Page 29 of The One
Who is she?
I want to know!
I stare up at the sky just like Tiero. It’s his way of connecting with Ella.
Hundreds of stars glitter above us, though the light glow from Rome dims their brilliance. Back home in Sicily, you can see more of them, but even here, I get lost in the endless expanse stretching out overhead.
A subtle tingling spreads beneath my skin. Anticipation? Restlessness? Maybe both.
It’s like the universe is trying to tell me something, but I just can’t quite hear it. I’m frustrated all over again.
Tiero’s loud groan from beside me draws my attention back to him.
Startled, I watch as he jumps out of the tub and paces back and forth, rubbing his neck. He’s suddenly agitated and on edge.
I sit up, alarmed, quickly setting the tumbler I’m still holding on the table.
“What is it?”
Chapter Ten
Mateo
“Fuck,” Tiero groans again, a hint of panic on his face.
He stops in front of me and holds out his glass. I pour him some more whiskey, watching him carefully, and wait for him to elaborate. He takes a long sip and lets his head fall back.
“For some time now, I’ve had this feeling that somebody is trying to steal Ella from me. And this sense of foreboding is getting stronger. There’s someone trying to move in on my territory, Teo. And until I find her, there’s nothing I can do about it.”
His eyes find mine, and for the first time in forever, I see a flicker of fear there, subtle but unmistakable. It unsettles me, because Tiero is never afraid.
He’sil leone,the lion, fearless, relentless, ferocious. A force no one dares to challenge.
I sit up straighter, instinctively wanting to take that weight off his shoulders, to erase whatever’s haunting him.
I don’t doubt him for a second. In our line of work, you learn fast that instincts rarely lie. If they do, your days are numbered. So if Tiero’s gut is sounding the alarm, something dangerous is looming. And I trust him, always.
I get out of the jacuzzi and reach for the towels, throwing one to Tiero.
“I’ll check in with all teams on her case first thing in the morning and put more pressure on them. Wewillfind her, Tiero, I promise.”
I just hope it’s a promise I can keep.
“When you have her back, how will you convince her to stay?” I ask, because finding Ella is only the first step. “Or will you just tie her to your bed?”
Wrapping the towel around his waist, he doesn’t even crack the tiniest smile at my attempt to lighten the mood.
“It’s a tempting idea,” he replies. “I’ll figure it out. First things first.”
“Best to have a plan upfront.”
“I know,” is all he says and heads for the terrace door. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
He disappears into the house. He’s staying in his usual suite of rooms, the same ones he shared with Ella the last time he was here. Fuck, it will just remind him more of her.
I lace my fingers behind my head and stare once more up into the sky.
“Where are you, Ella? What’s going on with you?” I mumble, and chuckle humorlessly the next minute. As if the answers would lie in the stars. If that were the case, Tiero would have found them long ago.
