Page 9 of The Hitman's Rose

Chapter Five

Rosaline

When Giovanni said that Ademaro would escort me on my outings, I didn’t realize he meant Ademaro with an entire Army. We were ten deep insideStarbucks. We got so many looks but I was hellbound and determined to enjoy a hot cup of coffee as I read my book.

“Is it good?” Ademaro asks quietly. He’s seated across from me and hasn’t said two words to me since we left the compound.

“It is,” I reply, looking at him over the top of my book. “I was beginning to think you only talked inside the house.”

He chuckles and shakes his head.

“I was letting you enjoy your drink and book.” He points at both. “But the silence got to me.”

“Sorry,” I giggle, closing my book and putting it inside my purse.

“Oh. I didn’t mean to make you stop reading.”

“It’s okay. I’m curious more about you anyway.”

“Oh. Why’s that?” he asks with his head tilted slightly. He looks amused by my confession. I know I should feel like an idiot for admitting it to him, but it’s the truth.

I tossed and turned all night thinking about him. He teased me in my dreams. And when I woke, he was there dressed in a black suit, smiling, and whisking me away from my cage.

“Well?” he prompts, laughing.

“Sorry. My thoughts tend to get the best of me,” I admit faintly.

“Happens to all of us,” he assures me with a smile.

“Do you want a coffee or something?”

“No. I’m good,” he shakes his head. “I don’t usually eat or drink while on the clock.”

“Oh.”

His use ofon the clockbreaks my heart. I was stupid to think we could interact on a personal level. He’s Giovanni’s hired gun.Thehired gun. The one who gets called to complete a job. And today he’s babysitting me.

“Rosaline,” he whispers. I hadn’t realized my eyes had lowered to the table. I lift my gaze to his. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

“You didn’t,” I reply, holding back the sadness in my voice.

“I can tell by your eyes that you’re not being honest, Rosaline,” he smiles remorsefully then leans in closer to me. “I hear you spend lots of time in the garden.”

“I do,” I nod.

“Maybe later, we can have coffee in the garden,” he whispers. His eyes look around the room at the others, who are also there to babysit me.

“If you’d like,” he says, staring at me with hope-filled eyes. “It’s up to you.”

“You can drink coffee at night and it doesn’t keep you up?”

“Oh, it will,” he laughs. “But it’s worth it if we get to talk.”

Ladies’ man,I giggle to myself. Damn his good looks and charm.

“Won’t you get in trouble with Giovanni?” I ask. His shoulders tense and he frowns. He clearly hadn’t thought things through on how the rendezvous in the garden was going to happen.

“Ah. You forgot about him,” I grin.

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