Page 73 of The Devil Can Be Kind

I glanced at the screen and immediately scowled, turning back to my computer. I tried to concentrate on the email I was in the process of writing.

Less than ten seconds later my work phone rang.

“Miss Rossi, I have Don La Torre on line one. Would you like me to patch him through?” Keeley’s now familiar voice called through the handset after I picked up.

“No, thank you Keeley. Please tell him I’m in a meeting.”

I put the phone down and sighed. I had managed to avoid him the entire weekend, and while I knew it was only a matter of time before I had to speak to him, I wasn’t done being a coward yet.

Later, I decided.

I collected myself and got back to the email.

Not two seconds after I began typing, my work phone rang again.

I was fast becoming frustrated with the constant interruptions.

“Keeley, I still don’t want to speak to him. If he wants, he can leave a mes?—"

“I don’t want to leave a message,” came a blunt and all too familiar voice.

My heart spluttered in my chest anxiously.

“I’m busy Marco,” I said flatly. “How did you even get this number?” Noticing that the screen showed it as a direct call.

“You forget who I am. Why are you avoiding me?” He demanded.

“Work’s been busy.” I lied.

“It’s because of Friday.”

I swallowed back the lump forming in my throat. “What? No!” Even I could detect nervousness in my voice.

“Don’t lie to me, Ada. It wasn?—"

“Look, I can’t talk about this right now.” I cut him off,reallynot prepared for this conversation. “I have a deadline at five and a shitload of work to do…”

“Fine.” Marco snapped, clearly annoyed at my tone. “Another time.”

With that he hung up the line and I breathed a sigh of relief.

Thankfully, ‘another time’didn’t come up during the next two days as Marco was apparently not at home.

Jesse kept me company instead, and the topic of mine and Marco’s kiss stayed surreptitiouslyoutof our conversations. Whether that was because he wasn’t aware it had happened or because he didn’t know what to say, I couldn’t tell. Either way I was grateful.

It was now Thursday morning, and I was standing in the kitchen throwing back the last of my warm caramel coffee before heading into work. I collected my handbag from the bar stool and made my way to the entrance hall, just like every other morning since starting at Diamond City Casino.

“Adalyn!”

Jesse’s voice shouted from somewhere in the house just as I started opening the front door.

Anxiety immediately swirled in my stomach at his tone, and I turned on my heel to see him jogging down one of the side corridors, concern lighting his face.

“What’s wrong, Jesse?”

“You’re not going to work today.” He paused, as if measuring his next words as he came to a stop before me. “Something’s happened. I can’t give you the specifics, all right? But it wasn’t good. Everyone will be here soon. Do not leave this house.”

“Jesse I will be fin—” I began.

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