Page 117 of King Of Order

Now, Aldo’s fears were latching onto mine, feeding the dark corner of my mind that I had always wondered.

‘He’s dangerous, Chiara,’ Aldo repeated. ‘I’m telling you this because I care. Please be careful. Don’t let your guard down.’

I swallowed hard, the tension in my chest so tight it hurt. ‘I’ll handle it, Aldo. I’ll manage him.’

‘Fine. Just stay safe, OK? Resist any effort to drag you down into something you can’t escape.’

I nodded, even though he couldn’t see it, too shaken to say much else. ‘I will.’

The call ended, and I stood shaking, a shard of ice working its way down my spine.

My bread making lay abandoned, the kitchen now unexpectedly cold. I couldn’t shake the unease twisting through me, the doubts clawing at the back of my consciousness.

I shook hard, trembling on the inside, sensing I was unprepared for what was to come.

My limbs trembled as I stared at the door in the kitchen.

My pulse raced in my ears, drowning out everything except my breathing. Aldo’s words replayed in my mind, each a hammer blow to the fragile wall of safety I’d built around myself. I’d trusted Rio.

I’d needed to trust him.

Now, I wasn’t sure about who he was or his intentions.

He’s dangerous, Chiara. You don’t even grasp who he really is.

Aldo’s warnings whispered relentlessly in my thoughts, feeding the gnawing fear spreading like wildfire through my chest.

My knees weakened, and all of a sudden, the walls of the house—the house I felt safe in—seemed to close in on me.

I couldn’t stay here.

Perhaps I was best off with Aldo or Lucia until I discovered the truth.

Without thinking, I wiped my flour-covered hands on my apron.

I washed and rotated to Mauri, who had been watching me all along. His gaze amused, and his arms crossed his broad torso.

‘I need a wash.’

‘Not finishing off your bread?’ He drawled.

‘It needs to rise,’ I stammered, throwing the dough into a tray and sliding it into the proofing oven at the bottom of my cooker.

His eyes never left me as I rushed through the kitchen and ran upstairs.

Once in my room, I went to the bathroom and turned on the shower. Then, I returned to the primary chamber, pacing, thinking, and wringing my hands.

Fuck, what was I supposed to do?

Lucia,I told myself, pouncing on the idea.I’ll bunk with Lucia.

At least until I had a better concept of what the hell was going on.

I wore jeans, a tee, and a jacket and slid my feet into mid-tier heels. I also packed enough clothes for an overnight stay, took some money from my cash safe, and shoved it into my purse.

With it in one hand and my overnight pack in the other, I crept below toward my front door, my heart hammering in my chest.

I had to get out, clear my head, and figure out what was real and what was just paranoia.

---