
Instead of going back up the stairs, I placed my palm on the control panel of the elevator and rode back up to the top floor. I didn’t want her to see me struggling with the stairs; I didn’t want her to know how weak I was, how vulnerable my injury made me. She had known exactly where to aim—my bad leg. The one spot guaranteed to bring me down. I had crumpled, cursing through gritted teeth as white-hot pain shot through the injury. The progress I’d made in therapy had scattered like ashes in the wind.
The doors opened, and I gestured to the couch. She walked over and sat, and I tried to walk as smoothly as I could.
“Oh my god, Cooper! Your leg! I’m so sorry, I was scared, and I knew it would give out on you—”
Her tears started anew, and I quickly sat next to her. “No worries, baby. I’m strong.”
She blinked, looking up at me with those mossy green eyes. “I had just discharged you, and now I’m sure that you’re going to need more therapy. Oh my god, how could I have done that? As your physical therapist—”
I silenced Allegra the best way I knew how. The way I typically silenced a woman. I pressed my lips against hers, and she instantly quieted. For a split second her mouth was still, but then she moaned against me and worked her lips with mine. I felt myself harden instantly, almost as if my body remembered the taste of her and knew what was in store if we kept going. But I pulled away, knowing that she needed comforting tonight, and I felt like sleeping with her right now would be taking advantage of the situation.
God. If only Steele could see me now…
Allegra’s sweet voice brought me out of my thoughts. “Are these men going to continue to come after me?”
“Not if I can help it, ma belle . I’ll track them down and make them pay.”
She shivered at my words. I didn’t know if she was afraid of me, or my threat. But it didn’t matter.
“Are you hungry?” I asked, trying to find a safer topic.
She nodded, laying her head against the back of the couch. She tucked her knees up to her chest, and she looked so petite sitting there. When she was angry, she seemed so much bigger, but now she was a shrunken version of herself.
“What would you like? I’ll have one of my guys grab anything you want.”
“Your guys?” she questioned.
“Yeah, someone on my payroll.” I left it vague, not wanting her to know just how many people I had around to do my bidding.
She bit her lip, thoughtful. “Pasta? And some bread, too. And a slice of tiramisu? I already had dinner, but—”
A grin reached my ears. I was glad she wasn’t the type of girl to order a salad and sparkling water. “Your wish is my command.” I pulled out my phone and texted Mario. He was always around to help with whatever I needed—weapons, clothes, women…and apparently, tiramisu.
“Do I really need to stay here tonight?” she asked.
I pulled a decorative blanket off the arm of the couch and set it on her lap. Appreciatively, she cuddled up, finally looking more like herself. “I think it’s best. Just until I can get the proper security set up.”
She hung her head, and I could instantly tell something was wrong. “What is it?”
“I—I don’t have the money to pay for security. I have some savings, but—”
“This is my mess, Allegra. You are absolutely not paying for it.”
“But—”
“No buts. I don’t want to hear another word.”
“But—”
I glared.
“No, it’s not that, it’s just—my cat. She’s alone in the apartment. She’s not used to being by herself in the evenings, and I haven’t fed her yet—”
“I’ll take care of it.” I pulled out my phone and texted Mario again, giving him instructions to go get her cat. I didn’t want the beast at my place, but since it was my fault that Allegra was in this situation, I had to make concessions. “My guy is going to pick her up and then have a crew install a new door to your apartment. State of the art.”
She nodded, finally seeming to relax.
I looked down at my phone, sending a few emails to try and get to the bottom of who was tailing Allegra. It had to be Viktor or Rousseau—either one was equally as likely. I contemplated contacting Steele to see if he had heard anything, but I refrained. If I called him, I’d have to explain what happened, and he’d give me shit for allowing myself to get into this situation, and then he’d give me even more shit about Allegra. It wasn’t worth it. I’d put my guys on it, have them tail both factions and see what they could find out. As I sent out instructions, I glanced over at Allegra.
She was sound asleep. I let out a quiet chuckle, looking up from my phone to really look at her. Her eyes, the fiercest thing about her besides her mouthy lips, were closed lightly, and her chest moved up and down rhythmically. I set my phone down on the marble coffee table and slid over to her side of the couch. Her chestnut hair was tangled around her necklace. She wore a gold chain with the letter ‘a’ in a small, fancy script. I pushed her hair away, smoothing it down.
Before I knew what was happening, I put my arm around her. She shifted slightly in her sleep, just on the verge of waking. Her eyelids fluttered briefly.
“Come here, sweetheart.” I pulled her into my chest, and she closed her eyes again, the allure of sleep too great. Her hair smelled of jasmine, and for a moment, I contemplated waking her up for a round of sex. It took everything in my power to banish the thought, especially as I took in her plump lips and the slight bit of cleavage I could see from my angle and the scooped neck of her top.
Instead, I rested my head on the top of hers and closed my eyes.
The buzz from my phone woke me up. I shifted Allegra off my chest, moving her to the armrest of the couch .
“What is it?” she instantly asked, sitting up with a start.
“Nothing, just our food. And your cat.” I tried not to groan at the word ‘cat.’ I didn’t really want that damn thing in my home.
Allegra’s face brightened at my words. She scrambled to her feet, and then winced slightly. I was there in a second.
“What’s wrong?”
“My feet, I left my heels behind during the chase and I had to run barefoot—”
“Allegra, sit back down.” I sighed, rubbing my jaw. Pulling out my phone, I texted Mario to leave the cat and takeout on the main level. “I’ll be right back. You’re not going to leave the couch.” I gave her a stern look, and she flipped me off. I couldn’t help but grin as I turned my back to her and hobbled to the elevator. My mind was spinning as I rode down to the first level. What was happening to me? If I was the type of guy to believe in the supernatural, I would have thought that someone had cast some kind of curse or spell on me. I found myself caring about Allegra Prescott far more than I should. And what was even worse—I liked it.
The thought was mind-altering.
The elevator doors opened, and I walked over to the large side table in the entryway. Several takeout bags were lined up, but directly underneath the table was a cat carrier, along with a large bag that I could only presume were the supplies to care for said feline. I groaned, picking up the food and tucking it under my arm, then grabbing the cat carrier and supplies with my other hand. As I trudged to the elevator, I could hear the cat sputter and hiss .
“I’m no happier than you are about this situation,” I grumbled, setting the carrier down to place my hand on the elevator panel.
The second the elevator doors opened to the top level, Allegra was in front of them. I was going to yell at her for moving, but she seemed so excited to see the damn cat. She wrenched the carrier away, taking it to the couch and working the front bars loose. I groaned internally, not wanting the thing roaming freely in my home, but what choice did I have?
Allegra cooed as she let the cat out. I’d seen it before at her place, but really hadn’t cared enough to really look at it. It was solid white. Perfect for leaving its hair behind on all my black clothing , I thought. It was fluffy, and it seemed to be more fur than anything else. But Allegra seemed utterly smitten with the creature, so I kept my disdain to myself.
The cat wandered around the living room, meowing at Allegra. Then it jumped up on the sofa, and Allegra sat next to it. Within seconds it had curled up in her lap. Allegra looked up at me and smiled at me as if I was her hero, just for sending someone to get her cat.
I liked the look a lot more than I cared to admit.
“Do you want to eat now?” I asked, holding up the bags of takeout.
“Yes, I’m famished!” She sat a bit straighter on the couch. I put my hand up.
“But only if you allow me to look at your feet afterwards.”
“Fine, just pass over the pasta.”
I moved to the couch and set the bags on the coffee table. I should have set up plates and utensils in the dining room, but I didn’t want her to have to walk downstairs until I managed to look at her feet. We sat together, just barely touching, as I unwrapped the food. Soon she was devouring her bowl, making happy noises as she absentmindedly stroked her cat, who was purring with its eyes shut.
I picked at my food, more interested in Allegra rather than the meal in front of me. “So what’s its name?” I nodded towards the creature.
“ Her name is Bianca.” She made sure to put emphasis on the word ‘her,’ and I figured out that she didn’t like me referring to her pet as an ‘it.’ I filed that away, figuring out that this cat—she—was important to Allegra.
“How long have you had her?”
“Several years. She was wild, living on my grandparents’ vineyard. One night something attacked her, and I found her the next morning, lying on the patio. I nursed her back to health.” She patted the cat’s head affectionately, and the cat looked at me with smug eyes.
Allegra moved on from her pasta to the tiramisu, and I watched her lick her lips, my head instantly going to a dirty place. It seemed to take her forever to finish it, and at one point I wondered if she’d been doing it on purpose. When she was finally done, I walked over to my closet and pulled out a first aid kit. My leg was feeling a bit better, but I knew that it would be sore in the morning.
Returning to the couch, I sat down and looked at Allegra. She sighed, removing the flat black shoes she had on. I gave her a glare, and she seemed to understand without me having to say anything, which I appreciated. She put both feet on my lap .
Anger raged through me again as I looked at her soles. She’d obviously run hard and fast for an extensive period of time. The skin was scraped and raw, and I could see the marks where gravel had dug into her heels.
“God, sweetheart.” I pressed a soft kiss on her insole. “I’m so sorry.”
I looked up at her, and her facial expression was hard to read. For a second, I thought she was going to make some kind of smart-ass remark, but instead, she looked at me, her eyes blinking rapidly, as if she had some great puzzle before her that she was trying to piece together.
“My turn to put you back together, huh?” I murmured. As soon as I said it, I felt the air change, heavy with the implication of the words hanging. The silence stretched on, and I cleared my throat. I got to work, cleaning the scrapes and bandaging her feet. Then, before she could protest, I scooped her up, carrying her towards the back of the building. My leg hurt, but I tried not to limp, not wanting to her feel even worse than she did.
We entered the deepest part of my room, and she tensed.
“Don’t worry, baby. You’re just going to sleep here tonight. I’m going to sleep on the couch.” I laid her down carefully on my bed, surprise etched in her soft features.
I marveled at my own restraint. If she had asked me, I would have stripped her naked in seconds and worked my way inside of her. My resolve wasn’t that strong, and I wasn’t that good of a man. But she kept quiet, just looking at me with those hauntingly beautiful eyes of hers .
A movement from behind startled me, and I nearly grabbed for my gun in the nightstand, but it was just her cat. Bianca jumped on my bed, curling herself next to Allegra. Shaking my head, I mentally reminded myself to have Mario buy me some new sheets tomorrow. I rummaged through my dresser drawer, pulling out one of my tee-shirts and tossed it to her. “Something to sleep in,” I said. She reached for the shirt, her fingers playing with the fabric absentmindedly.
I turned to leave, but before I made my way out, I heard her whisper, “Thank you, Cooper.”