Page 40 of Buying Angel

I couldn’t make out what was being said from inside my room, but I could tell that there were two men arguing downstairs. One was definitely Nico, but the other voice also sounded familiar. I couldn’t place where I’d heard it before, however. I walked over toward the door and opened it. Quietly, I stepped toward the top of the stairs, making sure that I was still out of sight. It was then I realized exactly who was downstairs arguing with Nico.

Vincent.

I rushed back to my room, hoping that I hadn’t been heard, and closed the door as quietly as I could, locking it behind me.

I could feel the panic rising inside me as the argument continued downstairs. I tried to hold back the tears as much as I could, but I couldn’t stop them from falling as my whole body shook in fear. I couldn’t understand how Vincent had found us so quickly. Why did he have to spoil everything again?

My anxiety was rising with every moment. Whatever they were saying downstairs, it was a very heated discussion. Part of me wanted to go back to the top of the stairs to listen, but the thoughts of what Vincent had put me through had me rooted to the spot.

The argument seemed to be going on forever when all of a sudden, it went quiet. I continued to sit on the bed, waiting to hear what was going on. There was nothing. Just deathly silence except for the sound of my heart beating fast ringing in my ears. I heard footsteps come toward the door and nearly screamed when there was a knock on it.

It was then that I heard the sweetest most calming voice from the other side.

“Rosa, it’s me, Nico. It’s okay. It’s just the two of us here.”

Without a thought, I rushed over to the door, unlocked it, and quickly opened it. I couldn’t help myself as I saw him standing there. I flung my arms around him; instantly, he embraced me, rubbing my back and sending shivers through my body. The relief of him standing there caused the tears to start falling again.

“It’s okay, Rosa. He’s gone. It’s just the two of us now.”

He continued to rub circles on my back, slowly eradicating the anxiety I was feeling. He continued to talk quietly, reassuring me with every word.

“He will never get close to you, Rosa. I promise I will always protect you.”

The tears started to slow, and I couldn’t help the smile that formed on my face. I knew he meant every word of his statement, and that I would always be safe with him. I pulled out of his embrace and found myself looking at his lips. I was desperate to kiss them. He smiled back at me, took my hand, and raised it to his lips, pressing a delicate kiss to the back of my hand.

He met my eyes again as he stepped away from me. I couldn’t make out how he was feeling, he almost looked sad or disappointed as he spoke.

“We still have a little while before we need to leave, so you can get yourself sorted. Come downstairs when you are ready.”

With that he turned away and headed back downstairs. I stood there for a moment, wondering how I had upset him, but I knew that I had to get ready. Even if I couldn’t have a relationship with Nico, I still had one with Hudson, and I intended to keep it. I walked into the bathroom and washed my face, trying to remove the remnants of my tears, then went back into the bedroom, sat back down at my dressing table, and started to apply my makeup.

I had learned a lot from the auction. I remembered everything Scarlet had done and taught me that evening. I followed her instructions and looked at the woman sitting in front of me. Okay, I hadn’t done as good a job as Scarlet had, but it was pretty close.

I got up from my seat, grabbed my purse and coat, and headed downstairs, where I knew Nico would be waiting. I found him in the kitchen, drinking coffee as usual. As he heard me enter the room, he turned to look at me.

“Well? What do you think?” I twirled around like a little girl showing her best friend her new dress.

I saw a look of lust come over Nico’s face, one that I had never seen before. He got up from his chair and walked over to me, bowed his head, and took my hand in his and kissed it again.

“Assolutamente magnifico, bellissimo. Hudson is an extremely lucky man. Come on, it’s time to go.”

I could feel myself starting to blush at his actions and words. Him saying that I looked absolutely magnificent and calling me gorgeous again gave me hope. I went to follow Nico out of the kitchen when it suddenly hit me.

What if Vincent was in the parking lot, waiting for us to leave? He could follow us and then he would know I was here and that I was with Hudson. I stopped in my tracks.

“Nico, what about Vincent? He could be waiting for us and follow us to the club. Then he will know all about me and Hudson.”

I could feel the panic building inside me again as I watched Nico turn around and walk back over to me. He placed his hand on mine and held it.

“Don’t worry. We are going down to the private parking lot. He won’t be able to find us or follow us.”

I looked at Nico, confused. What private parking lot? I had only ever left from the parking lot below the building. Anyone could drive in there with a pass, and the entrance was onto the main road. He would only have to sit out there and would see us as we left.

Nico saw my confusion and spoke. “You have never had to go to that one, because up until now we didn’t think there was any threat. However, from now on we will use the private one that Hudson and I own. It has a private elevator down to it, which can only be accessed from this apartment. The exit is through a tunnel under the city and comes out nearly three blocks away. Vincent will never find us. Now, let’s not keep Hud waiting.”

I allowed Nico to guide me to a door toward the back of the apartment. I had wondered where this door went, but had never dared to go through it. To my surprise, it was actually an elevator, which opened when Nico placed a key fob onto the pad, and we entered together.

When we arrived at the parking lot, I was shocked to see the number of cars that were parked down here. I could see Nico smirking at me as I gazed in amazement at the vehicles.

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