Chapter Seventeen
Zahra
I could feel eyes on me. Watching and waiting. Trying to listen, decipher, and decode me.
The annoyance that swirled inside me and the urge to turn and meet the person’s gaze was strong.
Still, I held firm, twirling the wineglass in my grip softly, as the transparent white scarf I’d tied over the bikini thong I wore blew this way and that with the evening breeze, the same as the unbuttoned, almost translucent white shirt over my bikini bra.
I’d tied my hair into two scattered buns on my head so that nothing would touch my skin; maybe that was why I felt the stalker’s stern gaze on me.
“Yeah, I’ll let you know,” I said to Daiyu at the other end of the line before taking the phone from my ear and ending the call. I slipped the device into the breast pocket of my shirt and brought the wineglass to my lips as I turned.
The cold wind hit me first, accompanied by the smell of sea salt. The ocean was glistening with the setting sun, and the beautiful view had me feeling at peace until my gaze settled on the person staring at me.
I allowed an easy smile to stretch against my lips as I watched him casually standing there, one hand inside his pants pocket, not even hiding the fact that he was suspiciously looking.
With a sigh, I made my way toward him near the railing, a dangerous place to stand with the one person who had taken a dislike to me upon first glance. People were here and there, though, soaking up the evening sun and enjoying the last hours of the day.
When I reached him, I gave a toothy grin, and he frowned. “Casmiro!” I hailed. “It’s a little pathetic that you choose to spend the remaining time on the cruise stalking me.”
“Who were you on the phone with?”
I huffed out a laugh. “My lawyer, we were discussing putting a restraining order on your ass. You’ve been following me like a hawk from the fucking medieval times; don’t you ever take a break?”
“I will take a break when I prove to everyone that you tried to kill me.”
My smile remained as I tilted my head to the side. “Oh wow, that’s a new one. Are you done trying to prove to everyone that I have other motives and I’m not who I say I am?”
His jaw clenched as he shook his head slowly, eyes filled with distrust and irritation. “I don’t know why no one else sees it.”
“Maybe because there’s nothing to see?” I told him. “Cassie, you need to relax, smile more, be open and free, and while you’re at it, pull out the fucking stick from your ass; not everyone who comes around your boss has ulterior motives.”
He straightened, hard eyes pinning me with a stare that would have made me cower if I hadn’t been in total control of the situation. “You have ulterior motives.”
“And do you have proof to back your claim?”
His jaw locked.
“Good, you don’t. Sometimes it pays to stay out of other people’s business,” I said, my eyes searching the piercing golden-hour blue of his as I took a step closer to him, curling my lips farther up when I spoke my next words quietly.
“Maybe when you do, you might be able to avoid … unforeseen circumstances.”
His nostrils flared, his form tight. “I knew you ordered the hit.”
After a second too long of a heated staring contest, I broke the silence. “What was I supposed to do?”
The realization had his brows dropping, his eyes widening a bit like he had just been making his accusation without concrete evidence that was now indeed confirmed.
“You threatened me, Cassie, and I have come too far to let someone take away every fucking thing I have worked so hard for. I don’t care who you are; you don’t just speak out of turn and expect me to sit down and wait for you to shoot the next arrow, backing your words.
I knew you were gonna do that, and I prefer to eliminate a possible threat before it becomes a problem. ”
“You bi—”
“Ah, ah.” I wiggled my index finger between us. “The hit was meant to be a kill, but you survived; therefore, take it as a warning, Mr. Valerio. I am not someone you want to fuck with.”
I could feel his body tighten with anger, and I smiled.
“I am also a very simple person to understand,” I told him. “If you don’t meddle in what doesn’t concern you, then I won’t meddle in your affairs. I have nothing to do with you or the Marino empire, so back off and live to fight another day in a fight that is actually yours.”
“And what if I tell Marino all about this conversation?”
The laugh I let escape me was small. “Like the other times you’ve tried to tell him?
I’m curious, Cassie, how did all the other conversations go?
” I asked softly until my voice was almost a whisper.
I took a step closer. “Did he listen to you?” Another step, and he sucked in a breath at my closeness, yet his eyes didn’t stray away from mine.
“Or did you both manage to enter another topic of conversation that took my name out of…” My gaze fell to his lips.
“Your mouth?” I lifted my eyes back to his again.
“You think this is a game?” he asked me.
“I don’t play games, Casmiro,” I said, puckering my lips to the side as I let my hand trail up his arm, tingling and trailing atop every rugged ridge of his muscles, which tensed up under my touch.
“What the fuck are you doing?” he bit out.
I took the final step, my chest an inch from brushing his, but the man didn’t back away from the warmth my skin supplied.
Watching him, my tongue ran softly along my bottom lip, catching his eyes.
“I’m trying to understand your obsession with me.
What is it exactly, Cas?” I let my hand work up his shoulder. “Do you want me? Is that it?”
Disgust filled his eyes as he stepped away sharply like he had been burned. “You’re fucking unbelievable.”
I laughed freely now, stopping the vibration in my chest when I threw the drink down my throat in one gulp, letting the alcohol burn me as I swallowed, dashing him a grin. “What, I can’t joke around anymore?”
“You don’t deserve him.”
My laughter ceased, and every facial muscle of mine settled into a glare.
“He doesn’t deserve me,” I corrected. The hardness in my tone was one I had almost forgotten existed after setting myself up for this fucking journey.
“You don’t fucking know me, Casmiro; you don’t know how hard I’ve had to fight for my place in this world.
You don’t know what it’s like being born for a despicable reason, having your life snatched away from you before it’s even yours. ”
Realizing that I’d said more than I should, I tried to calm myself, inching back from him and steadying my breathing.
I don’t need this right now. “Listen, I really like Elio. I care about him in ways I’ve never cared about anyone; I might not know how to show it, and it might seem like getting close to him is for a fucked-up reason, but it’s not.
I don’t want it, but I’m dealing with it. Because I care.”
I swallowed. “I commend your loyalty to him. It’s hard to find these days, and I am so happy that he has someone like you to look out for him, but take your eyes off me, Casmiro, because I am not his problem, nor do I intend to be.”
He said nothing after that, and I took that as my cue to leave.
I took the longer route to the side deck where most people were hanging out, celebrating their time at sea, although Kareem had organized a dinner party. I had gotten myself and the rest of Street invited, too, as Kareem had insisted on meeting my friends the last time we spoke.
I’d spent a little time charming Kareem into making me his favorite person, but most of my time aboard ship had been spent in Elio’s suite.
We finished watching the whole Lucifer series together.
Started another one he said Angelo had recommended.
We ate together and slept together most of the time.
Keeping our hands off each other was a struggle. I had suddenly forgotten how to control myself, but I knew it was him; it was all him, his body, the way he handled me, his shitty attitude that had stopped bothering me and instead turned me on half the time. It had been peaceful and blissful.
Quiet and normal.
But it was time to get to work, to get serious.
I couldn’t let the likes of Casmiro get to me or ahead of me; I couldn’t let his words mess with my head because I was still in control of the situation.
I still held the gun, the reins, and the lever.
It was still my move, and I didn’t intend to show my hand.
When I was calmer, I found Milk sitting in a corner, staring ahead at the people by the railing, five girls dressed beautifully in light clothing like us, smiling, laughing, and talking animatedly. I settled beside her, having refilled my drink on the way there.
My gaze shifted to the side, and I spotted Angelo, shirtless with white knee-length shorts, talking to Elio, whose hair was moving with the breeze.
The loose black short-sleeved shirt he wore danced around his body, the top three buttons undone.
His pants were a little on the oversized side, and the wind carried them as well.
His tattooed hand held a whiskey glass, half filled. There was a cigar between his lips, burning away as he listened to whatever Angelo was saying, a frown on his face.
I smiled to myself, wondering if I could grab a random person’s attention and point toward Elio just to tell them he’s mine.
By chance, he lifted his gaze my way, and I was filled with glee, my stomach doing a flip that had me smiling at him. He looked away without returning the gesture, and my smile died.
Never mind.
“Fucking rude prick,” I muttered.
Milk blinked, looking over at me. “What?”
“Not you,” I answered, taking a sip of my drink. “It’s nothing, just another episode of ‘my boyfriend’s a prick to me, and I am trying so hard not to gut him.’”
She chuckled, looking back at the girls. “You and Elio share a very weird relationship.”