Page 31 of Temptation and Tyranny

“Goodnight, Allegra,” he replied, his voice following me down the hall.

As I closed my bedroom door to get changed for bed, I leaned against it, my heart pounding. What the hell was I getting myself into?

Chapter Eleven

Cooper

The first rays of sunlight filtered through the unfamiliar curtains, rousing me from a fitful sleep. For a moment, I was disoriented, the events of the previous night a blur. Then the pain in my shoulder hit me, and everything came rushing back. The hostility from Viktor, the shootout, and...Allegra.

I sat up slowly, wincing at the stiffness in my muscles. The apartment was silent, so I quietly crept down the hall. Her bedroom door was open. I was surprised she hadn’t closed it with me here, but then I saw the white ball of fluff curled up with her and realized her cat needed to be able to come and go. I’d already spotted a litter box in the bathroom.

I stood at her door, getting a glimpse into her life like an unwelcome voyeur. I watched her sleep, listening to her soft breathing. She was covered from head to toe underneath a soft down comforter, and I had the strangest urge to crawl in and join her. Her bed looked so inviting, with the white crisp sheets and her silent slumbering body…I closed my eyes, dismissing my unusual thoughts.

I was glad she was still asleep. She deserved the rest after everything I’d put her through last night.

Tearing my gaze away from her beautiful form, I carefully made my way to the kitchen, determined todo something to repay her kindness. Breakfast seemed like a good start. I rummaged through her cupboards, finding enough ingredients to throw together some instant pancakes and scrambled eggs. It was the best I could do one-handed and with the limited amount of groceries she had.

As I worked, my mind wandered to the night before. The feeling of Allegra’s hands on my skin as she tended my wounds, the way her eyes had locked with mine, the almost-kiss...I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. I was in no position to be thinking about Allegra that way. My life was too dangerous, too complicated. She deserved better.

The sizzle of pancakes on the griddle filled the kitchen with a comforting aroma. I was just plating the food when I heard movement behind me.

“Something smells good.” Allegra’s sleep-roughened voice sent a shiver down my spine.

I turned, a smile automatically forming on my lips. She stood in the doorway, hair tousled from sleep, wearing an oversized tee-shirt that barely reached mid-thigh. The sight made my breath catch.

“Good morning,” I managed, gesturing to the plates. “I hope you don’t mind. I wanted to thank you for last night.”

“This is...unexpectedly sweet. Thank you.”

We settled at her small kitchen table, the domesticity of the scene at odds with the tension still lingering between us. Allegra took a bite of a pancake and let out a small moan of appreciation that did things to me I didn’t want to examine too closely.

“These are amazing,” she said. “I didn’t know you could cook.”

I shrugged, and then instantly regretted the small movement. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me.”

As soon as the words left my mouth, I wished I hadn’t spoken them. Allegra’s expression dampened, and she set down her fork.

“You’re right,” she said quietly. “There is a lot I don’t know.”

I sighed, pushing my plate away. “Allegra, it’s complicated. The less you know, the safer you’ll be.”

She fixed me with a determined stare. “I think it’s a little late for that, don’t you? I pulled a damn bullet out of you last night, Cooper. Most importantly, I need to know I’m safe.”

She was right, of course. But how could I explain my world to her without putting her in even more danger? Or worse, making her see me as the true criminal I was?

“You’re right,” I conceded again. “I owe you an apology. But the more involved you get—”

Allegra nodded, her face a mixture of apprehension and curiosity. “The more danger I’m in.”

I took a deep breath, choosing my words carefully. “The people I deal with, they’re not just petty criminals. They’re powerful, dangerous. And sometimes, deals go wrong.”

Allegra’s eyes widened as the fear hit her. “Like last night?”

I nodded grimly. “Exactly like last night. I was meeting with a...business associate. Things got heated, and then we were ambushed. I still don’t know who was behind it.”

Allegra was quiet for a moment, processing.Then she asked the question I’d been dreading. “And Tomas? Was his arrest part of your…business?”

I felt my jaw clench at the mention of that bastard’s name. I realized instantly how clever and perceptive Allegra was. She knew I’d done it, and she wanted me to admit I’d done it for her. She’d backed me into a corner I didn’t want to be in. I tried to talk my way out of her hidden accusation. “Not exactly. That was...personal.”

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