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“Huh?”
“You don’t feel well, do you?”
“It’s nothing, it’s just a headache. It kept me up all night.” He dismissed it. “You need a new fucking couch. I will get you one.”
I sighed. “No, I don’t. And you didn’t need to get me groceries either.”
“You don’t let me do anything for you!” He blew up in my face. “I’m trying to correct my fucking mistakes and you won’t let me. You don’t let me help you, you don’t let me touch you.”
“I don’t want your pity!”
“It’s not…” he sighed and came closer to me, slowly pulling me to his chest. His touches were so gentle, I couldn’t resist and leaned into it. “I need you.”
“I’m not a commodity.” I sighed, frustrated with him. “I have to go.”
“Where?”
“It’s… I’m just looking for a job, that’s all.”
Garon let me go and sighed. “Pina, you don’t need another job. Just sit down and talk to me so we can figure this out.”
“That’s what I’m trying to do, figure out a way to give your money back.”
“For the last time, I don’t care about the fucking money.”
I couldn’t have that conversation again, it was exhausting. No, maybe he didn’t need the money, but I couldn’t live with it hanging over my head. He couldn’t understand how the pressure made my head spin and my stomach convulse every time I tried to find a solution to my problems. I needed to get out of this mess before I cracked under pressure.
“I’m really late.” I murmured and turned around, going to the door to find my sandals. “I have to leave, Garon.”
“You didn’t put your groceries away.”
“I’ll do that when I come back.” I urged him to the door. “Please leave, Garon.”
He opened his mouth, but didn’t say anything. I could tell he was angry and he was fighting it, and I was grateful he abstained from fighting and did as I asked.
A wave of nausea hit me when the door closed behind him and I felt my knees weakening. Garon always had an effect on me, but fighting against my instincts and pushing him away was consuming. I just didn’t know how much I could keep fighting it, but I also knew that if I let him in after he paid for me, I could never be at peace with it.
I watched through the window how Garon walked to his car—a shiny SUV that contrasted with the rugged landscape around it—and pulled the door open forcefully. He looked agitated and gestured something at Santo and Arno before jumping behind the steering wheel and driving away, giving me room to breathe again.
As soon as the car drove around the corner, I grabbed my purse and walked out too. Leonardo had already texted twice and I was late. He was the one who insisted on seeing me, but that didn’t mean I wanted to let him wait alone in a coffee shop, so I rushed down the stairs and went down to the street. The place Leo chose was close by and if I hurried, I could make it in decent time.
Two minutes down the road I realized I had company, the two buffed Italians that were more attached to my person than my own shadow.
“Do you guys never take breaks?” I asked, briefly glancing back over my shoulder.
“Not today.” Arno said with his usual laid back tone. “We have orders to not let you out of our sight today.”
“I don’t care about your orders, Arno. I’m meeting a friend and you can’t stop me.”
“We’re just here to make sure you’re safe, Pina. We’ll stay back as long as your friend doesn’t try anything.”
Oh great, I was under surveillance.
“Can you two at least pretend you don’t know me? Don’t make my life any harder than it is, please.”
Arno wanted to argue but Santo raised his hand. “We’ll stay a few feet back as long your friend doesn’t try anything.”
It was all I could ask for. With a little bit of luck, Leonardo wouldn’t pick up on the fact I had a tail.
