Chapter 6 #2
“Shut up, asshole. I need to give Vanessa a little detail so she isn’t fully caught off guard when you drive her home and stay with her. And I’m serious about this. Don’t tell Vanessa.” Gino stresses the last words, his tone leaving no room for argument.
“You know I’m good at keeping quiet,” I say as I stand up.
We leave the office and head downstairs.
I head off to find Vanessa when I hear Kevin whisper to Gino, “Did you tell him about the deal?”
“Yeah, I did.” Gino responds.
“And he knows not to tell her?”
“Yes. He knows.” Gino rolls his eyes.
Gino is just like his father in that way—he hates being questioned about obvious shit.
With that, he turns and walks toward the kitchen.
As I watch him leave, Kevin walks next to me.
“Vanessa has grown into a beautiful young woman,” he says casually.
“Yeah, I guess,” I say.
“Listen son—”
“Not your son,” I cut in flatly. “So please don’t call me that.”
Kevin nods, accepting the correction. “Mateo, I know Gino told you about the agreement your fathers made. I’ve known for a while. It was one of the few things Antonio confided in me about while Vanessa was growing up, and I was against it at first. But it might be for the best,” he says.
I frown. “Is it really right to keep this from her?”
“Yes,” he says without hesitation. “None of us want her to think she’s here because of a marriage contract.” His gaze sharpens slightly. “And you’re an attorney. She’s going to need someone steady. Someone she won’t constantly worry about getting shot and ending up on her emergency room table.”
“You do realize I’m Gino’s lawyer, right? I tend to see a lot of guns and shootings.”
“I know, but you mostly don’t do the shooting.” He smirks.
“I guess you have me there.”
He gives me a small grin. Then his expression turns serious. “Vanessa is caring and loving. She needs that protection. I’ve done that for her long enough, and I’m getting old. She needs someone her age to step into that role.”
He nods toward the door. “Lucy and I are going to head out.”
I nod back. Kevin walks toward the door, meeting Lucy there. Vanessa slips past me to hug them both goodbye. I overhear Kevin tell her to stay and talk to Gino before leaving, after she asks if she can catch a ride back with them.
When they step outside, Vanessa turns and gives me a soft smile. Then she heads into the kitchen.
“So, I’m probably going to head out soon,” Vanessa says. “I was thinking of ordering a cab to take me home. Is that okay?”
She looks to Gino, who’s leaning against the counter with his arms crossed, mid-conversation with Juliet. He turns toward her, and for a second I can tell he’s wondering the same thing I am—why didn’t Kevin tell her I’d be taking her home?
Gino glances at me. I shake my head.
“No,” he says firmly. “Don’t do that. Mateo will take you home.” His tone leaves no room for argument. “We don’t know who might know about you yet, and I’m not taking any risks. He’ll be staying with you for now.”
She looks between the two of us, clearly confused. Thankfully, Juliet steps in.
“That’s one way to tell her she’s getting a roommate,” she says dryly. “And you couldn’t have made that sound any less terrifying if you tried.” She turns to me. “Mateo, why do you look so broody over there? Honestly, you both suck.”
Vanessa snickers, a blush creeping up her cheeks.
“Sorry,” Gino mutters. Then he tries again. “Vanessa, for your protection, and so you don’t have to take a cab, Mateo is going to take you home and stay with you starting tonight. I told her Mateo would be staying with her I just didn’t say when. Is that better, Juliet?”
“Not really, but it’ll do,” Juliet says.
I already know she’s going to tear into him the second we leave.
I step up beside Vanessa. “Are you ready to go?”
She nods, glancing back at Juliet and Gino mid-conversation, trying—and failing—not to smile.
“Are they always like this?” she asks.
“Yes. At some point, they’re going to have to put everyone out of their misery, stop acting like boss and employee, and admit they like each other. Because we all know that’s the truth.”
She laughs. “Then let’s leave them to figure that out.”
I raise my voice. “Hey, married couple over there, we’re leaving so you can keep doing… whatever this is.”
They both turn to us. Juliet rolls her eyes. Gino flips me off, which gets another laugh out of Vanessa.
Juliet steps closer to Vanessa and hands her her phone. “Put your number in. That way, if you need to be rescued from this brooding asshole, I can come save you.”
“Hey—” I protest.
“You know I’m right. Now get out of here. I’m serious. Vanessa, text me if you need anything,” Juliet says.
Vanessa nods. “I will.”
“See you guys later,” Gino says.
I can tell he’s unsure—caught between wanting to show some kind of affection and not knowing if she’s ready for it yet. He hesitates, then does nothing.
Vanessa waves at both of them and walks out of the kitchen.
“I know she’s only been my sister for a few hours, but if something happens to her, I will kill you,” Gino says quietly.
I nod, but roll my eyes at the same time.
“I see I’m no longer important to you,” I reply flatly.
“Just go, you asshole.”
I leave the kitchen and meet Vanessa at the front door. As we walk outside, I can hear Juliet telling Gino how much of an idiot he is.
The drive back into the city takes about an hour. For the first half of it, we sit not speaking, listening to the radio. Vanessa scrolls on her phone, probably social media, until she lets out a quiet giggle.
It feels like an opening.
“What’s so funny?” I ask.
“Oh, nothing. Just something I saw.”
“Can I see?”
She looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. “You’re driving,” she says seriously.
“Right. So… are you okay?” I ask. “A lot happened today. Like, life-altering levels of a lot.”
She hesitates. “Uh, sure. I guess.”
“Okay.” I’m not sure what else to say.
We fall into a lull again for a few minutes before Vanessa asks, “Juliet mentioned you lived in the city. I didn’t realize bodyguards lived so far away from the people they’re supposed to protect.”
“I’m not a bodyguard,” I reply. “I’m a lawyer.”
She turns to me, clearly surprised. “Really?”
“What does that mean?” I ask.
“I just never would’ve guessed, considering how we met. So why are you my bodyguard?” She gestures to herself.
“Your brother asked.”
“Do you listen to everything he says?” she asks.
“Yes. He’s my boss—and he’s my best friend.”
“Oh,” she says under her breath.
She goes quiet again for most of the drive.
As the city comes back into view, I finally speak. “I need to stop at my apartment first to grab a couple of things.”
“Sounds good. I’ll just stay in the car.”
“No,” I say, a little louder and more aggressively than I mean to.
I glance over at her. She’s blushing, and it hits me how cute she looks when she does.
“I can’t let you out of my sight,” I add, forcing my voice back to neutral. “So you’re coming up with me.”
She doesn’t argue. She just stares straight ahead.
We fall into a hush again, and not long after, we pull into my apartment complex. I park in my assigned space in the underground garage, and we both step out of the car, the awkward quiet still hanging between us.
We ride the elevator up to the thirty-second floor.
My apartment is a three-bedroom with an open layout.
It isn’t a typical bachelor pad; it’s the kind of place a family could live in.
I unlock the door and step inside. The entryway opens into a living room on the right and a large kitchen on the left—one I rarely use.
Floor-to-ceiling windows stretch across the back wall, overlooking the river and the high-rises on the opposite shore.
The hallway to the rest of the apartment is next to the living room. There’s a bathroom at the front, my office on the right, a guest room on the left, and my bedroom at the end of the hall.
“You can take a seat on the couch. This shouldn’t take me more than ten minutes,” I say as I head toward my bedroom, the one furthest away from the living room and kitchen.
“If you’re thirsty, feel free to grab something from the fridge.
” In my room, I shrug off my jacket and unbutton my shirt, changing into something more comfortable.
I pull a duffel bag from the closet and start packing—shoes, socks, boxers, pajamas—then add two three-piece suits.
I can always come back for more in a few days if I need to.
As I step into the bathroom, a prickle crawls up my spine. The unmistakable feeling of being watched makes me turn on instinct.
Vanessa stands in the doorway, frozen, eyes wide as she stares at me.
I smirk and give her a quick wink.
“Sorry, I was just looking around,” she says quickly, already turning away. “I’ll head back to the living room.”
“Do you like what you see?” I ask, smirking.
She blushes ever so slightly. “Uh—you have a nice apartment,” she says, then turns and quickly walks away.
I finish packing everything I need and walk out of my room dressed in jeans, sneakers, and a black T-shirt.
She’s sitting on the couch, scrolling on her phone, when I step into the living room. I take an extra second to look at her; her lightly tanned skin beautifully contrasts with her red hair.
“Are you ready?” I ask.
“Sure.”
We head out of my apartment and back down to the car. The drive from Gino’s was quiet and awkward, and I’m not letting that happen again.
“What days do you work at the hospital?”
“I work Tuesday through Saturday and sometimes take extra shifts,” she says. “I’m also on call four days a month, usually on my days off, in case someone calls out or there’s an emergency.”
“You work nights, right?” I ask.
“Yeah. Eleven p.m. to eight a.m.”
I glance over at her. “Why did you pick the night shift? It seems like a shitty one.”
“I prefer it,” she says. “Ever since I was a kid, I stayed up all night, so working the night shift just made sense. I know what they say about the graveyard shift and how it can mess with your brain, but I really do like it.”
I huff quietly. “I guess I’ll have to get used to it, then, since I’ll be going with you.”
She turns to look at me. “You can’t come to the hospital with me. What are you going to do, sit in the waiting room all night while I work?”
“What part of being with you at all times did you forget?” I say. “And yeah, I guess I’ll sit in the waiting room.”
She scoffs. “Do you know how weird that will look?”
“What will look weird?”
“Oh, I don’t know—some guy in a suit sitting in the waiting room every shift I work, watching me. You’re asking for security to kick you out.”
“I could also wait outside,” I suggest.
“That sounds uncomfortable and completely unnecessary. And how are you supposed to do your job?”
“Since I work for your brother, most of what I do happens during the day, so it won’t interfere. And I don’t think he’s expecting me around as much right now.”
“When would you sleep?” she asks.
“I can power nap.” I wink at her.
“Power naps are not a long-term solution,” she says sarcastically.
“Eh, I’ll manage.”
We pull into the garage beneath her building, then walk the half block to the entrance. She waves at the desk attendant, who looks at her a little too long for my liking, and we ride the elevator up to the twenty-second floor.