This time, there are no flowers. Instead, there is a ballerina doll with the eyes scratched out, and in the doll's hand is a black rose. With fingers trembling, I lean down and pick up the envelope and open it, my heart jumping into my throat as I read the note inside.
I never thought you'd betray our love like this. If I can’t have you, I’ll make sure no one can!
Chapter Seven
Dante
She’s gone!
Her phone and keys are gone, and she’s nowhere in the apartment when I finally emerge from my bedroom and I curse myself for being a fool. I should have expected that she’d sneak out of the fucking apartment and not tell me she was leaving, so I could call her bodyguard to come pick her up.
She doesn’t want me around—fine. Okay, so it’s not fine, but I’ll deal with it. Still, that’s no reason for her to go running off like that. Not when there’s a fucking maniac out there stalking her!
I yank on my shoelaces with more force than needed, wanting to punch through the wall or kick at the punching bag in my gym until it breaks from the ceiling, but there are more important things to get to and with greater urgency.
Like getting to my little bird before her stalker does. Punching the bag will just have to wait until Gia Marino is safe.
I push to my feet just as the door flies open, and I only have a moment to grab my gun before Gia runs inside, panting, her eyes wide with panic. All the irritation I felt with her leavingflies away, and concern settles in as she rushes toward me. She flings her arms around my waist and buries her face in my chest as sobs rack her entire body. I quickly pull my gun from the holster at my back and point it at the entrance.
Now all I need to know is which fucker I need to kill for putting that look on Gia’s face, but no one follows her through the door.
“He found me again,” she sobs, her voice muffled in my shirt. I grasp her shoulders and pull her back, gritting my teeth when I find her beautiful eyes wet. “I thought he wouldn’t dare try to get to me when I moved here.”
“Gia, what happened?”
She pulls her arms from around my waist, and for the first time, I notice the box in her hand. “The concierge gave me this package, and… Oh God, Dante. This is a threat, right?”
I take the box from her and open it, jaw clenching when I see what’s inside and read the note left behind. “Have all the notes been like this?”
"No, they were intense but never threats. And they always came with flowers." I glance at the black rose inside the box and finally understand her earlier suspicion of me. The black rose looks awfully similar to the black rose on my paperweight.
Fuck. That paperweight—just some cheap trinket I picked up years ago from a shop in the East Village whose name I’ve long forgotten. I make a mental note to throw the damn thing away the second I have a chance. No wonder she suspected me. I would doubt myself, too, if I were her.
“It’s alright, it’s okay,” I tell her, pulling her back into my arms and kissing her temple. “I’ll take care of it for you, baby.” I guide her to the sofa, pressing my lips on her forehead andletting them linger for a minute. "I'm going to get you a glass of water. Wait here, okay?"
She nods, and the faraway look in her eyes makes me want to take her into my arms and keep her there forever, but I need to call Matteo and alert him to this. We're going to catch that bastard and make him pay for giving Gia even a moment of grief. I step into the kitchen and pull out my phone, keeping my voice low as I pour water into a glass.
“Matteo,” I say the second he picks up.
“Dante? What’s wrong?”
“Gia has a stalker. He sent her a package to my penthouse. A mutilated doll with a threatening note.” I grip the counter, forcing my voice to stay level. “She’s terrified. I need you and Sofia here. Now.”
“Jesus Christ. We’re on our way.” There’s rustling in the background, Sofia’s voice asking what’s happening.. "Sofia and I will be there in half an hour. Sooner if I speed.”
“Make it twenty.”
“Done. Have you called the cops?”
“Not yet. Want to see what we’re dealing with first.”
“Smart. See you soon, brother.”
I hang up and head back to the living room, sitting down next to Gia. I bring the glass to her lips, but she pushes it away, turning those teary eyes to me. I place the glass on the coffee table and pull her into my arms.
“I didn’t think it was you,” she sniffs into my chest. “I was mad at you for lying to me about being in Europe, but I didn’t really think it was you.” She pulls back to look at me, and I hate the tears that fall. “You wouldn’t hurt me that way, would you?”
“I’d cut my arm off first before I did something like this to you, Gia.”
