Page 44 of Charity's Redemption

His boisterous laugh clashed with the tensions surrounding us as he exited my home. Pooch and I glared at one another, his eyes giving away his thoughts of dismembering me… or was that my thoughts?

Yeah, they were mine.

I wanted to tear him limb from limb and listen to him scream while his blood sprayed over me in a warm bath.

Another opportunity lost as I watched them walk down my driveway. Again, how easy it would be to blow their brains all over the cement drive. But then, I would need to explain why two cartel members were at my home, and why I was a coward who shot them in the backs.

Four days… I’d counted down the days the moment he’d given me the ultimatum, but when he said those words, my world drew close around me, suffocating me with its count down.

*Tick Tock, Charity.

I shut the door and sank to the floor.

Fuck.

Realization crept in as the danger dissipated. That was too close. I squeezed my eyes shut and placed the heel of my palms against them. I may be twenty-four, but my life had passed before my eyes way too many times for my age.

My phone vibrated, pulling me out of my ‘woe is me’ moment. I kept my knees to my chest and pulled it from my back pocket, glancing at the lock screen, and groaned.

Luca: Where are you? We need to talk. Now!

Goddammit. No rest for the wicked.

There was no hiding from him. And even if I did, it would only make matters worse. Thanks, Max, this doesn’t look like you’ve taken care of the problem at all.

Cannoli padded over with his heavy body thumping against the wood, then bounced his head against my leg and plopped to the ground, purring.

“I don’t exactly want to love on you right now. You accepted him into our house.” I laid my hand on his head and scratched him between the ears, giving into his irresistible charm. “I bet if you’d had hands, you would’ve made him coffee.”

He meowed and rolled over my hand, trapping it beneath his behemoth-sized body. “I’m putting you on a diet.”

My phone buzzed again. Cannoli’s needy behavior forced me to use one hand to glance at my phone.

Luca: …

My phone rang, but this time his handsome face crossed my screen. I pulled in a deep breath, filling my lungs until they hurt. Moving my thumb over the screen, I tapped the green answer button, but nothing happened. My screen flashed white, then nothing.

I sat up straight, pulling my hand hard from beneath Cannoli to help hold my phone. I pressed it to my ear.

“Hello?”

Nothing but dead air and empty space. I glanced back at the screen, pressing the power button, but nothing happened.

Dammit. Luca was for sure going to kill me now.

I banged my head against the door I leaned against and groaned. “I’m screwed, Cannoli. He’ll never see reason now that he thinks I’m ignoring him.”

Of course, the first text I ignored. Sort of. I didn’t exactly have time to respond before my mind started playing the worst-case scenario.

Giving Cannoli one more scratch on his head, I bound to my feet and into the kitchen. I still needed to feed the furry beast, then I should probably check on the shop since Nico asked them to open and close it after my minor mishap with the cocaine. These people were a godsend.

I cracked open a wet can, dumped it into his dish, and then plopped it on the ground. “Never say I don’t love you.”

If he could speak, the only thing that came from his mouth would be, ‘pet me,’ or ‘I’m hungry.’ He wasn’t that complicated of a creature.

Luca, on the other hand…

I glanced back at my phone, hoping it miraculously powered back up, but to no avail. Walking into my bedroom, I plugged it in at my bedside, and still nothing. I plopped onto my bed, throwing myself back onto the mattress with a groan.

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