Page 69 of Sexted By a Stranger
"Yes, sir."
I jabbed my finger hard at several red-circled areas on the map. "Lennox, use every ear you've got. Dig deep. Where the hell is Connor hiding? He can't just vanish into thin air. Double the bounty—anyone who provides useful intel gets paid."
"Already on it, Boss." Lennox's eyes turned sharp. "Money talks. There's always some mole willing to take a risk for the right price."
I nodded. "Go. Any new information, tell me immediately."
Both men silently retreated, gently closing the office door behind them.
I forced myself to focus on business, but my gaze kept drifting toward Sheila's position.
She was reading a thick book, taking notes seriously.
It was one I'd specifically had Lennox acquire for her.
When she received the book, she still thanked me respectfully.
I closed my eyes.
I remembered Sheila curled up on the sofa in her white nightgown, reading; the gentle movement of her throat when she looked up to drink the warm water I handed her; her hazy eyes when she bloomed beneath me; the pain in her expression when she looked at my wounds; all that tender, considerate care she'd given me…
These images surfaced uncontrollably, crystal clear, intertwined with her red, accusatory eyes and her resolute back as she pulled away from me.
I'd never been so acutely aware that I was the one who'd brought Sheila pain, that I might lose her forever.
I was the source of her fear, the root of her suffering.
Leave all this behind?
Take her and our future child and completely escape this whirlpool soaked in blood and scheming?
The thought was absurd, yet incredibly tempting.
But if I did that, how would Soprano survive? The tangled web of grudges, the lurking enemies, all those people who depended on me, who followed me…
Once we were far from all this, could we really reach that peaceful harbor? I couldn't be sure.
I was wrong.
I shouldn't have been so presumptuous, hiding everything from her, building walls with lies. Instead, I'd only intensified her fear, pushing her further away.
My stellina had never been a hothouse flower. She was resilient, stubborn, brave enough to face any storm head-on.
Maybe if I'd been honest about everything from the start, we could have faced it all together.
Regret and helplessness drowned me.
I covered my face with my hands, as if that could block out the gnawing pain in my chest.
No.
I couldn't keep waiting passively like this.
This waiting was a coward's way of leaving choices to fate.
I couldn't bear to lose her.
I had to find a way out.
