I love watching Sienna get ready, and when she reaches for her brush, I step closer and take it from her. As I pull it through her hair, I say, “I told the men to start packing up everything in your kitchen and living room, so you only have to worry about your clothes.”
“What?!” she gasps, her eyes going wide as saucers as she spins around.
I set the brush down on the counter. “I told you I’d take care of everything.”
“No!!!”
She darts past me, and as she hurries to grab her phone, I stalk closer and grab the device from her. “Don’t you think you’re making a big deal out of nothing. The sooner we bring your belongings over, the sooner it will feel like home for you.”
Her breaths come faster, and when fear tightens her features, I start to get worried.
“What’s going on, Sienna?”
She shakes her head and rushes toward the doorway. “We have to go right now! Tell them to stop. I don’t want anyone in my kitchen.”
I pull out my phone and send Ciro a text.
Search that kitchen from top to bottom right now. If you find anything out of the ordinary, set it aside. I’m on my way.
Not replying to Sienna, I follow her out of the bedroom. Her anxiety keeps growing as we leave the penthouse, and my gut tells me I’m close to finding out what she’s been hiding from me.
I don’t care that I’m invading her privacy. Whatever secret she’s keeping is responsible for the walls she’s erected between us, and so help me God, I will break them down today.
The ride to her apartment is fucking tense, and Sienna becomes more and more fidgety.
“Want to tell me why you’re so anxious?” I ask, giving her a last chance to come clean with me.
She shakes her head, her teeth worrying the inside of her bottom lip while her jittery movements rival those of a junkie going through withdrawals.
What the fuck could be so bad?
The instant Nico brings the SUV to a stop, Sienna jumps out and makes a run for her apartment. As I calmly follow her, I check my phone.
Ciro: Found boxes of medication hidden with the cleaning supplies.
What the fuck?
I pick up my pace, and as I enter the apartment, it’s in time to see Sienna grab the medication from the kitchen counter before darting down the hallway.
I break out into a run while ordering, “Everyone, leave!”
Just as Sienna slams her bedroom door shut, I open it again before she can lock me out.
She stumbles backward as I enter the room, and when I turn the key in the lock before pocketing it, she begins to hyperventilate while shaking her head wildly.
“Just go,” she begs. “Please.”
My eyes land on the boxes she’s thrown on the bed, and she quickly tries to block my line of sight. “Please. I’m…begging…you.”
When her breaths start to sound painful, I grab her arm and pull her against my chest. Holding her tight, my eyes land on the medication again.
“What is it for?” I ask, my tone filled with worry. “Are you sick?”
She shakes her head and begins to cry uncontrollably. “P-please.”
“Shh…” I press a kiss to the side of her head while my worry spirals out of control.
This time, nothing I do calms her down, and giving up, I dart to the bed and grab the boxes. Recognizing Xanax, I read the details before removing a tablet. When I turn back to Sienna, her breathing evens out instantly, but there’s a glassy expression on her face as if she’s completely checked out of reality.
