Chapter 30
Elowen
“What do I do? Go out or stay in?” I poke Rosie’s face.
“If I go out, there’s a chance I’ll see him.
But that also means my bodyguards will see him too.
A second appearance of the same man will raise their suspicions.
Even if I make it look like a chance encounter in the park, they’ll still dig into his background for... ” I roll my eyes. “Security purposes.”
I groan, letting my head thunk onto the mattress.
“And if I don’t go, I won’t see him at all.”
Rosie tilts her head, studying me with curious eyes.
I chuckle and kiss her nose. “Don’t think of me as a crazy woman. This isn’t my usual state.”
I flop onto my side, propping my head up on my elbow.
“I have an idea. What if I sneak out?”
This mansion is three times the size of our San Diego house and four times larger than Pa’s farmhouse. In a place this huge, there has to be another way out besides the front door. I’ve never bothered to explore before, but now I will.
My excitement curdles. “But it’s not exactly easy.”
I let my head fall back onto the mattress with a soft thump.
Even if I manage to get out of the house, the outside security won’t let me past the gate.
Rosie licks my ear with her tiny tongue. I smile and turn my head, pressing my cheek into the mattress. She licks my nose. I giggle.
I sit up, decision made.
“Let’s go for a walk. We’ll see what happens.”
I throw on my outdoor clothes, scoop her up, and head downstairs.
“Where are you off to, Weni?” Uncle’s voice stops me at the front door.
“Rosie and I need some polluted air from your park.”
He chuckles as he approaches, stroking my head, then Rosie’s.
“Don’t stay out too long. It’s cold.”
I nod. “See you at dinner.”
He smiles.
I walk out. The security follows me past the gate. Some reach the park ahead of us; others hang back, five feet behind; the rest fan out to sweep the surrounding area.
One of the bodyguards who reached the park before us comes out and approaches me.
“Miss, you can’t go into the park just yet. Wait a moment.”
I frown. “Why not?”
“There’s an aggressive dog inside. Lefin and Depher are asking the owner to leave. Once they’re clear, you can go in.”
“What do you mean, ‘aggressive’?” I’m sure he doesn’t mean rabid—those don’t have owners.
“He’s barking at everyone who enters. Lunging at anyone who gets close.”
“I won’t go inside. I just want to see what an aggressive dog looks like.” I tell him, then keep walking.
At the park entrance, three of my bodyguards stand with their backs to me, blocking the dog and its owner from view.
“They shouldn’t allow dogs in this community,” a woman gripes to her companion as they hurry past.
I turn to Travis. “We’ll find another spot. Let the dog and his owner be.”
His eyes dart to something behind me. He steps forward, body tensing.
I whip my head around, a husky is barreling straight toward me. Before he can reach me, Travis’s gun is up. The other guards follow suit.
“Don’t shoot!” I scream.
Just in time, the husky reaches me. His front paws slam into my stomach, then drop, only for him to circle and launch himself up again, chest heaving.
I quickly hand Rosie to Travis and drop to my knees.
My Bruno.
He licks my face, my neck, trying to climb and circle me simultaneously. I laugh, my eyes stinging with tears.
I pull him into a crushing hug. He keeps licking—my hands, my wrists, my face, my neck—any skin he can find.
I grab his face and cover it with kisses while he licks mine. I can’t tell him how much I’ve missed him.
All my bodyguards have formed a circle around us, their guns still trained on Bruno.
I look up at them. “You can lower your weapons. He’s not going to hurt me.”
Bruno looks around and growls. I pat his head, then fix my guards with a frown.
“That’s an order, guys.”
They finally lower their weapons. Can I order them to leave too?
Rosie’s tiny bark makes Bruno turn toward her. She’s yapping at him. He growls back.
“Let go of my dog, lady.” The voice comes first—a hot baritone—then the man.
I stand and take Rosie from Travis. This sends Bruno into a frenzy. He barks wildly, circling me. Rosie answers in her baby voice, squirming to launch herself out of my arms.
“What’s your dog’s name?” I ask, keeping my expression perfectly serious.
He matches my tone. “Bruno.”
I glance down. “Bruno, follow me.”
“Where are you taking him?” the man—whose name I still don’t know—asks.
“For a walk. You’re welcome to join us, if you’d like.”
He nods. Bruno has calmed, sitting at my feet, though his gaze remains unfriendly toward Rosie. My bodyguards sense the situation and spread out to their positions.
I start walking along the path. Bruno stays close, his fur brushing against my legs. The tyrant walks on my other side.
“What’s your name?” I ask.
Let’s see what he says.
“Jonathan,” he replies.
I roll my eyes. You couldn’t even try with the name?
“Jonathan Edwik,” he adds.
I lift a brow. “Uh-huh. And where are you from, Jonathan?”
“Florida.” The word comes out smooth, American.
My brows climb higher. “I see.”
Such a professional liar, he even changed his accent.
“And what’s your name?” he asks.
“Elowen.” I pause, then add with a smile, “From California.”
“Last name?” He glances my way, his stare intensely piercing, even if only for a second.
I shake my head, forcing my nerves to settle. “My father didn’t accept his father’s.”
After a brief, silent walk, I point to a bench.
“Would you like to sit with me?”
He holds my gaze for a moment, then chuckles quietly. My mouth twitches, threatening a smile.
“Do you have your phone?” he asks, his voice dropping.
I shake my head.
“Any other devices?”
“No.” I tilt my head. “Why?”
We walk toward the benches.
“They could be listening through them.”
I’m not surprised. Zo stalked Avi so thoroughly that every method of surveillance feels normal to me now.
We reach a bench facing the river and settle onto it, leaving an arm’s length between us.
Bruno settles between my feet, pressing his muzzle against my thighs. I set Rosie in the space between me and Mr. Tyrant, then rest my hands on Bruno’s face, kneading gently.
My hands still when, from the corner of my eye, I spot Rosie clawing at his pants.
“What’s his name?”
“She’s a girl. Rosie.”
“Who names their dog Rosie in this century?” he mutters, almost to himself.
“Still better than Jonathan. Last time I heard that name, it was some old man—a friend of my grandpa,” I say, amusement coloring my voice.
He watches Rosie climb onto his lap with a straight face.
I chuckle. “Don’t look at her like that.”
“Why doesn’t she have the manners not to climb on strangers?”
I narrow my eyes. “I dare you to call my Rosie mannerless again.”
He smirks, his gaze turning lazy, hooded.
“What will you do, Miss Elowen?” The flirtatious edge in his voice sends a slow tingle of heat through my belly.
“Let me think of something that’ll piss you off.”
He watches me, amusement and admiration mingling in his eyes.
“How about I wet your shoes?”
“Silly girl,” he murmurs, a smile tugging at his lips.
I smirk. “Then how about I go kiss that man?” I tilt my chin toward a man sitting on a nearby bench.
This makes him cut a glare at the stranger.
“That would lead to a murder, Princess,” he hisses.
I laugh. His glare softens into a stare filled with longing. My laughter dies in my throat. The space between us suddenly feels unbearable. I shift closer, closing the gap until only a hand’s breadth remains.
“Don’t,” he breathes, his gaze fixed straight ahead. “It’s already driving me insane. Having you this close and not being able to touch.” A ragged sigh escapes him.
“You had me for a long time, and you still didn’t touch me.” I tease.
His gaze drops to my lips. “Now is different.”
My heart pounds like a caged thing fighting to break free.
“What’s different?” The words come out on a shaky exhale.
“Now I know what I want. And I want it—at any cost.” His mouth barely moves, but the words land like stones in still water, leaving ripples of trembling through me.
“Will you give up your revenge?” I ask, the question that matters most.
He doesn’t respond for a few seconds, long enough for my heart to still and my stomach to knot. But he doesn't leave me suspended in that dread—he nods.
“I will.”
The need to kiss him crashes through me, obliterating thought. I lean in, but Rosie intervenes, launching herself off his lap and landing on the ground with a soft thump.
She trots over to Bruno, who’s sprawled with his jaw resting on my feet. Bruno glares at her, baring his teeth, but she silences him with a sharp bark and bats his face with her tiny paws. Bruno immediately submits.
I laugh. “Bruno is such a cinnamon roll.”
“It’s because she’s your dog,” the man beside me notes.
He drapes his arm along the back of the bench, his fingers brushing my shoulder. I shift closer until there’s no space left between us. I let my head rest against his shoulder. His arm loops around me, pulling me in.
“Will this look too obvious to my bodyguards?” I murmur, tilting my face up toward his.
He turns his head, his face dipping closer. Our breaths mingle.
“Maybe,” he breathes, his eyes dark and fixed on my mouth.
I turn my head toward the water—away from him. If I keep looking, I’ll kiss him. And that will look suspicious as hell.
I let my gaze drift across the river, peaceful and still. The sky has deepened to charcoal. Lights along the bank glow, their reflections scattering across the water. Fog begins to unfurl over the surface. It must be past six, which means I don’t have much time left.
The weight of going home settles over me. Away from the cedarwood. Away from the warmth of his arms. Away from gray eyes.
I reach for his hand. He’s wearing gloves again.
“Why the gloves again?”
“I have to. In public.”
I turn my head slightly to watch his face.
“Will you tell me your name?”
“Salvario De Falco.” The name barely reaches my ears.
“Salvario De Falco.” I shape the syllables carefully, breathing life into the secret.
His mouth comes closer, stopping just before it touches mine. Then he pulls away just as abruptly.
“I think one kiss wouldn’t do much damage.”
“It would. Everyone would see how badly I want you.”
More of me turns liquid. I’m afraid I won’t stop at ruined panties, my joggers might not survive either.
“I think we should leave,” I mumble, making no move to leave.
“Stay a little longer.” His voice is tired, frayed at the edges.
I hum in response. His arm tightens around my shoulder.
We stay like that until footsteps behind us pry us apart. We look back—Travis is there.
“Should we head back, miss? It’s about to rain. Sir ordered not to let you stay out in snow or rain.”
I nod, then turn to Salvario. Such a beautiful name. A pang of loss hits me—for all the days I didn’t know it, for the thousand times I could have whispered it like a prayer.
“I have to leave.”
He nods, his expression shuttering closed.
I look down at Bruno and Rosie. She’s lying on top of his head. I scoop her up, laughing softly. Bruno shakes himself free, relief plain on his canine face.
I bend down, press a kiss to his head, then straighten. Bruno and Salvario rise with me.
“See you tomorrow, Jonathan.” I offer a formal smile.
“Tomorrow.” His voice is flat.
I stroke Bruno’s head. “See you tomorrow, Bruno.”
I walk around the bench.
Bruno barks.
I turn—Salvario has a firm grip on his collar. My stomach knots at the sadness on both their faces. It feels like committing a crime.
Bruno’s barks and howls grow more desperate with every step I take. I harden my heart and force myself not to turn. If I do, I’ll start crying.