Page 42 of Awakening

“You’re right. I didn’t.”

“Are you going to tell me?” he asks, getting two slices of pizza for himself.

“Why would she tell you?” Chloe asks as she takes a bite out of a piece of pizza.

“Do you really want to know?” I ask with a sigh. “I know you instructed your guards to give him a hard time. Why would you do that?”

“Because I don’t like the fucking guy, and I don’t trust him. I haven’t hidden this from you, Liv.”

“I know, but he’s apparently a very large part of my life. I obviously had some big feelings for him, and I’d like to explore that on my own without interference.”

“Very big feelings,” Chloe interjects.

“He’s getting to you. Isn’t he?” Anthony says.

“Getting to me? You mean are we talking and having a nice time together? Then yes, I suppose he is.”

Anthony drops the slice of pizza to his plate after taking a bite, shaking his head. “Be careful, Liv.”

“I am being careful.”

“She doesn’t need to be careful,” Chloe says from across the room as she organizes food in the refrigerator.

“I mean it, Olivia. I’m fucking serious about this. I’m worried about you.”

I put my pizza down and look into the concern in his eyes. “And I’m thankful that you’re here to worry about me, but I promise you, I’m being careful.”

Three loud knocks echo out into the apartment once again. “Your…guest…is here, Ms. Newman,” Marco says from the other side of the door.

I get up from my seat and go to the door, opening it to find not only Ethan, but two additional men standing in the hallway. “Ethan?”

“Hey, baby,” he says, leaning in to tip my chin up, giving me a quick kiss on the lips.

“Who are these men?” I ask, feeling flushed around him already.

“Oh, these are your new security guards,” Ethan says, gesturing to the men as they give a nod in return.

“She doesn’t need new security guards,” Anthony says, crossing his arms.

“Yeah, what the fuck do we look like?” Marco asks.

“Do you really want me to answer that?” Ethan says to Marco while the men he brought with him smirk behind him. Turning his attention to Anthony, he says, “Moretti, you and I need to have a discussion about the security situation.”

“I don’t have to talk to you about anything,” Anthony says.

Ethan glares at him in warning. “I think you fucking do.”

Anthony’s jaw tightens, but he agrees. “Fine. Let’s go down to my apartment,” he says and then turns to me. “I’ll give you some privacy after that, but you know where to find me if you need me.”

“I do,” I say with a nod, “but I’ll be fine.”

“Ben, Damon, Chloe…you all stay here,” Ethan says. “I’ll be right back, beautiful.” He touches my cheek with his thumb before he walks down the hall with Anthony, and they both disappear into his apartment.

Ethan

As soon as Moretti’s apartment door closes, I’ve got him up against the wall and we’re chest to chest. “You’ve got a lot of balls, calling me a liar, you dirty fucking snake.”

“What the fuck are you all worked up about now?”

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