Page 119 of Charity's Redemption

“Thank you, Luca.”

He removed the wig netting from my hair and kissed the top of my head, then walked away, closing the door with a quiet snick.

Luca was proud of me. I’d accomplished what needed to be done.

But there was still the matter of Elias. What do we do with him? Does he just walk away now that I’ve done what he wanted?

I only had my hopes that he’d disappear from our lives, and I never had to hear the name Elias Hernandez again.

The images in my mind rolled in like waves from a restless tide, pulling me into a fitful sleep.

My thumbs moved overmy phone, typing out a message, then hit the send button, snickering

“What are you doing that has you gleaming like a kid that stole from the store?” Nico asked.

I turned my gaze to Nico, admiring his bare torso and the v-shaped muscle that disappeared beneath the sheets.

“Nothing.” I gave a lopsided shrug with my good shoulder and smirked while hiding my screen from his view.

My phone pinged again, and I turned my screen away so Nico couldn’t glimpse the demands.

Luca: Anything else, your highness?

Me: Now that you mention it…

I pulled my phone to my chest once more as Nico leaned over to see my messages.

“Hey now. Who invited you into this conversation?”

“My curiosity.”

“Weren’t you the one that said curiosity was a curse?”

Nico cleared his throat and nodded. “What are you doing to him?”

“Nothing.” I shook my hair out of my face. “He offered to make me breakfast in bed. So I’m ordering the entire menu. I’m starved.”

“You better eat all of it.”

“Yes, sir,” I said in a mocking tone.

Luca: Are you going to finish that?

Me: Nevermind. Your brother is a party popper.

Luca: Party pooper.

Me: Stupid auto correct…

Luca: Autocorrect…

I ended the conversation with a middle finger emoji, then dropped my phone onto my chest.

“How are you feeling?”

Not only was I worried for Max, but now I felt I could’ve scarred Nico with such a vicious kill. But he’d seen me torture before… so surely he couldn’t be that traumatized.

“I should ask you that,” Nico said, placing his papers on his lap.

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