13. Acts of Service #2
He grabbed my shoulders, forcing me to look into his eyes.
“Si, Arianna. Trust me. He’s not a good man.
I’m not trying to scare you, but you need to realise the danger you are in.
Things are going to get worse before they get better.
We’ve just lost our key witness, and the case might collapse, which means we will need to find more evidence of the Buccinis’ crimes.
The closer we get to taking them down, the more desperate they will become.
You need to take this seriously, Arianna. Do you understand?”
I gulped and nodded.
“I’ll come up with you,” Damiano said as I entered the code to my apartment block.
I frowned, glancing at him over my shoulder.
He often walked me to the door, but he’d only been inside once to check that the new security system was working.
“New protocol. I need to check that the apartment is clear before you enter.”
“Oh, but I have a security system,” I argued, pushing the door open and letting him in. “Did my father ask you to do that?”
“Extra precaution,” he replied, following me up the stairs to the second floor. Great. Just what I needed. For my babysitter to see what a mess I was.
For someone who obsessively watched cleaning videos online to relax, my flat was a nuclear war zone.
I wasn’t dirty, but I wasn’t tidy either.
My space was mostly made up of stacked books, dying plants, and numerous floordrobes in every room.
On the rare occasion that I had visitors, I went into full turbo-tidying mode, shoving things into cupboards and out of sight.
It was actually quite incredible what you could get done under pressure.
But I didn’t have time to do that now. I rarely had guests because working most nights and sleeping most days was probably the most unsociable way to live.
“It’s a bit of a mess,” I warned as I pulled my keys out of my handbag. He took them from my fingers with a half-smile.
“I’m not here to judge, Aria. Only to keep you safe,” he answered, opening my front door for me. “Wait here. I’ll check the system.”
He disappeared inside, doing a quick sweep of the bedroom and living area and turning off the alarm.
It wasn’t the grandest home, but it was mine.
I’d paid for it myself and although it was cosy, it had everything I needed and was within walking distance of the hospital.
Not that I could walk anywhere alone anymore.
“Okay,” he said, strolling back towards me.
I stepped inside, tossing my bag and coat over the dining room chair, and headed straight for the fridge, even though I already knew it would resemble a barren desert.
My eyes widened when I discovered it fully stocked with food and drinks that I most definitely hadn’t put there.
“Everything okay?” Damiano asked, stepping behind me, a little too close for comfort as his chest brushed against my back. I blinked, shook my head with a frown.
“Did my father stock my fridge?”
“Not that I know of. Shall I call him?” He got ready to dial his number, but I quickly shut the fridge door and walked towards my bag to grab my phone.
“No. No, it’s fine. I’ll ask him, or it was probably my friend Allegra. She has a key, and she does that sometimes. Leaves me presents like chocolate or wine.” She’d never done a week’s worth of food shopping for me, though. That was new.
“She has a key?”
“Hm? Oh, yeah. In case of emergencies.”
“Needing wine and chocolate is an emergency?”
“In my world, yes.”
“I’ll need to report this to your father. It’s best if she returns the key.”
I glanced up from my phone, half a message typed to my best friend, and frowned. “Why?”
“Because that’s a safety breach. Someone other than you has access to your apartment.”
“She’s my best friend.”
“I understand.” He gave me a brief nod and folded his hands in front of him. “But I’ll still need to report it.”
“Fine,” I huffed, glancing back at my phone and trying to keep the agitation bottled up inside me.
When he continued to stand there like a piece of furniture, I peered up from under my lashes.
“Is there anything else? Do you need to check for contaminated water or explosives in my underwear drawer?”
His lips curved, and a flicker of interest crossed his brown eyes. “Was that an invitation? Would you like me to check your underwear drawer, Aria?”
I stared at him. He stepped closer to me, and I stepped back, my lower back bumping into the kitchen table.
Heat crept up my skin, but not the pleasant kind.
He didn’t look away, and my spine tingled with an uncomfortable itch that made panic spread through my veins.
I suddenly felt very unsafe with a man who was being paid to make me feel the opposite.
He chuckled as if he’d just told the funniest joke and backed away to the door. “Arrivederci, Arianna. Lock the door behind me.”
What the hell was that? Was I being paranoid, or was that seriously creepy? He was old enough to be my father. Probably not, but close.
I moved towards the window, opening the curtain slightly to watch him leave the building.
He strolled down the pavement, stopping to speak to the security men in the surveillance car parked outside before getting back into his vehicle and driving away.
My bunched shoulders sagged. He wouldn’t be back until I had work later tonight, but perhaps I should talk to my father about assigning a different bodyguard.
Or was I overreacting? God, all of this was messing with my head.
I didn’t want to get him fired or anything.
I’ll just maturely raise my concerns to his face.
Tell him I found some of his comments inappropriate and I didn’t like the flirtatious tone he used when he said my name, or the subtle way he sometimes touched my lower back to guide me.
I was sure that if he realised I was uncomfortable, he’d back off.
The deep purr of a vicious motorcycle wiped all thoughts of Damiano from my mind.
My heart raced as I scanned the street below for any sign of it.
Then it appeared, zipping round the corner in a flash of red and danger.
Wearing a thin black T-shirt rolled up to reveal his tattooed biceps, black jeans, and his black helmet, Santino rode straight past the security car as if he hadn’t seen them or simply didn’t care.
He stopped on the other side of the road, directly in front of my building, then pulled up his visor and looked straight up at my window.
I slammed my back against the wall, twisting out of view as my pulse rocketed and my stomach swooped. Unable to help myself, I glanced back through the window after a few seconds to see him still there, leaning against his bike with his phone in his hand. Suddenly, mine vibrated in my own.
I glanced at the message from an unknown number.
Make sure you eat lunch and dinner before you go to work, Bella Ribelle. I’ll be busy tonight, so I can’t bring you any piadinas.
My jaw nearly hit the floor. He stocked my fridge? How? I searched my flat for any signs of forced entry, but there were none. How on earth did he get in? I had the highest security system installed and everything. Even a bloody ghost would be detected.
Your laundry’s folded. And there’s a bubble bath waiting for you. Enjoy, beautiful.
I raced into my bedroom and saw that the piles of clean laundry I’d left by the door last night before work had disappeared.
Instead, neatly folded and organised clothes were sitting on my bed, along with new, expensive bedding.
Rushing into the bathroom, I gasped when I saw the bubble bath with LED tea lights covering every surface and the soothing aroma of eucalyptus and lavender filling the room.
I put my fingers in the water to find it was still piping hot.
What. The. Fuck. Was. Going. On.
I couldn’t stop my fingers from gliding across the screen.
You did this? HOW? WHY?
What man doesn’t look after his woman?
Oh my God. This man was certifiably insane.
I’m not your woman!
This is an invasion of privacy. How the hell did you get into my apartment? Do you realise how unhinged this is? You need serious help.
For running you a bubble bath?
You are now officially stalking me. I’m calling the police.
I raced back to the window and glared down at him. He read my text and then looked up at me. Our eyes met, and even though I couldn’t see the lower half of his face, I knew he was smiling.
Tell them I say hi. They’re great friends of mine.
I clenched my teeth and shook my head furiously.
I knew I shouldn’t be entertaining him. But since I would have to change my number and the lock on my door, this was probably my last chance to say what I needed to.
The security men got out of their car, speaking into their phones and reporting him to my father, no doubt.
I’ll pick you up tomorrow night for our date. Say 8?
I scoffed.
I’m working.
You’re not. I’ve seen your rota.
Said like a true stalker. Good luck getting past my bodyguards, whose sole purpose is to protect me from you!
Don’t worry about them, beautiful. They won’t be a problem.
They’re not who I’m worried about!
I’m asking you nicely, one last time. Leave me alone.
You’re adorable when you pretend that’s what you want.
It is what I want.
Come down here and tell me that, la mia bella ribelle. If you can look me in the eye and your voice doesn’t shake with the lie, I’ll leave.
Stop calling me that.
Stop liking it.
I groaned, glancing up to see that he was now having a conversation with the security guard. He was throwing his arms around in some animated gestures before he laughed… and then they were laughing too, like they’d been friends for years. Jesus Christ, this man was infuriating.
He shook their hands and climbed back onto his bike as they walked back to their car. My phone started buzzing in my hand, and I quickly answered the call from my papi, knowing he must have been worried sick.