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I quickly tell them about Marco and that when he and Addison met she had brown hair. Then he conveniently moved here, just a couple blocks from her. I give CJ his dad’s name to compare the DNA results. His dad currently resides at the Colorado State Penitentiary for raping and killing a woman in the nineties. Fucking apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
I call Stone and tell him to be on the lookout for Marco.
“Someone went inside about ten minutes ago with a delivery from Bella Mistero,” I say, repeating what Stone just said and looking up at the team. “Don’t go in. We’ll be there in five minutes.” I gesture with my hands to get a team together now. I hang up, and Damon has already grabbed the SUV keys and is handing me a vest.
“We’ll get this son of a bitch.”
Hopefully, it’s not too late.
We pull up in front of her apartment and start devising a plan of entrance when we hear three shots ring out.
Air escapes my lungs. Time stops. My hand reaches for my chest as I gasp for air. It feels like someone punched me in the stomach, and I can’t catch my breath. They are going to have to put me in a mental hospital if I lose Addison because I’m about to crack. Damon shakes me, bringing me back to present.
I suck in a large gulp of air and take off running.
My door makes a loud bang as I whip it shut and walk into my apartment. Anger fills my body, thinking about the last few hours. I growl, walking around my apartment, slamming everything I touch. Aiden can be such a caveman sometimes.
I drop down on the couch, letting out a forced breath. Closing my eyes, my words come back to haunt me. I can’t believe I told him we couldn’t be together.
Then doubt rears its ugly head. Doubts that I can’t be the woman he deserves. He’s not going to want to live in a constant state of fear, worrying about me. It’s not a good place to be. I blow out a breath, willing the insecurities to escape my body.
The rate that my feelings have changed has left me drained. I lie back on my couch, staring up to the ceiling. My breathing slows and I drift off to sleep.
Something wakes me, but I’m not sure what it is. I sit up and look around. Nothing is out of place. Maybe it’s just a car horn outside. Glancing at the clock, I see I was only asleep for thirty minutes.
Taking in a deep breath and releasing it, I know I need to call Aiden. We need to talk. I need to apologize for being a bitch. I see my phone sitting on the entry table. As I’m pushing up off the couch, a knock on my door startles me. It’s probably Aiden since the doorman didn’t call me. I swing open the door, expecting to meet emerald green eyes. Instead, I’m looking into chocolate brown eyes.
“I’m having a déjà vu moment right now.” Why is it that Marco always seems to show up at my door when I’m really pissed off at Aiden?
“Aww, yes. I seem to always be trying to feed you.” He holds up the bag of food, sporting a huge smile. “Did you not hear me knocking? I almost left, thinking you weren’t home?” The knock must have been what woke me.
“Sorry, I passed out on my couch and didn’t hear you,” I say. “But, Marco, I’m pretty sure I didn’t order anything.”
“Your neighbor did,” he says, looking down the hallway. “So when I saw the address, I thought … well … I hoped you were home so I could bring you your favorite dish.” I’m caught off guard, so I stand there staring at Marco. I feel I need to tread softly because I’m not so sure about Marco anymore. Last time he flipped on the drop of a dime, and I am not in the mood to deal with crazy right now.
“Well, I am starving. Let me grab my wallet.” I let go of the door, keeping it open, and turn to snatch my wallet off of my kitchen counter.
“How much do I …” I pause when I hear my door shut and lock. Whipping around, I see Marco looking around my apartment. Like he’s searching for something. My spine stiffens. “… Owe you?” I finish, but there’s uncertainty in my voice. He quickly turns toward me, setting the food on my coffee table. Dammit, why didn’t I shut the door?
There’s a flicker of darkness for a second before he blinks and smiles at me. I take a step back as warnings start blaring in my head. I know the look of evil. Shit, I’ve met the Devil himself. “I’ve never been in your apartment before, beautiful. It’s amazing. It’s a big place, though. Do you live here by yourself?” His voice has changed. There’s a chilling undertone to it.
That’s right. He hasn’t been to my home. How the hell does he know where I live? He stands there watching me, waiting for my next move, like a hawk watching his prey.
“Thanks,” I say, masking my concern. “Actually, Sydney lives with me. She should be back soon, so she’ll be excited you brought food,” I lie, hoping that if he thinks that I’m not alone for long he’ll leave.
“Really?” he asks sardonically, taking a step toward me. Shit! How do I keep getting myself in these situations? I don’t think he plans on leaving anytime soon.
My skin prickles as fear runs through me. He knows I’m lying. I instinctively take a step back. He’s five steps from me. I’m five steps from my front door. There is no way I can make it to my bedroom where my gun is, or the kitchen to grab a knife, without getting past him first. That leaves the front door as my only option or to fight. I take another step back. Four more to go.
“Marco, is something wrong?” I murmur, trying to sound as calm as I possibly can. My heart races, making my body heat. I can feel sweat forming on my back.
“Oh, bella, nothing is ever wrong when I’m with you,” he snarls as he takes another step forward. I start to panic, knowing that my front door is locked. That’ll take time. Time I don’t have. My stomach turns, knowing this isn’t going to end well.
“Well, thanks for the food. I really appreciate it.” I force a smile but don’t take my eyes off him. I take another step back. I jump when my cellphone rings on the entry table. I glance at it and can see that it’s Aiden. The sound of a gun cocking has me jerking my head back to Marco. There he stands a step away from me, holding a gun to my head.
“Don’t answer it, Addison,” he demands, his voice cold.
“I’m not,” I whisper, holding my hands up to show him I don’t have anything in my hand. “Marco, what do you want? Why are you doing this?”
