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The nearest neighbor wouldn’t be able to hear me scream.I’m not sure where that thought came from but it managed to cement itself in my head.
Did I really think that Dario would kill me? No. Did I think that someone seeking revenge on Dario would? One hundred percent.
When something brushed up against me, I screamed and sent a punch flying in what I hoped was the direction of whatever touched me. I lost my balance, went flying forward, and brushed up against a wall on my way down.
My hand dragging down the wall turned the lights back on, and I realized that I had apparently wrestled an umbrella stand to the ground.
Feeling ridiculous, I stood up and fixed it to the best of my ability. A little smile and then a bark of laughter escaped my lips.
Maybe I was hysterical. I was jumpy and attacking inanimate objects and I was in London. Nothing made sense anymore.
I couldn’t believe this was my life. My amusement faded quickly though, when I remembered why I was there. Dario didn’t need to say it. It was clear they were trying to kill us now, not just him.
When he left to go meet with his brother, I had been tempted to contact Dr. Kali. But something I didn’t want to acknowledge stopped me. Dario was difficult, and he made me angry, and I didn’t know if I could trust him.
But every move he made so far had been to protect me. I didn’t take that for granted.
Something told me that Dr. Kali would not be able to keep me safe the way he had said he would. No one would be able to protect me like Dario, I had realized.
I felt less grateful toward him as I made my way through the rest of the drafty home. It was built like a fortress. I couldn’teven imagine how much the front door weighed. As I admired the architectural details, I noticed the cameras everywhere.
He wasn’t trying to be subtle this time around. I wasn’t feeling charitable anymore. Maybe this was all for my own protection, but it only made me feel even more trapped.
My life as I knew it was totally gone. Would it be like this always? Would every movement I made be watched? How could someone live like that?
And how could I expect to keep a secret from him if he knew my every move? There was no way my pregnancy would go unnoticed for much longer.
My hands were on my hips and I was staring at the camera in the foyer, a look of disgust on my face, when I heard the front door open. I was tense, feeling the urge to hide. But then Dario came in followed by Joseph and Ivan.
“How was your nap?” he asked.
I was watched from all angles at all times, and he wanted to discuss naps. This was all insane.
“Can I speak with you in private?” I knew my request came out more as a growl, but I couldn’t help myself.
I turned on my heel and walked toward the nearest door, and realized it was a weird little sitting room. I waited for him to join me.
He came in a few seconds later, closed the door behind him. He waited for me to speak.
I folded my arms across my chest. “What’s with all the cameras?”
He raised a brow and had the audacity to say, “What cameras?”
Sighing, I took a deep breath and tried not to lose my shit. “The cameras that are lining every goddamn room in this house, Dario!”
“If you’re referring to the indoor security cameras, I would think you would appreciate them being there…all things considered.”
I hated it when he spoke to me so formally. It was as if, by doing so, he was putting distance between us.
And part of me felt like he was. When he came back after going to see Matteo, he hadn’t been himself.
Not that he was ever jovial and affectionate, but even for Dario, he was quieter than usual, more contemplative, and there seemed to be a weight hanging over him. It was as if he was carrying the world on his broad shoulders.
I was surprised that I found myself wanting him to let me in to tell me what was wrong besides someone burning down his mother’s house and trying to kill us. The attack on the island, it had seemed, was just part of his lifestyle. It felt crazy that anyone could live this way.
But whatever was bothering him now was different.
When he looked at me, the look in his eyes was different. I couldn’t put my finger on exactly what had changed, but something had, and I didn’t know how to address it.