Page 10

Loud vibrations against wood pulled me from a dream as my eyes opened against the rays of light filtering from the window above my head. I glanced at the device and saw Cambri’s three messages and missed calls. Slight panic shook me from the stupor, and I snatched the phone, only to exhale a breath of relief when I realized there wasn’t a life-or-death emergency.

“Talk about a heart attack for breakfast,” I huffed, scratching behind Phoenix’s ear. My Bengal cat purred and nuzzled my neck as I settled my nerves.

I’d promised myself I’d always be there for Cambri the way she had been for me. She’d saved me that night. And I vowed to always have her back. Though she wasn’t aware, I’d killed twice for her, and I’d do it a million times over. I wished I could tell her how beautiful her bastard ex-husband had screamed for me. And how her stalker had cried like the pussy he was when I gutted him. But none of that mattered, as long as she was safe.

Just as I meant to push the callback button, a number with an unfamiliar area code lit up my screen. I wasn’t one to answer phone numbers I didn’t recognize, but something told me to pick up. I said nothing and waited for whoever was on the other end to speak first.

“Amara?”

Santino.

A strange current swept through me at the sound of my name on his lips.

“How did you get my number?”

“Good morning to you, too,” he said with a chuckle. “And you’re in the club’s database.”

Of course.

“That’s right. Is this about the meeting?”

There was a pause before he replied. “Cambri assured me she’d let you know, but I wanted to see to it you got the message personally.”

“Message received.”

Another chuckle. Santino’s indifference to my shit attitude irritated the hell out of me.

“I won’t take up any more of your time. I look forward to seeing you again, Amara. And I hope last night’s incident didn’t give you the wrong impression of me.”

“No, you’re exactly who I thought you’d be.”

I said nothing else and ended the call.

Maybe I’d come off as a bitch. But lines needed to be drawn, like I had with Luca. While Santino didn’t give off the same perverse vibes as his cousin, I knew what the extra attention and the flirty smiles could lead to. He’d quickly learn I wasn’t a woman interested in romance, or one-night stands.

And I never would be.

By the time I’d eaten breakfast, I’d forgotten about Cambri until another series of messages popped up where she threatened my life. But almost comically, soft knocks at my door diverted my attention again.

When I brought up the footage of my unexpected guest, it surprised me to see my negligent neighbor on the other side of my door. Despite the morning's warm weather, he was dressed in a blazer.

I debated briefly whether to pretend I wasn’t home, but living two units away from each other would make avoiding him forever an impossibility. And I refused to be uncomfortable and on alert in my own home.

“Good morning,” he said, sporting a cordial smile.

I nodded a greeting, my door open, only just enough so that we made eye contact, hoping he’d get the hint that I wasn’t one for neighborly small talk.

“I want to apologize for last night and thank you for saving my boy. I’d had a long shift, picked him up from the sitter, and didn’t secure the safety lock when I got home. I’d hate to think what could have happened if you hadn’t found him when you did.”

“He was at the elevator and nearly ran into the stairwell.”

Fuck, Amara, can’t you just say you’re welcome and get this shit over with?

“I know, I know.” He hung his head and sighed. “I’ve been reeling over the what-ifs all night. Thiago is all I have left.”

Send him away. This was getting too personal.

“Well, nothing serious came of it. Glad I could help,” I said in a rush, stepping back as I motioned for the door.

His hand shot out. “Wait.”

Heat moved through my veins at his intrusive gesture. And without thinking, I reached for the blade in my back pocket while he tucked his free hand inside his blazer. Just as the steel edge of my knife would have become visible, I caught the silver detective badge clipped to his waistband, followed by the small white business card pinched between his fingers.

“I’m Raymond Braga. Your neighbor.” He chuckled. “Also, lead homicide detective at the 10th precinct. You can reach me here if you ever need anything—anything at all.”

His mouth was still moving, but nothing processed beyond homicide detective . My neighbor, whose attention I had inadvertently garnered, specialized in imprisoning people like me.

The fucking irony.

“Your…name?” he prompted, and I snapped back to his face, where the crinkled corners of his eyes narrowed, friendly smile fading. “Is everything okay?”

Nodding, I put on my best good girl act and returned the smile. “Yeah…yeah. I’m Amara. I’ll be sure to take you up on that,” I lied.

“Good. And I hope I didn’t overstep by coming by. I just wanted to give my thanks and apologize in case I came off like a jerk.”

Another fake smile. “You’re fine.”

“I’ll see you around then.”

With a nod of his chin, Detective Braga was gone. I closed the door, leaning against it as Phoenix nudged my legs. She had this way of sensing my distress. Maybe it was her way of looking out for me, repaying me for having saved her life. I bent down and cradled her little face.

“You’re thinking what I’m thinking, huh? A homicide detective as a neighbor. We’re fucked.”