Page 10 of Temptation and Tyranny

“I can’t believe that German guy just left you there. What a coward!”

“Yeah,” I sighed, sinking deeper into my couch. “But Cooper Moreau showed up just in time.”

“Lucky coincidence, huh?” Joanna’s tone was teasing again.

“It’s not like that,” I protested, though I could feel my cheeks burning. “He was just in the right place at the right time.”

“Mhm,” Joanna hummed, clearly unconvinced. “And then he drove you home and walked you to your door? Sounds pretty knight-in-shining-armor to me.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “More like knight-in-a-luxury-car. You should have seen this thing, Jo. It was over the top ridiculous, but…gorgeous.”

“I bet his car wasn’t the only gorgeous thing you were looking at,” Joanna quipped.

“Jo!” I exclaimed, but I was smiling despite myself. After the horrifying ordeal I’d been through, Joanna’s easy conversation and lighthearted remarks helped to calm me. “He’s my patient. It’s not appropriate. Period.”

“Patient, smatient. He just saved you from your crazy ex. Lines are already blurred. I’d say that changes things a bit, don’t you?”

I bit my lip, considering her words for just a split second. “You know I don’t do that. It would be against everything I stand for, not to mention, incredibly complicated.”

“Life’s complicated, Allegra. Doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it a little.” There was a pause, and I could hear the club music in the background fade as Joanna presumably stepped farther outside. “Seriously though,Al. Are you sure you’re okay? I can come over and spend the night.”

I took a deep breath, considering her offer. Part of me wanted the company, but another part just wanted to process everything that had happened and then crash. “I’m okay, really. I think I just need some sleep.”

“Alright,” Joanna said, though she sounded hesitant. “But promise me you’ll call if you need anything, I can always cancel your patients in the morning if needed. Oh—and we’re definitely discussing this Cooper situation over lunch tomorrow.”

I laughed. “Deal. Thanks, Jo. Have a good night.”

“You too, sweetie. Stay safe.”

As I ended the call, my attention drifted back to the window again, looking at the spot where Cooper’s car had been. The street was quiet and empty, and I found myself wishing he was still out there. I wasn’t a woman who needed a man around, but right now, I wouldn’t have minded it.

I tried to clear my thoughts. It had been a long, eventful night, and I was overthinking things. Cooper was my patient, nothing more. The fact that he’d shown up when I needed help was just a lucky coincidence.

Still, as I climbed into bed, Bianca curled up next to me, I couldn’t quite shake the memory of his confident stance in the alley, or the way his eyes had locked with mine outside the elevator. He seemed…different to me tonight, almost like he was another person. Someone dark and intense…and I didn’t know why that was even remotely appealing to me. I felt like there was more to his line of work than he had let on, and there was a touch of danger surrounding him. After living with the consequences of my father’s lifestyle, I shouldn’t want anything to do with anyone like that.

“Get it together, Allegra,” I muttered to myself. But even as I drifted off to sleep, my mind kept wandering back to Cooper Moreau and the mysteries that seemed to surround him.

My hand reached out, feeling around for my phone on the dresser. Groggily, I grabbed it, shielding my face from the harsh glow as I deciphered the incoming number. It was Joanna.

“Hello?” I mumbled, still half-asleep. I had tossed and turned all night, unable to relax. Every noise I’d heard left me frightened to my very core. Bianca had finally gotten so annoyed by my restlessness that she’d moved to the chair in my bedroom. I could just make out her shape in the dark of my room, lazily lounging on a pile of clothes I’d thrown on the chair.

“Al, turn on the news right now!” Joanna’s voice was a mix of shock and disbelief.

Confused, I fumbled for the remote and turned on the small TV in the corner of my bedroom. As the image came into focus, I froze, suddenly jolted wide awake.

There, on the screen, was Tomas. He was being led into the police station in handcuffs, looking disheveled and angry. He had a bloody lip, a black eye and a gash on his forehead that I hadn’t remembered seeing last night. The headline scrolling across the bottom of the screen read: “Local Man Arrested for Assault and Drug Possession.”

“Oh my god,” I breathed, sitting up straight in bed.

“I know, right?” Joanna exclaimed. “They’re saying he was picked up late last night. Apparently, someone called in an anonymous tip about him threatening a woman outside a club. When the police searched him, they found a substantial amount of cocaine.”

My mind was reeling. “But...his father’s connections...How is this possible?”

“That’s the crazy part,” Joanna continued. “The reporter mentioned that the arrest was ordered directly by the police commissioner, bypassing the usual channels. They’re treating it as a high-priority case.”

I listened, stunned into silence as Joanna rattled off more details from the news report. My thoughts kept drifting back to last night, to Cooper’s calm confidence in the face of Tomas’s threats.

“Al? Are you still there?” Joanna’s voice snapped me back to the present.

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