The Carrero Contract - Selling Your Soul (Mafia Romance) novel Chapter 168

I jump, awakening in a dark silent room as the weight on my legs shifts heavily and emits a long low growl. It makes my heart stop, skin prickling all over, suddenly frightfully aware as I get my bearings and remember where I am and what the hell is lying on me. Pulse quickening as I groggily come to, a cold sweep of blood due to the abrupt manner I awoke in the eerie room, lacking any TV noises. The illumination of the city view is subtler than I would have expected and not casting a great deal of light at all.

His low grumble puts an instant fear of me God in me and I try to focus on him towering over me by pushing myself to half propped up and stare at the beast.

I must have fallen asleep with that movie and the TV has gone into standby and switched off. It’s dark as hell, and it dawns on me as I look around to figure out what’s happening the shades must be activated by light or a timer as they have all come down two-thirds of the way, so this room is almost completely pitch black. I have no clue what time it is.

Lync stands up over me, shifting closer protectively and seems to perch himself with a foot on each side of me. Even though I cannot make him out that well, I can sense he’s facing the door and is listening intently. I sit up further to see what it is he can hear and then yelp in fright as that damn beast’s lanky whip-like tail smacks me right in the mouth with a sudden violent wagging. Bitch slapped by the damn dog for God’s sake.

It knocks me sideways and senseless for a moment and distracts me from my thumping heartbeat and trembling limbs. Cursing him out and rubbing my startled jawline as I push his arse away from me harshly.

‘Arsehole.’ I mutter at him grumpily. If anything, he woke me up fully and now all my senses are on high alert thanks to being dog smacked.

He completely changes in the blink of an eye, from silent and still predator into a yappy, excitable puppy that rolls over, jumps up and flies off the bed, all while making the most insane whimpering, barking noises that signal extreme excitement. The dog legs it, right out the room, pushing the door open and letting light flood through from the illuminated hallway beyond. I blink at the assault, eyes unable to focus as fast as his apparently do and then blink at the clock sat on the bedside table, trying to get my bearings. It’s ten past midnight and it occurs to me it might be Alexi returning home and the stupid mutt can clearly tell.

I exhale with relief and slump back down into my mountain of cushions to await the appearance of my hunky bed companion, a smile spreading across my face and that warm glow of utter happiness at knowing he might be back.

I mean it’s his weird as fuck pet. I’m sure it gets happy to hear him come back as he isn’t here that often anymore. It’s obviously Alexi.

Neglectful dick.

He’d better not shelve me in this apartment like he has done Lync and go off to spend nights in the club with some hoe. I’ll rip his goddamn throat out and cut off his dick to feed to the damn dog. I bet Lync would probably enjoy a good bit of meat like that and I would definitely not regret doing it.

I lie and wait, expecting him to walk in at any moment and get mighty restless when after a full four minutes he’s a no show. Staring at the dark blank ceiling and straining to listen to any sort of noise and get absolutely nothing at all.

Now I’m wondering who did, in fact, come in that set the dog off on euphoric wagging and slide out of bed to locate my robe to curb my ‘need to know’ agitated state. I pull my satin kimono from the cupboard by the light of the hall, blinking to adjust as I near it and pad out to head downstairs to see. Annoyed that if it’s him, he hasn’t bothered to come to tell me and yet apprehensive that maybe the dog is nuts and he just sees ghosts or imaginary friends sometimes.

Oh, I hope not.

I’m suitably covered in case it’s one of his many minions, so I don’t have to explain to Lexi later why they have cardinal knowledge of my tits in sheer lace. This sexy nightdress stops mid-thigh, mostly transparent, and I have no underwear on under it, strictly put on for his benefit and I won’t be caught wearing it by some random security doing a walk around. Alexi would kill me, then him, and then probably me again.

I take a couple minutes to get to the end of the long-carpeted walkway and head down the stairs into the dimly lit apartment. It's eerily quiet but there’s a faint sound of music drifting ever so gently from the door at the strange brick wall. I can see from halfway down the stairs it's sitting open and look around to check who is in here. Heart upping a gear, I feel like I’m sneaking around in some forbidden domain and it only heightens my senses. Nervously tapping the metal railing and tiptoeing on, eyes darting around in case I get caught. I have to inhale heavily to calm my erratic breathing and remind myself that I may be a prisoner for my own safety, but this is my new home. I shouldn’t be afraid to get caught exploring it.

The door to the office by the entrance is shut and muffled voices contained within. Security clearly locked away and doing whatever it is they do. I stop and wonder what cameras they have in here and glance around for anything obvious, realising this will only make me look more idiotic if they can see me. I stop, straighten up and try to look confident like I’m not snooping in any way, shape or form.

The lights are off in the kitchen and living room and only floor lights set to dull are keeping the place bright enough to walk around. It’s obvious Mrs Capone has gone to bed, and the dog is nowhere to be seen.

I wait for a moment, nervously as I realise this might be anyone and not Alexi at all. I could wander down to happen upon a change in his security detail or just someone popping in to check all is quiet. Maybe one of his men actually sits in that little room at night, or whatever is behind there.

I mean, it’s Alexi’s home. It could be a dungeon, a gym, maybe a medieval torture chamber that leads to a steel box of a room to muffle the cries of the people he interrogates.

Maybe not. He wouldn’t keep that under the same roof as his sweet little mummy stand-in.

I reckon he has one though and that’s where they took my kidnapper.

I could go knock on the office, ask if they know when he’s coming back, or I could go check out the extra part of the apartment in the pretence of looking for Lync and nosey in that room now it’s open. My curiosity has been twitching since I realised there is more apartment in that direction behind that wall. Lync did piss off on me rather rudely after moving to sleep on top of me like a heavy bone crushing blanket, so trying to locate him is a great excuse for anyone I bump into along there.

I could say he makes me feel safe up there all alone and I need him back.

I take a deep breath, pick up my wavering bravado and go marching purposely down the last steps and towards that vast urban chic brick wall. Mind set on not being a complete wuss. I need to go find out if that arsehole came back and didn’t come to see me.

The door is stained in similar tones of reclaimed wood as the wall which makes it blend into the brickwork and I head right for it. Concealed but not invisible and now I’m set on going there, nothing will stop me. Except, maybe the cries of a human man being tortured. That would have me backtracking and hightailing it back upstairs.

Pulling it open I spy a corridor inside with only two more doors visible in the entire space. Surprising, as I expect a hall like upstairs with several doors leading off. One is shut tight on the darkened side and nothing to tell me what is beyond it, and one is sat open, emitting light and music from the interior. The hall itself is dark wood and polished floor and a little foreboding.

I recognise the Maroon 5 song drifting my way as soon as I hear it and relax a lot. Exhaling as my body sags, realising just how tense I was and smile involuntarily.

Alexi has specific musical tastes and that is one of them. I exhale again and shake the stupid away, loosen my robe a little, fluff up my hair and adjust my breasts to perkiness before pushing the door open to reveal a very cosy study.

I want to look good for him when he has been gone all night. No harm in primping and preening to get his blood flowing in the right direction. I went to bed with minimal makeup, a figure-hugging ‘fuck me now’ nightdress and no knickers for this reason.

Alexi is here, much to my relief and delight, sat on a long leather couch taking up one wall, reclining casually with Lync sprawled along beside him, head on Lexi’s lap. Both occupying a two-seater brown leather couch that looks invitingly comfy.

He is holding a brandy glass and swirling the contents while staring straight ahead at a faux fire burning silently on the wall facing him. I’m starting to think he is most definitely a fireplace man with one in every room here and his bolthole. I wonder if fire is another calming method for him, my crazy little possible pyromaniac.

The desk and shelving at the far wall are shrouded in shadow so all that is illuminated is where Alexi is, and the floor up to the fireplace. The rest of the room is dark all around and he’s just there looking magnificent and welcoming. My heart bursts to overflowing at the sheer sight of him and immediately changes my whole mood from apprehension to happiness.

He glances at me when he catches sight of me walking in and gives me a strained smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes and no dimples on show at all. My smiley and bubbly internal fizz of joy disperses just as quickly, to be replaced with worry at the lack of his own enthusiasm at seeing me.

“Hey, gorgeous. You should be asleep; we have to get up early.” He sounds low and strained, eyes duller than normal and hints of dark shadows in that angular face. His stubble peeking through from a long night.

I falter as I remember I didn’t even bloody pack and just push it aside as unimportant right now. He would only see my forgetfulness as me rebelling again and I’m not in the mood for bickering. Especially as I didn’t deliberately disobey him, I just had other things on my sleep-addled mind.

I missed him. I was worried about him and his meeting.

“Well, if your Chewbacca sidekick hadn’t woken me with his spazzing out to see you, then I would still be asleep. Why didn’t you come up?” I ask warily, sensing his unease almost like waves of thick static coming from him. Alexi is agitated and stressed, and I guess the dog cuddles and booze down here is him levelling himself off before coming to me. My senses alert and suddenly overly sensitive to his weird aura and murky mood. Tension rising inside me immediately that makes my skin prickle with unease.

He doesn’t answer, just downs his drink and carefully lays the glass on the little table to his right. Avoiding my eye and adding to my anxiety.

Now I know he uses alcohol to help his flaws, I don’t really see it as excessive anymore. He doesn’t drink a lot, and it only seems to be when his overall nervous energy is high. I guess that’s how he contains it and manages that cool and calm demeanour.

It’s not ideal but it works for him, obviously.

“Come, sit. We need to talk.”

Those words make my stomach drop to my feet and that little niggle of insecurity cranks up a level. Nothing good ever came of a man telling a woman they needed to talk, and I hesitate. Realising just how badly I will fall apart if Alexi now decides he doesn’t want this anymore.

I’m an insecure person, with a lot of self-worth issues, obviously, my mind instantly goes to go to ‘he wants to dump me’.

I move forward steadily, trying to hide my internal panic, keep the stained facial expressions at bay then yelp as he catches my hand and yanks me onto his lap, almost killing the damn dog in the process. Lync has the sense to dart out of the way just in the nick of time, sitting up to blink at me as though I’m to blame for almost pancaking his skull.

“Don’t look at me like that, blame him.” I direct at the mutt and Alexi just hauls me more comfortably into his body and forces my face around to his with a hand cupping my chin. Hauled and manhandled so my cooler skin burns with hands all over me and the close contact of his warm body. Pulled up tight like he is wrapping up something precious.

He kisses me firmly, pulling my face down towards him for a second so we make full facial contact, noses, foreheads, mouths and chin, squished up together and assaulted with a needy pressing of lips that translates to a man who is mighty wound up. He then he lets me go with a very heavy outward exhale. A sigh so loud it can only translate that he is extremely fed up.