I didn’t remember that at all. “Oh…” But then again, I said a lot of stupid things I should keep to myself. I admitted most of my secrets to him because I couldn’t keep them bottled inside. Since I didn’t remember it, it must have happened the night we had pizza and beer at the dining table. I drank too much, and the rest of the night was a blur. “Well…I’m glad you listened to me.”
He rubbed his nose against mine. “And I’m glad you asked.”
A storm hit Florence, so it rained for three days straight.
I still went to work because the shop needed to stay open, but customers were scarce. On the third day, I considered closing early because not a single person had come in all day. My arrangements were placed in the window, and the front door was shut because the streets were flooded. Hardly any cars passed.
I wondered if Vanessa was having the same luck.
I stood behind the counter and stared at the pouring rain, watching it drip down the windows. My shop was on the corner, and the walls were made entirely of glass. I leased one of the newer buildings in the city so my flowers could be on display everywhere. It was the best way to get customers to walk inside right off the street.
The street was pounded by the raindrops, and the clouds were so thick not a single ray of sunshine could pierce through. I didn’t mind the rain, but when it drove all my customers away, it was a bit of a strain on my business.
I was tempted to go home and get back into bed with Bosco. Warm and dry, it was the most comfortable place in this city. I hadn’t been to my apartment once since I’d moved out. I had no idea what kind of shape it was in.
Just when I decided to close up for the day, I grabbed my bag and umbrella and put all my essentials in the safe in the back. I returned to the front of the store and grabbed the keys off the counter. Bosco’s men didn’t need to be notified that I was leaving, because they would show up the second I walked outside.
I walked to the front door with my key at the ready. Something made me look up, whether it was to check the rain or something else I saw. My hand froze on the door because I spotted his shadow right away. Lurking like a gargoyle, he stood on one of the balconies of the apartment across the street, staring down at me with complete disregard for the rain. His clothes were soaked, but he remained absolutely still, not caring that my eyes were on him. He held my gaze with the same expression he wore the other night.
With the same six scars on his face.
The memory of my attack in the alleyway came back to me. I felt helpless then, but I felt even more defenseless now. This man was stalking me, obviously because he hadn’t stopped thinking about me since he saw me at the casino a few nights ago. He didn’t care about Bosco’s men. He didn’t care that I would tell Bosco I’d spotted him.
He didn’t care about anything.
My palms were sweaty, and my heart was racing. He was too far away to do anything, and it didn’t seem like he wanted to shoot me. He just wanted me to know that he was there—that he was watching me.
I couldn’t stay inside the shop forever, so I stepped out into the rain, locked the door behind me, and thankfully, the black car appeared to take me home. They opened the back door for me and ushered me out of the rain before they took off.
I was surrounded on all sides as I was taken away from that psychopath, but my heart still wouldn’t slow down.
I felt like he was still watching me…even when I was miles away.
My heart hadn’t slowed down. Blood pounded in my ears during my rise in the elevator. I wanted to get into Bosco’s arms as quickly as possible because that was the only place in the world I would be safe.
I’d known there was something wrong with that man. I’d felt it the second I looked at him.
How long had he been watching me? Had he been there every single day that week? And I just didn’t notice him until now?
The elevator doors opened and I stepped inside, my feet finally hitting the hardwood floor of his apartment. “Bosco?” I couldn’t hide the fear in my voice. It erupted so naturally because I couldn’t keep myself under control. This was worse than the alleyway. This man was specifically seeking me out. I didn’t take the wrong turn at the wrong time.