Chapter 0008

BELLA

“Going there tomorrow wouldn’t be wise,” Cole said, scratching his head as he dropped on the couch.

“I know. The way the man was staring at me was so unnerving.”

“What about the man you knocked out? He didn’t see your face, did he?” I shook my head. His eyes grew enormous as if he had remembered something important. “Where’s the pass?”

“Um...” The aftermath of my situation rewound in my head. I had returned to the alleyway to put the pass back where I had found it and move the man near the back door. “I gave it back.”

I got up, pushed the loose strands of my hair behind my ears, and looked for my slippers. The apartment we had moved into was a lot bigger than the one I shared with Harley. The company covered all the expenses, which was mostly good for us.

Shoving my hands into the pocket of my loose shorts, I left the apartment and walked straight into the cafe across the street. Since we’d arrived here two days ago, I’d been coming twice a day to this place, just to drink Claudia’s latte. What she put in it was an addictive secret.

Claudia came in through the side door at the dinging sound of the doorbell and smiled as her eyes met mine. “Should I apologise for the damage I’m causing you?”

I nodded. “You should. I’m obsessed, and you have to undo whatever you’ve done.”

“Undoing it is impossible.” She grinned. “But I know what can compensate. A latte with a croissant?” Seeing my smile, she asked, “Do you mind waiting for a bit? My son’s home and he can’t even find his own underwear, let alone a wallet.”

“Sure, no problem.”

I sighed with relief, took a seat near the glass windows, and looked out. Today was my only chance to catch Adonis Vitale because we couldn’t risk going back to the same place again.

Adonis Vitale was harder to find than any target I had ever worked on, mostly because of the little information he had out there. I knew a lot about staying out of the radar, but to dig information on people like him was like deliberately baiting the wolf.

“Excuse me?” A warm, raspy voice called, pulling me out of my thoughts, and I turned to look. Across my table stood a tall, muscled figure with sharp eyes, his lips bent into an inviting smile. “Do I know you?”

Tilting my head to the side, I said, “I don’t think so.”

“Really? It’s just that you remind me of an old acquaintance. The resemblance is too uncanny.”

It was impossible to look away from his sparkling eyes, looking down at me with an intensity quite nerve-wracking.

He was over six feet tall with an oblong facial structure and a sharp jawline, and his black hair pushed back. There was also a small scar on his right cheekbone, above that slight stubble covering his jaw and chin. His white t-shirt was tight around his shoulders, his sleeves folded, and the dark blue denim pants fitted his thick thighs perfectly.

What the hell was going on? It seemed like I had become a magnet for hot guys recently. First James, who wasn’t really that bad looking. It was his personality that didn’t give off the right vibe. Then Eros, with a rather free aura. And now, this stranger before me, who was way up on the hot radar.

“Let me guess. I look like an ex you can’t forget?” His jaw tightened, and I scoffed, “Yeah, I usually get that a lot, which is innovative and all, but women don’t actually like to remind guys of their exes. So, the compliment’s not flattering at all.”

He choked on air and stifled his laugh. “Pardon me. I’m quite rusty in the field of flirting, you see.” He fisted his hands by the sides of his pants before shoving them in his pockets. His eyes wandered around the cafe and his jaw constantly twitched. “Mind if I sit down?”

Uncertainty laced his voice as if he wasn’t sure if he should. “It’s a free country.”

“Are you sure I haven’t seen you before?” he asked again.

“I’m sure. I would’ve remembered your face if I had.”

“Was that a compliment?”

I shook my head. “More like a compliment to me. I’m excellent with faces and I don’t recognise you.”

“You’re right. People don’t usually forget me.” He leaned in. “Tell you what. I think I remember where I saw you.”

His words sent shivers down my spine. I had partaken in at least twenty missions in the past six years and ruined more people than I could count by hand. The thought of coming across someone from that part of my life scared me.

“Raffy’s,” he declared. “We may not have met before, but that’s where I saw you. Today.”

I straightened, the hairs on my skin rising. “Raffy’s?” I had to stick with the plan. Whoever this man was, couldn’t know the truth. “You mean that awful club around the corner?”

“Yes, that restricted club.” The restraint in his voice unnerved me.

“My friend and I went out for some drinks and she pulled me into that club. There was this man who invited us in. My friend was too persistent and then she ditched me to go hook up with him.” I sat back and exhaled. “Honestly, that place wasn’t for me.”

“No, it wasn’t,” he said.

I arched a brow and asked, “Were you there?”

“I was.”

The silhouette, my mind shot at me. The man’s broad shoulders, height, everything matched with the silhouette that was watching me in the club, shooting bullets through his eyes.

My breath hitched as my gaze landed on the ink on his right hand as he propped it on the table—the skull, the dried rose petals, and the crown.

Fuck me. The man before me was none other than Adonis fucking Vitale.

***

ADONIS

I usually minded my own fucking business. I seldom paused to take a look at what was going on around me like I gave a fuck. But today when I walked into Claudia’s cafe, I couldn’t move. She was right here, inches away from me. I had definitely expected to see her around, which was the reason I had rushed here from Raffy’s at this hour.

The version of her I had seen back at the club differed completely from the one sitting here. She looked much more comfortable in her loose clothing and tied up hair.

Her beautiful ocean blue orbs lured me toward her, filling me with stupid nostalgia, and before I even knew it or had the time to control my fucking thoughts, I was at her table, sitting in front of her and talking to her like I was some hormonal teenager.

All of a sudden, there was a look of horror in her eyes, which she tried her best to hide. I had encountered many looks like that, so it was quite easy to detect uneasiness in a person. Perhaps somebody had told her about the dangers in this neighbourhood.

“Why do you seem so scared?”

“My landlady told me to be clear of buff guys with tattoos.” She pointed at my hand with a tight lip. “She told me about this big bad wolf that prowls in the area.” The irony in her words made me smirk. “And somehow, my instincts tell me you’re the one. Or one of them, depending on how many there are.”

“There’s always only one big bad wolf. The others are just bad wolves.”

“Yeah. One alpha and shit like that.”

Despite the depth in my tone, she didn’t seem too affected. Interesting. “What is your definition of a big bad wolf? The one?”

My question seemed to have caught her off guard, but she didn’t react to it. Leaning back in her seat, she started, “A big bad wolf is usually the most misunderstood one in the pack, someone who’s responsible for everyone. Everyone watches his every step and every expectation of him is high. They do all they can to protect what they have, which sometimes comes with a lot of bad.”

I stared at her, unsure of why her words hit so deep in me. It was as if she... knew me. The real me. Despite knowing of my duties, the women in my world considered me the villain, all because I killed and maimed and tortured our enemies to keep our home safe, but this woman, a stranger, thought of this in a new light, one I hadn’t in long.

“What if the big bad wolf is just... bad?”

“Not possible. There’s always a story behind everything and a motive, too. It’s just that we live in a 2D world, which is why we only see one side, aka the first draft, of the beautifully crafted story.” She chuckled and then tensed, seeing my attention solely on her. “I know I sound cheesy. It comes with my profession as a writer.”

“A writer knows how to weave words into a masterpiece, and I must say, I’m quite moved by your description. I’ve never thought of it that way. Good to know there are still people who see the best in everyone.”

She smiled, and the sight of it almost melted me. It was pure and genuine and beautiful. “What’s your name?”

“Adonis Vitale.”

She knitted her brows and admitted, “I feel like I’ve heard that name before.”

“I would’ve loved hiding my real identity, but you could always find out some other way. What's your name?”

“Abi. Abigail Morello.”

Her last name made my heart double its pace. She seemed familiar. Did she perhaps resemble Elias Morello? I shook my head. It couldn’t be. There was nothing about her that matched with that asshole.

“Why this neighbourhood, Abigail?”

She rubbed her nape and slouched. “The houses here are amazing, the rent’s low, and the neighbourhood’s quiet. I don’t really care about the people living here as long as I’m not bothered. Plus, it comes with a place that serves delicious beverages.”

“Claudia does magic, doesn’t she?” She bobbed her head. I queried, feeling a little too curious and an ache I wanted gone, “So, is it just you and your bother?”

“Yes. Our parents died, and here we are, orphaned and trying to make a living on our own.”

“I see.” I gulped. “No other blood relatives?”

She shook her head. Sudden relief—sheer relief—flooded through me, knowing she was not related to Elias. Well, if she were, I would’ve known, so it was baseless for me to worry, now that I thought of it.

Claudia walked into the cafe through the back door and her lips quirked up when her eyes met mine. “I knew I heard your voice, so I brought you your daily.” Turning to Abigail, she said, “Just the way wanted. Enjoy!”

Abigail smiled again, which stirred an unfamiliar emotion in me. Neither pain. Nor anger. Nor hatred. But something I had been foreign to for years. Something soft and very fickle.

“Thank you. I can never get enough of this.” Handing Claudia the cash, she glanced at me. “I should probably get going or my brother will come running down. He has been reluctant to stay in this area since he heard about what happens on the inside.”

“Tell your brother he has nothing to worry about. No one will lay so much as a finger on his sister.” She sucked in a sharp breath and whirled around hastily. “See you around, Abigail.”

She walked out of the cafe, while I gawked at her back, her perfect ass, until she entered her apartment.

I wanted to see her again. And again had to be soon enough.