Chapter 015
607 Words
HARRIET'S POV
Two weeks at The Golden Spoon had taught me three things:
One: The café's customers were definitely not normal business people.
Two: My manager reported everything I did to someone higher up.
Three: I was slowly losing my mind.
"Here's your change, sir," I said automatically, handing money to yet another suit-wearing man who probably carried a gun under his jacket.
"Thanks, doll," he replied with a knowing smirk that made my skin crawl.
I'd stopped pretending this was a regular job. The signs were everywhere – hushed conversations about "shipments" and "territories," the way certain customers commanded immediate respect, how no one ever caused trouble despite the expensive clientele.
This was Marco's world, carefully disguised as normalcy. And I was right in the middle of it.
"Harriet?" James appeared beside me, still nervous but now I knew why. "There's someone asking for you. Private room three."
My stomach dropped. The private rooms were for "special clients" only. I'd never been asked to serve there before.
"I'm pretty busy out here," I tried.
"It's not a request." James adjusted his glasses. "They're waiting."
The private room was darker than the main café, all leather seats and mahogany panels. Sierra Luciano sat at the table, stirring her tea.
"Sit," she said. "Please."
I did, my apron suddenly feeling ridiculous. "If this is about Marco—"
"It's about keeping you alive." She pushed a folder across the table. "Lady One has been seen with Don Martinez's people. She's telling them everything she knows about Marco's organization. Including you."
My mouth went dry. "I'm not part of his organization."
"No?" Sierra's perfectly shaped eyebrow rose. "Then why are you still here? Working in his café, surrounded by his men?"
Because I can't leave. Because every time I think about quitting, I remember the way he looked at me in that parking lot. The way he's always looked at me, like I'm something precious and dangerous at the same time.
"What does Lady One want?" I asked instead.
"Revenge. Power. The usual." Sierra sipped her tea. "But Martinez... he's different. More ruthless. He'll use you to get to Marco, and he won't care if you survive it."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because contrary to what you might think, I actually like you." She leaned forward. "And because Marco is different with you. Better. If something happened to you..."
She didn't finish, but I understood. I'd seen the darkness in Marco, carefully controlled but always there. What would happen if he lost control?
"So what am I supposed to do?"
"Accept his protection." Sierra stood, smoothing her dress. "Stop fighting what's inevitable."
"And what's that?"
She smiled sadly. "The same thing that happened to me with Edward. You fall in love with a monster, and then you learn to live with the consequences."
She left me sitting there, staring at the folder. Inside were photos – Lady One meeting with hard-looking men, satellite images of compounds in Mexico, surveillance shots of me walking to my car, shopping for groceries, visiting my father.
They'd been watching me all along. Or maybe protecting me. In Marco's world, was there even a difference?
My phone buzzed. Unknown number, but I knew who it was:
'My house. Tonight. We need to talk.'
No signature needed. No threat or promise. Just Marco, pulling me deeper into his web.
And God help me, I was going to go.
Because Sierra was right about one thing – some things were inevitable. And whatever was between Marco and me had been inevitable from the start.
I just hoped I was strong enough to survive it.
- Writer
