Nero (Alliance #1)

“Go to sleep, Baby.”

My breath leaves me on a sigh. “Goodnight, Nero.”

CHAPTER43

Nero

It takesevery ounce of self-control to keep still as Payton falls asleep against me.

There’s so much rage flowing through me.

Rage and regret, because I regret Arthur’s quick death more than I regret any other sin I’ve ever committed.

I should’ve let her watch. Should’ve let her spit in his face as he gasped for his last breath.

The file King got me on Arthur showed most of his friends as deceased. And that piece of shit Bobby, better hope he’s fucking dead already.

Pressing my nose to her hair, I do feel a slight sense of achievement over burning the house down, wiping it from existence.

Payton shifts in her sleep, burrowing further into my side.

I need to do right by her.

But that means keeping her away from my world, and away from me.

It’s what she deserves.

CHAPTER44

Payton

I knowI’m alone before I open my eyes.

There’s a particular feeling a room has when it’s empty. And now that I’ve experienced Nero in my apartment a few times, I can hardly believe I didn’t feel his presence that night I left the door open for him.

Rolling onto my stomach, I press my nose into the mattress, inhaling. But all I can smell is the leftover scent of my rose body wash.If he’s gonna shower here on a regular basis, I need him to bring his own soap.There’s something about the way Nero leaves no trace of himself behind that makes me feel a little crazy. Makes that tiny voice in my head question whether he does really exist. That maybe I’m still a virgin, and I’m losing my mind, not falling in love.

I scoff out loud and shove myself up and out of bed.

Falling in love.

No,thatwould be insanity.

I can’t possibly be falling in love with him already.

Rubbing sleep from my eyes, I shuffle a path to the coffee maker, only half paying attention as I measure out the water and grounds.

It’s all just so weird. Because I feel like I understand Nero, even if I don’t understand the details of his life. I mean, he basically admitted to being a mobster last night. But does that mean the same thing to everyone? Like is he a part of the actual mob? Like the stuff in movies. With guns and rivals and cops.

Considering he talked about hisenemiesand there were cop cars searching for him the night we met…

While the coffee trickles into the pot, I unlock my phone, open my browser, and typeNero Securityinto the search. He said it was the name of his company, and sure enough my screen populates with results forNero’s Security Company.

The second link from the top is the company’s official website, so I click on it.

I’ve never looked at a security website before, but this seems pretty standard. And I’m not surprised that the color scheme is black with shades of gray. But when I click on theAbout Ustab, there are no photos of any of the personnel, and no details about the owner. It just talks about the basics. Founded fifteen years ago. Offices in eight states. Top awards for industry stuff I don’t understand.

I go back to the browser and type inOwner of Nero’s Security Company Minneapolisand some new results pop up on my screen. I click on one that sounds like a news site and see my first photo of Nero. He’s in a suit, a serious expression on his face, standing in front of a brick building, shaking hands with… the mayor.