Page 146 of SINS & Riley
Her voice is timid, but something about it tugs at me. Familiar.
“Hi, I’m Layla.”
I lift my eyes to her face and—oh, my God. Even under a stylish blonde wig, I know her.
“Mila?” Shit. What had Sabine told me? Her name. She'll introduce herself with her new name. “I mean…Layla.”
Her smile spreads so wide it nearly splits her face. “And you are?”
“Pom.”
Suddenly, I realize we're both here. Nervously, I glance around, scanning for threats, people out of place—anything.
But everything looks… fine.
Boris has parked himself in the automotive section, sprawled on a leather chair like he’s settling in for story hour.
I hug her tight, relief crashing through me. “I was so worried.”
“Me too. But Sabine told me you were doing really well.”
My voice drops low. “Sabine is here?”
She nods, excitement bubbling. “We arrived this morning. She said she was coming to Chicago, and I begged and begged to come see you. But I can’t stay long.”
I take the friendship bracelet from around my wrist and put it on hers. “Then we'll make the most of it.”
We drift outside, taking seats at a cafe table, catching up like no time has passed—like we both didn’t just survive the horror show of Declan Keenan’s auction.
Boris has moved so he can watch us through the glass. Kind enough to give us privacy, but watching nonetheless.
Sitting across from her, it’s impossible not to stare. Zver got Mila to safety the moment he bought her, and he kept his word.
For the first time, the fragile trust between us grips tight, threading roots that bury themselves ten feet deep.
“And what have you been up to?” she asks.
I want to laugh and say, Oh, you know. Falling for my captor. Starting a family.
Instead, I take my time sipping my coffee, hot and drowning under a mountain of whipped cream. Then I give her the only answer that feels true.
“Making plans for the future.”
She smiles at that, nibbling the edge of a biscotti, crumbs catching at the corner of her mouth.
I study her across the table, relief warring with nerves. “So… you live in Tuscany. What do you do there?”
“I mostly help others. It’s a different life. A better life. One with more purpose than I could've imagined.”
Her eyes flicker, shadows passing through them. She stirs her coffee absently, cream swirling across the surface.
“One woman came in and she was so bad off. Thin. Frail. I poured so much of myself into helping her around the clock. But, her condition was really getting to me. Sabine insisted I needed a break.”
“Wow. And you’ve been taking care of her?”
“Since she arrived. It’s only been a few days, but it’s taking a toll. The thought we might lose her terrifies me.”
A few days? Tuscany? “Elena.” The name leaves my lips before I can stop them.
