Chapter 2 - The Man Everyone Feared
Emma had expected Adrian Moretti to live in something resembling a villain’s castle.
Instead, his Manhattan townhouse was elegant and strangely quiet.
Dark wood.
Warm lamps.
Original paintings.
No gold statues.
No armed men standing dramatically beside fireplaces.
Though there were definitely armed men.
A woman in her sixties appeared from a hallway.
She stopped when she saw Emma.
Then looked at Adrian.
“Should I ask?”
“No.”
“Excellent.”
Adrian removed his coat.
“Rosa, Emma needs dry clothes.”
Rosa examined Emma’s soaked restaurant uniform.
“And food.”
“I’m fine,” Emma said.
Her stomach growled loudly.
Rosa smiled.
“Of course you are.”
Twenty minutes later, Emma sat in Adrian Moretti’s kitchen wearing borrowed sweatpants and an oversized sweater.
A bowl of chicken soup steamed before her.
Adrian entered.
He had removed his jacket and rolled his sleeves to his forearms.
Emma noticed faint dark tattoos along one wrist before forcing herself to look away.
He sat opposite her.
“Marcus owes money.”
Emma’s spoon stopped.
“What?”
“Forty-two thousand dollars.”
She stared.
“How do you know?”
“I asked.”
“You asked who?”
“People.”
“That is a terrifyingly vague answer.”
“Would details improve your evening?”
“No.”
“Then forty-two thousand is enough.”
Emma lowered her spoon.
“He told me he stopped gambling.”
“He lied.”
“That sounds like Marcus.”
“He also used your name.”
Emma froze.
“What does that mean?”
“He gave your workplace and apartment address to people he owes.”
Emma went pale.
“Why?”
“Collateral.”
The word landed like a stone.
“He can’t do that.”
“He already did.”
Emma stood.
“I need to go home.”
“No.”
“My passport, my documents, everything I own is there.”
“And the men Marcus owes know the address.”
Emma slowly sat again.
“What am I supposed to do?”
“Stay here tonight.”
“With you?”
“With twenty-three employees and enough security to protect a small government.”
Emma stared.
“Twenty-three?”
“Rosa counts as four.”
From the pantry, Rosa called, “I heard that.”
Emma almost laughed.
Almost.
Then Adrian’s phone rang.
He answered.
“Yes?”
His expression hardened.
“When?”
Emma watched him.
“Keep him downstairs.”
He ended the call.
“What happened?”
“Marcus is here.”
Emma’s blood ran cold.
“What?”
“He returned.”
“Why?”
Adrian stood.
“I intend to ask.”
Emma followed him.
“No.”
He turned.
“You’re staying here.”
“This is because of me.”
“Exactly.”
“I need to hear what he says.”
Adrian considered her.
Then nodded.
“Stay behind me.”
They descended to the entrance hall.
Marcus stood between two security men.
His wet hair clung to his forehead.
“You psycho!” Marcus shouted when he saw Emma. “You kidnapped her!”
“I got into the car myself,” Emma said.
“Come here.”
“No.”
“Emma.”
Adrian stepped forward.
“Apparently she said no.”
Marcus looked at him.
“Stay out of this.”
The room became silent.
One guard actually looked impressed by Marcus’s stupidity.
Adrian spoke softly.
“You followed my vehicle to my residence, ignored a warning, entered private property, and now you’re giving me instructions.”
“I want my girlfriend.”
“Ex-girlfriend,” Emma snapped.
Marcus pointed at her.
“You’re coming home.”
“No.”
“Stop embarrassing me.”
Emma stared at him.
Then something inside her changed.
Maybe it was the warm sweater.
Maybe the guards.
Maybe simply having one person in the room who wasn’t asking her to make Marcus comfortable.
“No.”
Marcus stepped forward.
The guards blocked him.
“Emma!”
“No.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“I do.”
Marcus laughed bitterly.
“You think this guy cares about you? You think you’re special because some rich criminal picked you up?”
Adrian’s face remained expressionless.
Emma said, “This isn’t about him.”
“It’s always somebody else with you.”
“You cheated on me.”
“One mistake!”
“With my best friend.”
“I apologized.”
“You stole my money.”
“I was going to pay it back.”
“You grabbed me tonight.”
Marcus’s expression shifted.
Emma continued.
“And now I find out you gave my address to your gambling creditors.”
Silence.
Marcus looked at Adrian.
“You told her?”
Adrian’s voice was cold.
“You just confirmed it.”
Marcus realized his mistake.
Emma stepped closer.
“You did it?”
“Emma, listen—”
“You used me as collateral?”
“I needed time.”
“For what?”
“To fix things!”
“You always need time to fix things you deliberately destroy.”
Marcus’s face hardened.
“You owe me.”
Emma stared at him.
“For what?”
“I spent four years with you.”
Adrian’s voice came quietly.
“That may be the least intelligent sentence I’ve heard this month.”
Marcus lunged forward.
The guards caught him immediately.
Emma flinched.
Adrian didn’t.
“Take him outside.”
Marcus struggled.
“Emma! You’ll regret this!”
Adrian stepped close enough that Marcus stopped shouting.
“No,” Adrian said.
May you like
“You will.”
---
