“Are you listening to me?”
Autumn gave Hererra a sidelong glance. “Gee, Dad, I think you just about covered it.” She gave in to the childish urge and sent him a major eye roll.
“If you were my daughter, your ass would be red.” Hererra fumed, his lips pursed in a thin line. “And yet here we are going to Scala’s fuck pad.”
Autumn shook her head. “What is wrong with you? I’m fine, Hererra. No bullets.” She pulled on her clothes to show there were no holes in her clothing. “Scala made sure they did not hurt me.”
“Not yet,” Hererra raged. “What about the next time? Did you think about that?”
Lydia Esposito’s voice echoed in her mind.“You should bring her to Luna, where she can protect her.”
“There won’t be a next time.”
“How can you predict that? Are you going somewhere safer?”
“How’s Dune?” She had to distract her partner from the way he was thinking. If the man were her family member, he would wrap her in cotton and never let her out of his sight. Come to think of it, that’s the same thing her father did when she was younger.
Until she ran away after high school. And found herself in the mess she’s in right now.
“Turning my couch into a fucking scratching post.” Hererra continued with his dark scowl as he drove. “I swear that damn cat eats half a bag of food a day.”
“I cook his meals.”
Hererra turned to her, his eyebrow raised. “You actually cook his dinner?” He shook his head. “Damn, you spoil that fricking monster.”
“I’m giving him his best life.”
“Hopefully, you live long enough to live yours.”
Autumn sighed. Nothing she said was going to change his mind about Nico Scala.
Both of them were quiet as he finally drove into Chelsea. Autumn admired the architecture of the buildings they passed. Then they were near Scala’s building.
Autumn took her seatbelt off and her hand on the door when Hererra said, “I’m sorry, Autumn. I’m just worried. I start yelling when someone I care about is stubborn.”
“Oh, how sweet,” Autumn turned to him with a sugary sweet smile. “I always knew you had a teddy bear's heart.”
Hererra grunted in response. “I just wish you would reconsider…” At Autumn’s pointed look, he cleared his throat. “Anyway, make sure you check your email. I got something you might want to see.”
Autumn gave a quick smile and squeezed his shoulder. “Thanks Ben.”
“Don’t forget about that IOU, Taylor. I’ll make sure to cash in on it.”
Autumn shook her head and waved him off. He didn’t leave, though. Autumn heaved another sigh and thanked the doorman when she walked into the building.
“Ms. Taylor!” Autumn turned to a short, round gentleman behind the desk. He shuffled over to her with a keycard in his hand. “Mr. Scala called and asked me to bring you to the condo since he forgot to give you his key.”
Gee, I can’t imagine why,she mused to herself.
“Thank you, Mr…” she glanced at his nametag, “Eriksson.”
Eriksson gave her a tight-lipped smile and proceeded to the private elevator. The little man whistled what Autumn thought was Mozart’s “Hallelujah Chorus.”
“Ah, here we are.” Eriksson opened the elevator and brought her to Scala’s door. He opened things up and gestured her inside. “If you need anything, just call down to the concierge.”
“Thank you, Mr. Eriksson.”
“You’re quite welcome, Ms. Taylor.” The little man closed the door, and Autumn glanced at the door before she walked further into the room.
