I slid into the backseat of the car. “Home. There’s much I need to do.”
The car took off and before I knew it, we were back home. I dismissed my driver for the day before I strode through a side door, ready to lock myself in my office for the rest of the day. But, before I could get to the hallway, I was intercepted by none other than Miss Pettigrew herself.
And she did not look happy.
“Yes?” I asked.
Her eye twitched. “What in the hell happened to you this morning?”
“I’m not following.”
She snickered. “This morning? When you came home and I was waiting for you? You just left me there.”
“And?”
“You didn’t even let me finish, Teo.”
I slid my hands into my pockets. “It wouldn’t have made a difference. My mind was elsewhere.”
She folded her arms over her chest. “First time I’ve ever heard that one.”
“It happens to the best of us.”
Her grimace turned to a grin. “Want to go upstairs and let me try again?”
“As much as I’d enjoy that, I just came from a meeting and I have a lot of work ahead of me today.”
“Who was the meeting with?”
I blinked. “None of your business.”
She furrowed her brow. “Ah, one of those meetings.”
I slipped around her. “Now, if you’ll excuse me--.”
“How do you expect me to trust you and work at your side if you can’t even tell me who you’re having meetings with?”
I whipped around, glaring down at her. “Because until you can prove yourself loyal and trustworthy, the only thing you are is someone to keep me happy. And you can’t do that if you’re constantly running your mouth and asking questions.”
Even as the words fell from my lips, I knew I’d fucked up. But, they simply wouldn’t stop. No matter how much I tried to bite down onto my tongue, they just kept coming and coming and coming. As if in slow motion, I watched the blood drain from Charlotte’s face. I watched as she took a hesitant step away from me, as if I’d slapped her right across the face. I saw a wall come down in front of her eyes, forcing her stare to grow cold.
Then, she turned her back to me and headed for the stairs.
Leaving me both fuming and disappointed at the same time.
10
Charlotte
I felt used and forgotten. Tossed aside, like a piece of trash. So, all that night while Teo worked on whatever the fuck he thought was important right now, I started in on my phone. I mean, the damn thing was a smart phone. It couldn’t have been easy to lock down. And while I knew it would take me a while to unlock it so I could get a phone call out, I wasn’t worried about finding it.
Because I’d learned a lot of techniques in my line of work.
One of the perks that came with my job was listening to my clients go on about things I would have never known otherwise. Like, how to pick a lock. Or, how to unlock a phone without a password. Or, how to hide a body without a trace.
So, I drew on some of that knowledge as I tried to find workarounds.
“Come on,” I grumbled.
With every hour that ticked by, I felt hope draining from my gut. There had to be a way to unlock this damn keypad and place a call to my mother. I had to get out of here. I had to find a way off this fucking island.
And finally, I found the right combination.
“Oh, hell yes,” I whispered.
I opened up the keypad on the phone and started dialing numbers. The sound felt like music to my ears, and I quickly punched in my mother’s number. I had no idea what kind of bill this phone call would rack up, or if the call would even get placed, but I had to try.
And when I heard the phone ringing in my hand after dialing my mother’s number, tears of relief rushed my eyes.
I held the phone to my ear and rushed into the bathroom. I hunkered down in the shower and listened out for any sound that might be Teo as my hands trembled violently. The phone rang and rang, signaling the fact that the call was indeed going through.
Then, I heard a click on the other end.
“Mom, it’s me. I swear I’m alive, but you have to help me. I’m being held hos--.”
Just as quickly as the line went live, it went dead. A dial tone sounded in my ear that made me nauseous and I re-dialed my mother’s number. But, it simply went to voicemail. I furrowed my brow as I typed in her office number, figuring she might be at work. Or, possibly in a dead zone.
I could leave her a message.
Her office phone got picked up, but just like when I called her cell phone, it hung up again. A tear slipped down my cheek as I pulled the phone away from my ear and watched the entire phone go dead. Fucking hell, I’d unlocked the damm thing but it didn’t have enough juice to even let me have a goddamn conversation with someone.
“Fucking hell!” I exclaimed.
I threw my phone at the shower wall and was shocked when it didn’t shatter into a million pieces. I put my head in my hands and let the tears flow freely as I felt the last of my hope slipping away. It didn’t matter how smart I was and it didn’t matter how manipulative I could be and it sure as hell didn’t even matter that I actually got in touch with my mother long enough to leave a message.
All that mattered was that Hell was closing in around me.
And the Devil downstairs probably knew what was going on.
Maybe he’s the one that shut down the calls.
I slowly lifted my face from my hands and let that reality sink in. What if that’s what happened? What if the call hadn’t cut itself because of battery life, but because Teo shut it down from somewhere? I mean, did he have that kind of remote control over my phone?
He sabotaged my call.
My neck bristled with tension as I pushed myself up from the shower floor. I stepped out, my ears trained in on listening to the sounds around me as I slowly picked my phone back up. I crept back into my bedroom and looked in every corner. I ripped my closet door open and walked inside, wondering if someone was hiding out long enough to jam my phone signal or some shit.
“Maybe there’s a local jammer somewhere,” I murmured to myself.
I scanned the dark corners of the closet and the floorboards of the bedroom. I checked everywhere I, myself, might hide a jammer. Or even hidden cameras. But, I found nothing. I found no explanation for why my phone died, other than the battery being low.
“Wait, was it low?” I asked myself.
I rushed over to my bedside table and plugged my phone in. I saw the charging light turn red as I held the power button down, and my phone screen illuminated as the cell started to boot back up. There was a part of me that was praying my phone had died. That the battery had simply run dead and that was the explanation for why the call randomly dropped.
But, when the phone turned on, the battery life was still at twenty percent.
Definitely enough to make a phone call.
I eased myself onto the edge of the bed and turned over the possibilities in my head. It wasn’t possible for the battery to have wiped out my phone like that, which left only one plausible explanation.
Teo has full control over my phone.
I folded my hands in my lap and waited for him to appear. I waited for his footsteps to sound outside before he came charging in here, demanding an explanation for my actions. I twiddled my thumbs and turned over arguments that might get me out of whatever punishment he had in store for me. I formulated comebacks and loopholes in things he might possibly say that I could use to my advantage. I prepared myself for this fight, because I knew it might actually be a fight to keep my life.
But, as the minutes ticked by, only silence met my ears.
After an hour of sitting upright on the edge of the bed, I determined that he wasn’t coming. Maybe it was something he’d address in the morning, or maybe shutting down my phone was enough for him for now. Maybe he didn’t get off on intimidating people, but sh
owing them exactly who was in charge just as they thought they had an ounce of freedom and privacy to themselves.
He’s a sick fucker, that one.
And I was more determined than ever to escape.
I laid down in bed and closed my eyes, hoping darkness would overcome me. But, all I did was turn around the last thing Teo said to me before I came charging up here. I couldn't keep him happy if I kept my mouth running? What the fuck did that mean? My pride had already taken a blow because nothing I did got him off when he returned this morning. But, to throw gas onto that growing fire?
It simply didn’t seem like Teo.
He’s a monster. You’re only seeing his true colors now.
I squeezed my eyes shut and forced the thought out of my head. Teo wasn’t a monster, that much I knew for certain. Maybe he lived a life I didn’t agree with, sure. But, a monster? I still wasn’t convinced of that.
Well, my heart wasn’t convinced of that.
If I could escape this place and stand on my own beside him as an equal, maybe that would convince him that I deserved to be there. That I deserved to have his heart even though he was married. Maybe, just maybe, all of this was a test. Maybe he wanted to see how strong and resilient I was, so the entire point of this was to break out. The entire point of this was to orchestrate my own escape.
Maybe he wanted to see if I could get out of here, yet choose not to leave him.
If he sees me as his equal, that might change everything.
I fought with myself all night until my eyes finally closed. But, just as sleep started to pull me under, I settled on a plan: I needed to find a way to get out of here. Not to go home, though. Oh, no. I needed to find a way out so he understood how creative I could be. So he could understand the wealth of knowledge I had at my disposal. And after that? He’d have no choice but to look upon me with the respect I knew I deserved.
He’d have no choice but to love me the way I loved him.
And after that, the world would be our oyster to enjoy as we pleased.
11
Charlotte
A knock came at the door and it startled me from my sleep. “Yes?”
“Miss Pettigrew, I have breakfast.”
I groaned. “Can’t say that I’m hungry right now.”
“It’s almost ten o’clock. You really should be up.”
I rolled my eyes. “Come in if you want, but I’m staying in bed.”
I heard my door open. “Trust me, you look good in it.”
His words flooded my senses, but my guard was still up. I had to pick my way through this easily, especially since he’d shut my phone down last night. For all I knew, this food was laced with something. Something to kill me, or render me helpless, or any number of other punishments he had in store for me.
But, all he did was sit on the edge of the bed and snap his fingers.
“Set the food here and leave us be,” he commanded.
The woman scurried to set a tray down on the bed between us before she quickly left the room, closing the door behind her in the process.
Teo picked up the silver dome from one of the plates. “Ever had a lox bagel?”
I reached for a small bite. “It’s one of my favorite breakfasts.”
“Really now?”
I took a bite. “Mmm, so good.”
He chuckled. “Interesting. It’s my favorite as well.”
“Please tell me there’s coffee. I need caffeine, badly.”
I watched as a grin spread widely across his face, and to my shock he poured me a cup of coffee. It wasn't previously prepared, and there wasn’t anyone else around to do it for him. And for some reason, that shocked me.
But, it also gave me hope.
“Here you go, Miss Pettigrew. One cup of coffee. There’s cream and sugar as well, if you’d like me to mix it up?”
I blinked. “Um, is the cream already sweet?”
He shrugged. “Slightly. It’s like a sweet cream.”
“Then, just some cream until it’s a soft brown.”
“Coming right now, beautiful.”
My heart leapt at his words and I could have melted into the mattress with happiness. He was being so kind and attentive that I almost forgot about the phone incident last night. Was he intentionally doing this so I’d drop my guard? Was he attempting to disarm me?
Remember what his wife said.
Teo handed me the finished mug of coffee. “There you go. One warm cup of coffee with a bit of sweet cream until it’s a soft, golden brown.”
I took it from him as my voice fell flat. “Thanks.”
His eye twitched. “So, how did you sleep last night?”
You’ll ruin him if you cave to your own desire. “As well as I could.”
A beat of silence happened between us, as if he were waiting for me to toss the question back at him. But, all I did was sip my coffee and reach for another small, bite-sized lox bagel.
“Well, I slept phenomenally,” Teo said as he crossed his leg over his knee, “though, I think it had something to do with the warm chai tea I had last night before passing out.”
I nodded mindlessly. “Sounds nice.”
His eyes met mine. “Is everything all right, Char?”
Don’t cave to the nickname. It’s for his own safety. “Like I said, just tired. I’m not very talkative before a cup of coffee or two.”
“Then, my all means, tip it up and let me make you another.”
As I studied Charlotte over breakfast, I couldn't help but notice how quickly she shut down on me. At first, she’d been open and welcoming to my company. But, on a dime, her walls went back up. And I had a feeling it had something to do with Rosana.
That woman said something to her.
There was part of me that wanted to start digging, but then I’d have to reveal that I knew my wife had been here. Why Charlotte hadn’t said anything to me, I wasn’t sure. But, I tried not to let her withholding that information from me deter me from my original goal.
Which was to make her love me.
I knew I’d done a lot of damage last night that I needed to make up for, and I was hoping breakfast would be a nice first step. But, after I handed her that cup of coffee, it was like pulling teeth to get her to say anything to me. I knew she could possibly ruin my plans. Distract me enough for someone to weasel their way in and take me down.
I had to find a way to get Charlotte to trust me again.
And then, it dawned on me.
“You seem like you’re deep in thought,” she said.
I drew in a silent breath. “I’ve been turning something around in my head for the better part of the morning, waiting for you to get up.”
“And why is that?”
I stood. “Because it concerns you, and I’d like your input on it.”
She looked up at me with curious eyes. “I’m listening.”
I poised myself in front of her, gazing down into her angelic face. “I’d like to offer you a part-time position as my legal advisor.”
She blinked. “You what?”
I chuckled. “A job, Miss Pettigrew. I’d like to offer you a job doing what you do best.”
“Working for you.”
“In a manner of speaking.”
She furrowed her brow. “What manner should we be speaking in, then?”
I clasped my hands behind my back. “Your advice is keen and sensible. You’re practical, but ambitions. I could use someone like you on my team, and you’d be treated with the respect you deserve by everyone on the grounds if you worked for me.”
“With you.”
I nodded. “Correct.”
She cocked her head. “Would I get that same respect from you?”
“Do you not already?”
“Not by that comment last night, I don’t.”
I nodded. “That was… a comment made in the heat of a tense moment. Nothing to do with you.”
She slowly stood. “If you’re really serious about this job offer,
then I have a few requests you’re going to have to accommodate before I even consider thinking it over.”
“Name your price.”
Her eyes danced around my face. “I want an office and room of my own. One you can’t access with a little key on your keychain. If I’m going to work for you, I’m going to need my space. Like a regular human being.”
“I have keys to all of the businesses I own, Miss Pettigrew. Your services will be no different.”
“So, that’s a ‘no’ to the privacy and the office, then.”
I shrugged. “It’s not a ‘no’ to anything. I’m just not going to put you anywhere I can’t quickly access if I need to. Plus, this apartment is outfitted for all of your needs. There’s an empty room across the hallway we can--.”
“I won’t be in a place you easily monitor, Teo. If you want me--.”
I loomed over her. “The answer is ‘no’, Charlotte.”
She rolled her shoulders back. “Then, so is mine.”
My nostrils flared. “You really are a stubborn one, aren’t you?”
“I’m not stubborn any more than a man in an aspiring career is stubborn. The only reason you call me that is because I’m a woman. I’m sure you wouldn’t use those same words if you were addressing a man.”
My eyes fell down her luscious body. No matter what she said, I’d keep her right here in this little apartment I had at the top of my house. I still didn’t trust her not to book it and run the second she got the chance. I didn’t trust her not to utilize the privileges that came with a job to her advantage. Like reaching out to that snake mother of hers and having The Gloria Pettigrew ruin everything I’d been working so hard to achieve.
I sighed. “Just think about my offer, Miss Pettigrew. You can name your price, your office hours, and keep whatever schedule you like. But, you’ll be doing it from up here, where you’ve got plenty of space to roam--.”
She interrupted me. “And where you’ve got easy access to me.”
A knock came at the door. “Mr. Emiliano?”
I swallowed a growl as I turned on my heels. “Yes?”
Liar : An Enemies to Lovers Mafia Romance (Sold to The Don Book 2) Page 6
