Chapter Twenty-Four

“Do you think you could help me find a bug detector?” Genevieve asked hesitantly.

Becca blinked in surprise. “Uh… is there an ant problem in your apartment or something?”

Genevieve chuckled softly as she finished twisting her hair into an intricate bun. “No, no. I mean a listening device bug. Like a spy bug.”

There was a pause on Becca’s end. “Is everything okay, Gen?”

Was everything okay? The question echoed in Genevieve’s mind. She hadn’t seen Matteo since the day before, yet she found herself constantly on edge, peering anxiously through the peephole, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. Her calves ached from the tension, a cramp reminding her how much she shouldn’t want him. He was dangerous—dangerous enough to have shoved her against the door like she was nothing on that very first night in her apartment. She gripped the cold bathroom counter, the memory sharp and unsettling. Shaking off the unease, she reminded herself she had a job to do.

“Gen?” Becca’s voice pulled her back.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Just a little paranoid being back in the city,” Genevieve said, waving her hand as if Becca was standing right there instead of two hundred miles away.

“I get that. Boston’s packed with too many people.”

Genevieve laughed. “There are too many people in the Mojave for you.”

“That’s so true,” Becca agreed. “Have you heard anything from the Mafia Boss?”

Genevieve hesitated before answering. She hadn’t told a soul about what Matteo had done the other night, or that he was now her neighbor. She knew what anyone sane would think: RUN.

“I haven’t heard from him,” she lied smoothly.

“Good. Well, I better get to work.”

“Me too,” Genevieve said, pulling on her coat. “I need to catch the subway.”

“Good luck today,” Becca said, her enthusiasm a little forced.

“Thanks,” Genevieve replied with a roll of her eyes.

After ending the call, Genevieve glanced out the window. Down the street, a familiar SUV caught her eye. She stepped closer just as Leo emerged from the vehicle. He headed toward the building, and she groaned quietly. Apparently, Matteo hadn’t been joking about the bodyguard being nonnegotiable. A small smile tugged at her lips. Fortunately, she had anticipated this.

Genevieve slipped some leggings under her dress, laced up her most comfortable sneakers, and buttoned her coat. Slinging her backpack over one shoulder, she moved to a living room window. With a grunt, she pulled it open, tossed her leg over the ledge, and climbed onto the fire escape. Holding the railing tightly, she jogged down the metal stairs. Once she reached the first level, she detached the ladder, which slid down to the sidewalk. As she descended, she glanced into the lobby and spotted Leo speaking with the security guard, Hector.

She pushed the ladder back up and broke into a sprint toward the subway station. Glancing at her phone, she saw she had only three minutes left. Dodging people absorbed in their phones, hurried office workers, and couples sharing quiet moments, she dashed down the steps. She swiped her prepaid card and slipped through the turnstile just as an announcement echoed that the train was about to depart. She quickened her pace, the doors closing just as she shoved her way inside, the edge bumping her shoulder.

Genevieve scanned the car, bracing for odd stares. Instead, she found everyone lost in their own worlds—books, phones, or blank walls. She sank into a seat and peered out the window, hoping against hope that Leo hadn’t followed her. Nothing suspicious appeared. Then, suddenly, a cup of coffee was placed in front of her. She turned slowly and flinched when she saw Leo sitting casually beside her, as if he’d been waiting there for twenty minutes.

“Coffee?” he offered with a slight lift of his hand.

“Thank you,” she said cautiously, taking the cup.

“You’re welcome,” he replied nonchalantly, flipping open the morning paper.

“How…” Genevieve glanced around, wondering if some secret portal had brought him there. “How did you get here? I saw you…”

Leo cleared his throat, eyes fixed on the paper. “In situations like this, it’s best to be upfront. I’ve been assigned to you for a reason. Everything you’ve tried, I’ve already dealt with a hundred times over with Accardi.”

Genevieve’s mouth fell open. Matteo had run from Leo? Leo was Matteo’s bodyguard?

“I figure we have two options,” Leo continued, folding the paper to meet her gaze. “One, you keep trying to slip past me, and I keep showing you how pointless that is. Or two,” he said, locking eyes with her, “you just trust me when I say you’ll never shake me off, and we save ourselves a lot of time and irritation. What’s it going to be? Either way, I get paid.” He resumed reading.

Genevieve looked straight ahead at a woman engrossed in a novel. She couldn’t quite make out the title but could tell it was some dark mafia romance, two lovers entwined on the cover. The man next to her was reading a true crime book, the cover splattered with caution tape and bloody handprints. Genevieve sighed, leaning back in her seat.

“How long will you have to follow me?” she asked quietly.

“I’m not following you. I’m protecting you.”

“How long?”

“Until he says otherwise,” Leo replied without hesitation.

Genevieve looked down at her lap, then heard the paper crinkle as he shifted his gaze back to her. “Will you have to report to him? Should I watch what I say?”

After a pause, Leo shook his head decisively before returning to the paper. “No. Not unless what you say or do puts your life in danger.”

She exhaled slowly. “I’m not going to convince him to back off, am I?” she asked, not just about the bodyguard’s presence.

“I’m afraid not, Miss Sinclair. You’ve done something to him.”

The rest of the subway ride passed with Genevieve sipping her coffee, turning over Leo’s words in her mind. Only when Leo stood did she realize they had arrived. She stumbled off the train and looked around. A few feet away, Leo gestured forward.

“How are we supposed to walk? Hand in hand? Like you’re my shadow? Watching from some dark corner?” Genevieve asked, trying to calm the nerves fluttering in her chest. It was her first day at a new company, after all. She suddenly felt grateful for her new protector.

Leo didn’t laugh. Instead, his eyes darted across the crowded street, scanning for any sign of danger.

“Leo?”

“It depends on the situation. I’ll never be far,” he assured her as they stepped onto the sidewalk. “But I won’t hold your hand. I’d rather keep it attached to my arm.”

“Would he really do that?” she asked, a hint of disbelief in her voice.

A flicker of amusement crossed Leo’s face. “He has. By the way, I’d prefer if you didn’t mention I left my bat with you.”

“Too late,” she smirked.

“Damn.” He let out a long breath. “Looks like today’s going to be a long one.”

Genevieve glanced up at the towering skyscrapers surrounding them, their glass facades gleaming coldly in the morning light. Leo’s hand rested briefly on her shoulder, urging her forward. They walked until they reached the building with the glistening windows. Leo’s hand slipped away, and she turned to look back. He stood by the curb, arms crossed, alert.

“You’re not coming in?” she asked, nodding toward the entrance.

He shook his head. “No, ma’am. I stay out here. Better to spot threats coming and going. I’ll be here when you finish your day.”

“Do I call you?” she asked, pulling out her phone to save his number.

Leo smirked, as if sharing a secret she couldn’t know. “No. I’ll know.”

“Okay…” she drawled, “See you later then, I guess.”

Leo gave a parting wave before turning his head left and right, scanning the crowd. Genevieve shook her head in disbelief. How had her life come to this? All because she lost a bet and didn’t want to give up her mother’s ring. She glanced down at the ring, still resting faithfully on her right hand. Squeezing it for luck, she sent a silent prayer to her mother. Then, with squared shoulders, she stepped inside.