Chapter Twenty-Four
“Do you think you could help me find a bug detector?” Genevieve asked.
“Uh… is there an ant problem in the apartment?” Becca asked.
Genevieve giggled as she finished putting her hair in an intricate bun. “No, I mean like a listening device bug.”
Becca was quiet for a few moments. “Is everything okay, Gen?”
Was everything okay? Gen hadn’t seen Matteo the previous day yet she found herself constantly on her toes, gazing out of the peephole in the hopes she would see him. So much so that she had a cramp in her calves. She shouldn’t want him that much. He was dangerous. The first night in her apartment was proof enough of that fact. She gripped the bathroom counter as she remembered how he’d pushed her against the door like it was nothing. She shook herself off. She had a job to do.
“Gen?”
“Yeah, yeah everything is fine. Just a bit paranoid being back in the city,” Gen explained with a flourish of her wrist as if Becca was in front of her rather than 200 miles away.
“I get that. There’s too many people in Boston.”
“There’s too many people in the Mohave for you,” Gen laughed.
“That’s incredibly true,” Becca agreed. “Heard anything from the Mafia Boss?”
Gen took her time answering. She hadn’t told anyone what Matteo had done the other night or that he was her new neighbor. She knew what anyone without a fucked up mind would think. RUN!
“I haven’t heard from him,” she lied.
“That’s good. Well, I better get to work.”
“Me too,” Gen said. “I have to get to the subway.”
“Good luck today,” Becca said with feigned enthusiasm.
“Thanks,” Gen said with a roll of her eyes.
Gen disconnected the call. As she put on her coat, she glanced out the window. She looked down the street and noticed a familiar suv. She stepped closer to the window just as Leo stepped out of the car. He walked toward the apartment building and Gen groaned. Apparently Matteo hadn’t been joking about her bodyguard being nonnegotiable. She smiled to herself. Luckily she’d planned for such an occasion.
Genevieve shimmied some leggings beneath her dress, put on her most comfortable sneakers, and buttoned down her coat. She flung her backpack over her shoulder and went to one of the windows in the living room. She grunted as she pulled the window up. She threw her leg out over the ledge and stepped onto the fire escape. She held on tight to the railing as she jogged down the metal stairs. Once at the first level she detached the ladder that slid to the sidewalk. As she climbed down she looked into the lobby where she could see Leo talking with the security guard, Hector.
She shoved the ladder back up and sprinted in the direction of the subway station. She glanced down at her phone. She only had three minutes. She jogged down the steps, sidestepping people on their phones, late office-workers in just as much of a hurry as she was, and couples sharing an embrace. She scanned her prepaid card and pushed through the turnstile. She heard someone announce over the intercom that the train was about to depart. She lengthened her stride just as the doors were closing. The door knocked against her shoulder as she pushed her way on.
Genevieve glanced around, expecting weird looks. All she saw though were people disconnecting into their open book, phone, or chosen blank space on the wall. She fell down in her seat. She looked out the window at the platform to see, if by some miracle of God, Leo had managed to follow her. She smiled to herself when she saw nothing suspicious. Then a cup of coffee appeared in front of her face. She turned slowly and then flinched hard when she noticed Leo sitting casually beside her as if he’d been waiting there for twenty minutes.
“Coffee?” he prompted with a slight lift of his hand.
Gen took it carefully. “Thank you…”
“You’re welcome,” he said nonchalantly before flipping open this morning’s newspaper.
“How…” Gen glanced around, thinking maybe there was some kind of portal she’d missed. “How did you get here? I saw you…”
Leo cleared his throat as he flipped to the story he wanted to read. “I feel in circumstances such as these, it’s best to be up front,” he began, his eyes still on the paper. “I’ve been assigned to you for a reason. Everything you’ve tried, I’ve gone through a hundred times with Accardi.”
Gen’s mouth fell open. There was a time Matteo ran from Leo? Leo was Matteo’s bodyguard?
“I figure we have two options. One, you can continue to try to slip by me and I can continue to prove how pointless it is. Or, two,” he said, folding the paper down so he could make eye contact. “You can just trust me when I say you’ll never succeed in shaking me off and we can save ourselves a lot of time and annoyance. What’s it going to be? I get paid either way.” He went back to reading his paper.
Gen looked straight forward at a woman reading a novel. She couldn’t quite read the title but she could tell it was some kind of dark mafia romance with two lovers embracing on the cover. The man beside her was also reading. It was clearly a true crime with lots of caution tape and bloodied hand prints on the cover. Gen sighed and sat back in her seat.
“How long will you have to follow me?” she asked.
“I’m not following you. I’m protecting you.”
“How long?”
“‘Til he says so,” he told her without any hint of doubt.
“Will you…” She looked down at her lap. She heard the paper crinkle, telling her he was looking at her. “Will you have to report to him or something? Do I need to watch what I say?”
After a moment’s silence she glanced up to find him staring straight forward. His large jaw ticked as if he was thinking good and long about his duties. Finally he shook his head decisively before going back to the paper. “No. Not unless what you say or do endangers your life.”
She sighed. “I’m not going to convince him to back off, am I?” she asked, not just referring to the presence of the guard.
“I’m afraid not, Miss Sinclair. You’ve done something to him.”
Gen spent the rest of the subway ride sipping her coffee and analyzing that last sentence. Only Leo coming to his feet alerted her to the fact they’d reached the stop. She staggered out of the train and looked around. From a few feet to her side, Leo gestured forward with his hand.
“How are we supposed to walk? Hand in hand? Like you’re my shadow? You watch from some dark corner?” Gen asked, trying to calm her nerves. It was her first day at a new company afterall. She suddenly felt grateful for her new ally.
Leo didn’t laugh. She looked at him and noticed how his eyes darted around the crowded area, ready to spot any threat.
“Leo?”
“It depends on the situation. I’ll never be far,” he assured her as they stepped out into the street. “I’ll never hold your hand, though. I would like to keep it attached to my arm.”
“He wouldn’t do that… Would he?”
Something like amusement crossed his features. “He would. He has. By the way, I would prefer if you didn’t mention I left my bat with you.”
“Too late.”
“Damn.” He let out a long breath. “Today is going to be a long day then.”
She glanced upward at the intimidating towers surrounding her. She felt Leo’s hand on her shoulder, urging her forward. She walked until they came to a tall skyscraper with glistening windows. Leo’s hand left her shoulder and she looked back. He stood by the curb with his arms crossed.
“You’re not coming in?” she asked, pointing behind her toward the door.
He shook his head. “No, ma’am. I stay out here. Better to see threats coming and going. I’ll be here when you’re done with the work day.”
“Do I call you?” she asked, pulling out her phone to get his number.
He smirked as if he was in on a secret she’d never be privy to. “No. I’ll know.”
“Okay…” she drawled. “See you later then, I guess.”
Leo gave her a parting wave before turning his head left and right to scan the people walking past. Gen shook her head. How was this her life? All because she lost a bet and didn’t want to lose her mother’s ring. She glanced down at the ring, still faithfully on her right hand. She squeezed it for luck, and sent a prayer up to her mother. Then she squared her shoulders and walked inside.