Chapter 3 - The Name Everyone Feared
Moretti Holdings occupied six floors of a Manhattan tower.
Marin discovered within five minutes that Adrian had lied.
Technically, it was property management.
It was also construction, restaurants, shipping, security, real estate, and several businesses no one explained clearly.
The receptionist saw Marin's name and immediately stood.
“Mr. Moretti is expecting you.”
“Of course he is.”
Adrian's office overlooked Manhattan.
He was standing near the window when she entered.
“You came.”
“Don't look so pleased.”
“I'm trying not to.”
Marin sat.
“I have conditions.”
Adrian sat opposite her.
“I'm listening.”
“No weird favors.”
“Define weird.”
“Anything illegal.”
“Reasonable.”
“I leave at five-thirty because Ivy gets out of after-school care at six.”
“Done.”
“I don't work weekends.”
“Done.”
“And nobody follows me home.”
Adrian paused.
“That's complicated.”
“No, it's six words.”
His expression became serious.
“The men who attacked me haven't been identified.”
Marin's stomach tightened.
“Attacked?”
“You knew the wound wasn't from falling down stairs.”
“I didn't ask.”
“I noticed.”
“Who are they?”
“I don't know yet.”
“And why would they care about me?”
“Because you helped me.”
Marin stood.
“Then this job puts Ivy in danger.”
“No.”
“You just said—”
“I said they may know you exist. That happened before you came here.”
She stared at him.
Adrian continued quietly.
“Working here allows me to protect you.”
“There's the catch.”
“No catch.”
“There is always a catch with men who own six floors of Manhattan.”
His eyes held hers.
“I owe you my life.”
“I don't want you owing me anything.”
“That doesn't make the debt disappear.”
Marin picked up her purse.
Then the office door opened.
A broad-shouldered man entered.
“Adrian.”
He stopped when he saw Marin.
“Who's this?”
“Marin Cole.”
Recognition immediately appeared.
“The woman from the alley.”
Marin looked at Adrian.
“How many people know about me?”
“Too many.”
The stranger offered his hand.
“Luca.”
Marin didn't take it.
Luca smiled.
“I like her.”
“You're alone,” Adrian said.
“Working on it.”
Luca's smile vanished.
He placed a photograph on Adrian's desk.
A man in a gray coat.
Adrian's expression changed.
“Where?”
“Outside her building.”
Marin's blood went cold.
“What?”
Luca looked at her.
“Yesterday afternoon.”
“You're watching my building?”
“For this reason,” Adrian said.
Marin snatched up the photograph.
“Who is he?”
“We don't know.”
“Ivy lives there.”
“I know.”
Her eyes flashed.
“No. You don't know. You don't get to say her name like this is some business problem.”
Adrian stood.
“You're right.”
That stopped her.
No argument.
No command.
Just acknowledgment.
He picked up his phone.
“Luca.”
“Yeah?”
“Move two men outside the school.”
Marin stepped forward.
“Absolutely not.”
“They stay across the street. Ivy never sees them.”
“No.”
“Marin—”
“I said no.”
Adrian looked at her.
Then he slowly lowered the phone.
“Fine.”
Luca looked stunned.
Marin noticed.
“You're surprised?”
“People don't usually tell him no twice.”
“I've done it about twelve times.”
“Thirteen,” Adrian corrected.
Luca smiled.
“Definitely like her.”
---
That evening, Marin arrived home to find Ivy drawing at the kitchen table.
“What is that?”
“You.”
The stick figure had enormous hair.
“And who's this?”
“Adrian.”
His stick figure was twice as tall.
Marin frowned.
“Why is he wearing sunglasses?”
“He looks like somebody who wears sunglasses.”
“At night?”
Ivy shrugged.
“Maybe his eyes are sensitive.”
Marin laughed.
Then someone knocked.
Three slow knocks.
Her smile disappeared.
She moved Ivy behind her.
“Stay here.”
Marin approached the door.
“Who is it?”
“Adrian.”
She opened it halfway.
“What happened?”
He stood alone.
No suit.
Dark shirt, coat, visible edge of a tattoo extending from beneath his collar toward his neck.
His expression was serious.
“The man outside your building has been identified.”
Marin's fingers tightened around the door.
“And?”
“He works for someone named Victor Hale.”
“Should that mean something?”
“To me.”
“Why?”
Adrian hesitated.
“Because Victor ordered the attack.”
Marin stared at him.
“Then why are you standing in my hallway?”
“To move you somewhere safe.”
“No.”
“Marin.”
“No.”
Then a sound came from downstairs.
Glass breaking.
Adrian instantly stepped between Marin and the stairwell.
His entire demeanor changed.
“Get Ivy.”
“What—”
“Now.”
For the first time since she'd met him, Marin obeyed without arguing.
Thirty seconds later, Adrian was guiding them down the rear staircase.
A black SUV waited outside.
Luca opened the door.
Marin climbed in with Ivy.
“Where are we going?”
Adrian looked back toward the building.
“My house.”
Marin almost laughed.
“You've lost your mind.”
“Probably.”
Ivy looked between them.
“Does your house have pizza?”
Adrian looked at her.
“Yes.”
“Okay.”
“Ivy!”
“What?”
Adrian closed the door.
May you like
For the first time that night, he smiled.
---
