Top Dog

“Something isn’t right,” I said between gasps for breath.

“Come. Sit by me,” he said.

Romeo inched us over to the bed, and we sat down on the edge of it.

“Tell me what happened,” he said as he released my body.

I didn’t want him to let me go.

“I don’t even know where to start,” I said.

“The beginning. Start from the beginning.”

“When I met you in the park, I left Matteo with my bodyguard and Stefano. And my son overheard a conversation my uncle was having with someone.”

“What did he hear?” he asked.

“He said he heard Stefano say ‘it’s time to kill him.’ Matteo was asking me if Stefano was a killer and said he was a ‘mean man’ and didn’t want me leaving him with my uncle any longer.”

I saw Romeo clench his jaw as I wiped at my eyes.

“Then Stefano caught me in the kitchen , and I might have confronted him with some things.”

“What things?” he asked.

“I asked him if us having a child somehow put our family businesses in a place to be merged. In a place for him and you to sit in the same seat. I told him I wanted to know because that could make things hairy for us reconciling. You know, merging businesses with all the bad blood between our families.”

“What did he say?”

“He automatically accused me of making it seem like I was painting him to be someone that wanted nothing but power and control. But he didn’t deny it. He said ‘even if it did.’ He sidestepped it, Romeo. So I asked him, point blank if he was trying to expose you to the police after I brought up my concerns about you and the gun runners.”

“What happened then?”

“He erupted. Said I was a spoiled, selfish brat that had no issues using my father’s blood money for my own whims while spitting on his job. He said that if I left with Matteo, he couldn’t keep us safe. It sounded like a threat Romeo. He’s trapped us, and I don’t know what to do, and he was maniacal, Romeo. Absolutely crazy. I’ve never seen him like that.”

Romeo gathered me in his arms again and ran his fingers through my hair, trying to calm me down.

“What is happening? Why is he doing this?” I asked as I leaned into his strong touch.

“I had a conversation with my contact as well,” he said.

“What did they say?” I asked as I leaned up to look into his eyes.

“You’re not going to like it.”

“What did they say?” I asked again. “I need to know.”

But he didn’t tell me. He only unraveled his hands from my body and sat up straight.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“I have to play my cards close to my chest, Julia. And you live with the man who I think is trying to take me out.”

“You don’t think you can trust me? I’m telling you that I’m afraid for our child’s life and you think I’m playing you?”

“I’m wary of everyone I’m interacting with right now. Especially after the last conversation we had.”

I shook my head as I stood from the bed.