Page 66 of Tempt Me
Looking up as Francesca joins me, leaning in the doorway, I turn away from her almost immediately. She can see straight through me.
"I don't sleep anyway, besides, someone needs to keep watch."
"We weren't followed," she says confidently.
"Neither were we, but moles have a way of turning over the soil at your feet."
"Indeed. You think they had inside help?"
"How else did they get in?"
"They gunned down the security team at the front gate."
"Too bad for them. They shouldn't have given them the opportunity."
"The police are going to be all over the place. Some high-profile people live in that area."
"Not the least of which is you."
She shrugs and sits in the sad-looking chair near mine. "You love her, don't you?"
Weighing up how honest I should be with that, I pause. "Who?" I ask to buy time, even though it's the stupidest thing on earth.
She snorts. "Oh,caro. You are a dum-dum."
"Obviously," I mutter, glaring into the darkness.
"She loves you too."
"And?"
"Rue is meant for great things."
"And being with me isn't one of them."
"You understand her position."
The relief in her tone makes me sad but also angry. "You mean her family's position."
Francesca hisses. "Rue accepts what is required of her."
"Because she has no choice."
"Do you think I had a choice? Or Viktor? That's not how this works,caro."
"I don't really give a fuck. I can't have her, end of story. Right?"
"Right," she replies tightly but doesn't storm off in a huff as I expected her to. Instead, we sit in silence, listening to the ocean and the wildlife surrounding us.
The air is thick with tension as if the darkness itself could smother us both. I wonder if Francesca can hear my heart pounding in my chest or if she's too lost in her own thoughts to notice. After a moment, she sighs heavily and stands up.
"I'm going to bed," she announces, her voice flat and devoid of emotion.
"Goodnight," I say, not bothering to look at her as she disappears inside.
Once I'm sure she's gone, I pull out my phone and stare at it for a long time before unlocking it and scrolling slowly, methodically through my contacts. Eventually, I find the one I'm looking for, and after only a second's hesitation, I press call.
It rings twice before she picks up, her voice groggy with sleep but still warm and inviting.
