“Your mother asked me to protect you. I won’t be the one to tell her I failed. Whoever is coming over, you tell them whatever you want to tell them, but I’m not leaving.”
“It’s my son.” I yank my hands from his grip before I lose all self-control and succumb to any more of his demands.
A car rolls up to the curb. Helena tilts her sunglasses as she takes in the scene.
“At least put a bloody shirt on.” I tiptoe over the lawn, making sure I don’t tread on any more of the cuttings.
16
ROSE
Angelos climbs out of the car, throwing a backpack over his shoulder, his friend Charlie right behind him. Usually he’d run into my arms, but I can see he’s trying to act cool in front of his friend. “Sup, bruh.”
“I’m your mother. Not bruh.” I ruffle his hair and kiss his head despite his protest as he shrugs away from me. “I have your favourite sweets in the cupboard.”
“Muuum, I’m almost a teenager.”
“Can you not eat sweets when you’re a teenager?”
Helena walks up the drive, nearly tripping in her heels as she peers over her sunglasses at Dan.
He strides over to us, tugging a white t-shirt over his deliciously inked torso that’s like a work of art sculpted by the great Italian Renaissance artists. “Did someone say sweets?”
“Who are you?” Angelos asks, staring up at him with a frown.
My heart beats in my neck, and my stomach flips as if I’m in the air about to nosedive into the Mediterranean sea. I’m trained in emergency situations. But I’m not prepared for this.
Helena steps in front of Angelos. “Hi, I’m Helena.” She holds out her hand.
Dan caresses it and brings it to his lips. “Pleasure.” His eyes flick to mine, twinkling with a smile. “I’m Grace’s gardener. Hasn’t she mentioned me before?”
Arsehole.
Helena narrows her eyes at me. “No, she hasn’t. I can see why she wouldn’t want to share you. You’re very good at what you do, aren’t you?”
Dan chuckles. “The best in the business.”
Angelos crosses his arms. “Mum, since when do we have a gardener?” He studies Dan. “You look like my uncle.”
I wince, knowing that’s impossible, but can’t help but notice the resemblance too. Angelos always looked more like Elio than he did me, but I figured it’s because he’s another male in the Conti family. Thankfully, skipping the harsh features from my father. “Take Charlie inside. The sweets are in the kitchen.”
Helena raises an eyebrow, biting back a smirk. “So, Grace, how long have you had a gardener?”
Dan scratches the back of his neck. “Specialist service. Grace has a very demanding bush—takes an expert to handle it.”
I choke on my own breath, my cheeks on fire.
“What kind of services does a specialist gardener do?” Helena stares at me over her sunglasses, her eyes wide like saucers.
“Trimming, pruning. Grace keeps me on my toes.”
I’ll step on his bloody toes in a minute.
“All right, let’s go inside. Dan needs to get back to work.” I wave my hand, gesturing Helena down the drive and into the house. “He’s meant to be working, not flirting.” I turn my head back to him and glare as I walk towards my front door. “Weeds need to be dealt with.”
“I’m working on the weeds, don’t worry,” Dan says, full of laughter, his nose scrunching in that irritating way.
I don’t dare look back in case I decide to murder him after all.
