“I’m so sorry you went through all that.”

  “I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for him. I just followed suit with the others calling him Master or Sir. He didn’t ask to be called that, but I knew it was out of respect. We all respect him. He might not show it, but he has a heart and he’s loyal to those around him. And he doesn’t let people in until you earn that privilege. And I see how different he is with you. He’s never had any other woman here. So, you are special to him. I know he has some fucked up ways about him.”

  I nodded in agreement. “I appreciate you sharing your story with me. It means a lot to me. And again, I’m sorry to hear you went through all that.”

  “Thank you. Can I ask, do you love Damon?”

  “I do. But things have happened and it has changed me.”

  “I know. Believe me, I know. I hope you make your way back.”

  “Thank you again for telling me your story.”

  She offered a smile and we both stood and hugged each other again. With her hands on my shoulders, she smiled and that was when I noticed her looking past my shoulder. Following her line of vision, I saw Damon leaning against the doorway and my things were being brought down.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  I nodded. I knew if I spoke, tears would flow again and I didn’t want Damon to see me like that.

  “I’ll walk you out.”

  I offered a polite smile to Susie before stepping out of the kitchen. Damon didn’t speak as we walked through the dining room, to the living room, and out the front door. The air was crisp. It was almost winter time.

  We stood by the SUV. “Security will be with you at all times.”

  The SUV was already waiting for me as my things were being piled in the back. I took a moment to look at Damon. As much as he tried to be happy, I knew he wasn’t. Stepping closer to him so I could look into his eyes, I spoke. “I’m not doing this to hurt you.”

  He raised a hand to brush a strand of hair out of my face. “I know.”

  He pulled the back-passenger door open for me and I moved to slide in. “Kara.”

  “Yes?”

  “I won’t go down without a fight.”

  I smiled. “I look forward to it.”

  He shut the door, and as the driver was pulling away, it seemed I was leaving my heart behind.

  Chapter Four

  KARA

  On the way to the condo, I swiped a stray tear that escaped my eyes. This was gonna be a lot harder than I thought. But this was what I knew I needed.

  The condo apartments were in town probably fifteen minutes away from where Damon lived.

  Arriving on the fifth floor, I punched in the numbers four, three, nine, and six. I wondered if those numbers correlated to anything pertaining to Damon. I was under the understanding the tenants came up with their own codes.

  Stepping inside, I noticed how spacious the apartment was, with a large living area and large, floor-length windows. The kitchen was the perfect size where it was not too big or overwhelming. Opening the fridge, I noticed it was fully stocked. That had to be Susie’s doing.

  My bags were placed on the floor.

  “Matteo?” I questioned.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “You’re my security detail.”

  I didn’t even notice he was the one driving the SUV.

  “Yes ma’am.”

  “Don’t call me ma’am. Call me Kara. Please.”

  Why was Damon putting his best man on as my security detail? Was I still in danger? Was it just a precautionary measure? Whatever it was, I was sure Damon had his reasons. Obviously, he wouldn’t trust just anyone to be my security.

  Grabbing my bags, I walked down the hall and picked a bedroom out of the two that both had their own bathroom attached. I picked the one with the most natural lighting. Putting my suitcases on the bed, I started unpacking and hanging up my clothes in the empty, spacious closet. There was plenty of room for my stuff. I put some stuff away in the chest of drawers that barely took up half the room. Adding my toiletries to the bathroom, I was all settled in.

  I wasn’t sure how long I’d be staying, but for now this was my home and I was thankful for Damon for letting me stay here. Walking back to the living room, I spotted Matteo seated in a chair by the door.

  “You don’t have to sit all the way over there in that little chair,” I told him.

  “I know. I prefer it.”

  I knew there was no convincing him otherwise. “At least take this one over there. I’m sure this one is more comfortable.” I was already inching the chair toward him when he grinned, coming over to get it.

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. But please feel free to roam around as you please. I don’t mind.”

  “Thanks.”

  He switched out the chairs, and reached in his jacket for a book that he carried with him. Plus, there was a full bookshelf at his disposal in the living room. And I myself, planned on putting that to good use as well.

  Looking out the large windows, I spotted a park that looked like it had a walking trail around it. It might be a good idea for me to exercise as well to help clear my mind. Right now, I couldn’t help the overwhelming sadness that came over me. I was on my own and I wasn’t quite sure how to do that. I had always lived with my dad and was cared for. Well, his version of cared for. But he was dead. Because I pulled the trigger and killed him. I only had myself.

  I spent a lot of the day thinking about what I wanted to do with myself, because I knew the thing I couldn’t do was sit around all day. Tomorrow, I would start looking for a job. I was sure I could find something to do full time or even part time. I was desperate for something to do on my days away from Damon.

  Later that evening, I baked some chicken, rice and broccoli and even made Matteo a plate for dinner. Thankfully, it was edible.

  “I’m going to take a shower and head to bed. There are two pillows and blankets on the couch if you want to sleep.”

  “Thanks,” was all he ever offered.

  I liked Matteo. But he was strictly business. I knew it would be hard to crack him to be open with me.

  “Goodnight.”

  “Goodnight, Kara.”

  I smiled and headed to my room. Setting out a sleep shirt on my bed, I slid into the hot steaming shower.

  After my shower, I stepped out to dry myself out and wrapped my soaking wet hair in a towel. My phone rang. I knew who it was.

  “Hi, Damon.”

  “Hi. I was just calling to see if you are settling in.”

  “I am. Thank you again. Can I ask you something?”

  “Anything.”

  “Am I in any imminent danger?”

  “No. Why?”

  “I was only asking because you put Matteo on as my security detail.”

  “Ah. Matteo is the only one I trust to protect you if something does happen.”

  I smiled. “Well, it was not necessary. But I know it means a lot to you to have someone here.”

  “It does. I’ll be able to sleep and not have to worry about your safety.”

  “I am settling in well. This apartment is fantastic. I can’t believe you had this place.”

  “I only had it because it was closer to the clubs I run and if I needed a getaway, I could go there and decompress.”

  “I just got out of the shower and was headed to bed.”

  Damon hurriedly cut in. “I was wondering if I could treat you to dinner on Wednesday?”

  “Like a date?” This made me grin.

  “A date. I want to properly take you out on dates if you will allow me to. It would give us a chance to start over.”

  Knowing my answer, I paused just to make Damon sweat for a few seconds. “I’d like that very much.”

  “Great. I’ll come by at six on Wednesday.”

  “Perfect. I’ll see you then. Goodnight, Damon.”

  “Goodnight, Kara.”

  Chapter Five

  KARA

  The smell of coffee wafted through the apartment, causing me to stretch my body and wake up. Sliding out of bed, I grabbed a pair of leggings and pulled on an off-the-shoulder top, leaving my hair in a top knot.

  I padded out to the kitchen and reached for a mug. “Morning,” I said, looking over to Matteo, who was already sipping on a mug and reading the newspaper. Who does that anymore?

  “Good morning.”

  “Thanks for making this.”

  “Sure thing.”

  I made my cup and moved to the sofa where Matteo already folded the blankets and organized them into a pile on the pillows. Thank god he was neat. I imagined his own place was probably neat and tidy.

  There was a laptop on the oversized coffee table. I looked to Matteo, “May, I?”

  “It’s yours. Damon stopped by and dropped it off for you earlier.”

  “Oh. I wish he would have woken me up.”

  “He peeked in on you and saw you sleeping. He didn’t want to disturb you.”

  Reaching for the laptop, I got started on my resume, which was taking forever to do because even though I had a college degree in child education, I’d only had menial jobs. Once that was done, I started searching the job listings. I needed something, but nothing too stressful. At the same time, I was kind of desperate for something to occupy my time and to give me a sense of normalcy. I just wanted to be normal for once.

  Scanning the ads, I applied for a position at a chain department store, an administrative assistant at a real estate firm, a front office receptionist. Then I saw a position open for a teacher’s aide. What were the odds? I might as well try it even though I probably wouldn’t get it.

  After filling out a few more applications, I closed the laptop and I wasn’t quite sure what else to do with myself. But if I was working on myself, I might as well get some exercise in. “I’m gonna get changed and go for a run,” I told Matteo.

  “Okay. I’ll have to go along so I can keep an eye on you. Care if I go to the car to get a change of clothes?”

  “Be my guest.”

  I liked Matteo and I didn’t know what his story was. But how was I suppose to work on myself when I had someone hovering over me all the time? Granted, I barely knew he was around.

  In my bedroom, I grabbed some track pants and a tank top with the matching jacket. I couldn’t remember the last time I exercised. And if Damon knew, he would probably forbid it, saying I lost too much weight already. But running wasn’t about losing weight; it was about clearing my head and making peace with my past. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail and put my phone in my pocket.

  “Ready?” I asked Matteo.

  “Ready when you are. I’ll jog behind you, so you can still have your space and I can keep you protected.”

  “Sounds good.”

  The trail was a short walk from my apartment and I really liked that it was so close and easily accessible. I did a few leg stretches and started a light jog.

  One thing I had learned was to be aware of my surroundings. Don’t get distracted. While most people would wear earbuds to listen to music and I loved listening to music, I couldn’t. Even with Matteo jogging closely behind me, I had to be aware of everything.

  Granted, back when I was younger, I was more careless, even with a mob boss for a father. But I can tell you, powerful people like that, they notice everyone in a room with one glance. They will even sit in the back of a restaurant where they can face the door to see who is coming in and going out. You never ever put your back to the door.

  Even being outside in the open, in public, you had to be aware of everything. Too bad I didn’t adhere to that lesson when Jose kidnapped me. Anytime I thought about Jose, I thought about Olivia. I wondered if Damon or Antonio had any luck finding her. Was she happy? Was she unhappy? It killed me not knowing.

  Memories of everything that happened flashed in my mind. The events played constantly in my mind. And the night I killed my father. I wanted to feel remorseful. I wanted to regret doing something so heinous. But I couldn’t. And I sure as hell wasn’t mad that Jose and his men were dead. But when one cartel got taken down, another popped up.

  My feet hit hard on the pavement of the trail and my jog turned into a run. No matter how much I ran, I couldn’t run from my past. I couldn’t change the person I was.

  My phone rang and I stopped running and was huffing, almost out of breath. I took a few deep breaths and answered my phone.

  “Hello?”

  “Is this Kara Ricci?”

  “It is.”

  “I’m Bonnie calling from the Guiding Light Elementary School.”

  “Oh. Hi, Bonnie.”

  “I was calling to see if you could come in for an interview for the teacher’s aide position tomorrow.”

  I did my best to contain my excitement. “Absolutely.”

  “Does 9 a.m. work?”

  “Yes.” I was beaming.

  “Just come to the main office and ask for Bonnie.”

  “Okay. Great. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “See you tomorrow. Bye.”

  “Bye.”

  I almost wanted to jump for joy but I didn’t have the job yet. This was an interview. It was quick hearing back from someone, since I only sent in my resume an hour or two ago.

  Chapter Six

  KARA

  It was Wednesday and I had a dinner date with Damon. Maybe Matteo would get some time to himself while I’m in Damon’s company. Plus, I had great news to share with Damon as well.

  After my shower, I took the time to blow dry my hair, curl the ends, apply makeup to my face. And I slipped on a blush pink, satin blouse and paired that with a black skirt. Lastly, I slipped my feet into a pair of stilettos. They made me feel so tall, compared to my usual five-foot- five. These shoes probably had me five-foot-seven or eight.

  The diamond bracelet Damon gave me months ago dangled on my right wrist. My phone, a compact, and some lipstick were in my clutch and I was ready.

  As I stepped out into the living room, I wasn’t expecting to see Damon. He immediately stood when he saw me. Obviously, he liked what he saw. “You look beautiful.” He looked to Matteo. “You can take the night off.”

  “Are you sure, boss?”

  “I’m sure.”

  Was Damon planning on more than a dinner date tonight?

  Damon’s gaze connected with mine. “Ready?” He held out his arm so I could weave mine through it.

  “Yes.” I smiled.

  This was our first real date and I was very happy he wanted to do this. “How was your day?” he asked as we slid into his white Aston Martin.

  “It was great. How was yours?”

  “My day is a hellava lot better now,” he placed a hand on my bare knee.

  “So where are we going?”

  He smirked at me like he had a secret he wouldn’t tell. He turned his attention back to the traffic in front of us while his other hand remained on my knee. My heart quickened and I realized how hard I could fall for him. It would be easy. But was this the real Damon? And I didn’t want to lose myself in the process.

  Damon pulled up to the restaurant and handed his keys to the valet. “Easy with her,” he instructed sternly.

  With a hand on the small of my back, we approached the hostess. “Two under Alessio.”

  The hostess smiled. “Right this way.”

  We didn’t even make it to the table before a gentleman called Damon’s name as he wore a huge smile on his face, holding his hand out. “Samuel Donato!” Damon smiled as he greeted the man. He wore a white chef’s coat and kissed each of Damon’s cheeks.

  “Who is this lovely lady?” He was already holding my hand in both of his.

  “This is Kara.”

  “Kara Ricci,” I answered.

  Samuel kissed the back of my hand. “You two enjoy your dinner. I know you can afford it, but dessert is on me.”

  “How do you know him?” I asked as we sat at the little table for two.

  “I invested in this restaurant when he was having financial troubles. His wife was suffering from cancer and the hospital bills were more than he could afford. He refused to let me pay the bills, so I invested in his restaurant.”

  “So, you do have a heart?” I joked.

  “Yes. As a matter of fact, I do.”

  “I know you do. I was joking. I mean, you have a shelter for those women and that showed me right there how much you care about people.”

  The waitress came by and we ordered drinks.

  “Speaking of the women, I would like to go visit them tomorrow. Would that be okay?”

  “Yes. Of course. You don’t have to ask. You should go buy a bunch of clothes and take them some new toiletries. Here’s my black card. I can get Jacinda to send you all the sizes of everyone.”

  He handed me his black card.

  “Oh my gosh. Are you sure?”

  “Yes. Absolutely.” He chuckled.

  I slid his card into my clutch.

  “I’m sure they will appreciate this.”

  “It’s not a problem.”

  The waitress dropped off our wine and took our dinner order.

  I took a sip of my wine and savored the taste while locking eyes with Damon.

  “I have some great news.”

  He smiled. “What’s that?”

  “I was offered the job as a teacher’s aide. I had my interview this morning and they hired me on the spot. I start Monday.”

  “That’s great. I’m happy for you. I know it means a lot to you to have your own independence.”

  “It does. I’m glad you understand. And it’s only part time for now. But it could grow into a full-time position after a year. So, we’ll see.”

  “You should take that black card and buy yourself some clothes for work, too.”

  “Oh no. I couldn’t. I’m sure I can find something in my wardrobe.”

  “Nonsense. Get yourself a few outfits. I insist.”

 

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