“What’s wrong?” I feel Alex tense when I ask him this. Last night, after he brought me back to bed, he was distant, disconnected. He made love to me physically, but mentally, he was somewhere else.

“Nothing.”

“Don’t lie to me, Alex.” I prop my head on my arm and trace his chest muscles.

He sighs loudly before pulling me closer. “I just have a lot on my mind.”

“Like?”

“Em…” His voices pleads with me not to push him.

“I’m sorry. I’m just worried about you.”

“I’m fine. I just have to get a few things taken care of this morning, and then I’ll be home. You’re calling in sick to work today. I need you here at the house. I have to take Andres with me.” He leans in and presses a kiss to my lips. I love how he tells me what to do, then follows it up with a kiss. I roll my eyes at him.

“I can’t call in sick. They need me.” Plus, I don’t like being told what to do. Alex should know that by now.

“Em,” he says, his voice tired.

“Fine,” I concede begrudgingly. “Just today. I won’t do this again, Alex.” I give him a stern look, but his gleeful smile doesn’t care.

“Good.” He pushes my shoulder gently, urging me to my back. Rolling on top of me, he slides inside me and makes love to me. Sweet and caring. The Alex that went missing last night is back.

* * *

I turn on the shower in Alex’s bathroom and step inside. There are showerheads that spray gentle streams of water from all directions, and the hot water massages my tired muscles. I inhale the steam, pulling the hot, moist air into my lungs.

Suddenly, I’m hit with a blast of cold air as Alex steps in with me. He stands under a showerhead across the way, his amber eyes fixed on me. I can see the defined lines of his abs as he lifts his arms to shampoo his hair. Tipping his head back into the stream, the suds roll down his firm, tanned body. His cock is semi-hard, lying against his thigh, and I want him inside me again. I’ll never get enough of him.

He catches me looking and smiles before stepping forward. “Something you like?”

“Mmhmm,” I mumble as he presses a sweet kiss to my lips.

“I want nothing more than to press you up against this shower wall and fuck you senseless, Em, but I have a meeting I have to get to. Tonight, you won’t be able to walk once I’m done with you.” He squeezes my nipple gently, and I laugh.

With a good-natured expression, he takes a step back. “Take your time in here. Rosa is here and will have breakfast for you. I’ll be back in a couple of hours.”

I smile. “Okay.”

“And remember, no leaving.”

I roll my eyes. “Got it, warden.”

He chuckles at that, then steps out of the shower, leaving me to wonder what the hell is going on that he’s taking Andres with him. I don’t let myself think for too long because then I’ll worry.

I finish my shower and dress quickly. Rosa is in the kitchen, humming to Spanish music that’s blaring from her phone. She shakes her hips as she pushes scrambled eggs around in a pan on the stove, and I giggle, watching her.

She startles when she sees me and shakes her wooden spoon at me. “Girl, don’t go sneaking up on people.”

“I didn’t!” I raise my hands in surrender. “You’re quite the dancer, Rosa,” I joke with her.

Her laugh is loud and bellows through the open kitchen. “You’re lucky I like you, Emilia.” She shoves a plate full of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast in front of me. “Coffee?”

“I would love some.” She’s so good to me. I envision if my mom was healthy, she would have been like Rosa. I smile at that thought.

“What time do you have to be to work?”

“I’m calling in sick today. My stomach is bothering me,” I lie to her. I don’t know if Alex told her I’d be here or not, and it’s best to just lead on that I’m not feeling well.

“I can make you something else if that food is too heavy.” She points to the plate.

I almost hug my plate. No way is she taking this delicious meal away from me. “This is fine, Rosa. Thank you.” I smile at her.

“I have some errands to run and groceries to pick up. You feeling okay to be here alone?” she asks as she hand washes the dishes in the sink. I still don’t understand why she doesn’t use the dishwasher. I never had a dishwasher. If I could’ve avoided hand washing dishes, I would’ve.

“Yeah. I’ll be fine. I’m just going to lie down and rest.”

“Okay. Do you need me to pick up anything for your stomach? Pepto Bismol, ginger ale, or crackers?”

“I’m good, but thank you.” She’s too good to me.

My phone buzzes on the counter, and I see Sam’s name on the screen. Swiping the home screen, I pull up his text. My stomach turns as I remember Alex’s warning to stay away from him.

I had a really nice time last night.

Even with Alex’s lingering warning and the revelation of who Sam really is, I can’t help but smile. I actually had a really nice time too. It was nice talking to him and getting to know him. He’s different from Alex in the sense that he’s “safe” in a nine-to-five professional job kind of way. He’s a mass-market man, whereas Alex is a niche market kind of man. I don’t think Sam even knows I live with Alex, and I enjoyed the fact that I wasn’t on edge or had to look over my shoulder like I sometimes do with Alex. But I love Alex. I don’t love Sam. That much is clear to me.

Me too, I respond.

When can I see you again?

My heart races with that question. Because I don’t know the answer, and I’m torn. I ignore him, but he responds quickly.

Is everything okay?

I sigh guiltily and text: Just not feeling well. I’ll message you later.

There’s a knock on the front door. Weird. Alex didn’t say anything about anyone stopping by. I toss my phone aside and head to the front. When I see the peephole is covered with a hand, anxiety pools in my stomach. The deadbolt is locked, so I jog quickly to Alex’s office to check the security cameras. Wiggling the mouse, the screen lights up, and I can see eight small frames from each of the eight different security cameras. Each frame rotates to a larger screen. Finally, I see that it’s Saul outside. I shudder when I think of him and decide that I won’t answer.

Sitting in the leather office chair, I hold my breath while I watch Saul on the screen. He presses his hand against the peephole and knocks with the other. When he gets no response, he opens his cell and walks away. I watch him take the stairs down to the parking garage before I lose him.

Blowing out a breath, I lean back in the chair, scanning the monitors several more times. And then… My breath hitches when an old picture of myself looks back at me. Alex has a picture of me? From my high school graduation?

“What the hell?” My lungs are in my throat.

It’s the same picture I keep tucked inside the front of my journal, only in this picture, my mom has been cropped out. I close it out and find that it’s inside a folder with other documents, files, and pictures. When I click on another image, a picture of my dad pops up. He’s dressed in a tuxedo, obviously at an event. My dad. He’s smiling—happy. Why does Alex have pictures of my family? My heart races as I click on another image. This time of my mom.

“Jesus Christ,” I whisper, horrified.

With a shaky hand, I click on yet another image—a photo of my mom dead on the floor of our trailer, holding that gun. A gun I knew we never owned. Tears fill my eyes quickly and spill down my cheeks as I question everything I thought I believed about Alex. Why does he have these pictures? And why this picture? Oh my God, was he involved?

Nausea settles in, and my stomach begins twisting inside me. I run to the bathroom in my bedroom, barely making it before I spill the contents of my breakfast into the toilet. In between bouts of vomiting and crying, I manage to pull myself together. Fear and unease settle in the pit of my stomach as I hear the front door close and footsteps echoing down the hall. With a deep breath and one last swipe of powder to my nose, I know that I have to be strong and stay focused. I’m getting answers.

“Em?” I hear his voice and a chill runs up my spine.

I plaster a fake smile on my face and swallow down my fear. “In here,” I answer him calmly. I stand in front of the large vanity, and I can see him in the mirror.

“What’re you doing in here?” His brows are furrowed as he glances around my bathroom.

“Just freshening up,” I lie.

He nods, deep in thought. “I’ll have Rosa move your belongings over to my room. There’s no sense in keeping your things here now that you’re staying in my room.” He says it so casually, and I freeze as I think about all of my items in his room and in his bathroom.

Finally, noticing my demeanor, he asks, “Is everything all right? You look pale.”

I turn to him and rest a hand on my stomach. “I’m glad I called in sick. My stomach has actually been bothering me.”

He presses a palm to my forehead before pulling my head to him and resting his lips there instead. He presses a few small kisses to my forehead before releasing me. Bile rises from my stomach when his warm hands rest on my shoulders, but I swallow hard, forcing it down.

“You don’t feel warm.”

“Probably just a little stomach bug. I think I’m going to lie down.” I wiggle out of his grasp and walk around him.

“I’ll lie down with you, but I have something for you first.” Alex pulls a small box out from his pocket and hands it to me. “Open it.” He moves toward me, the scent of his cologne filling the air around us. It’s soft and masculine and has the power to weaken my resolve, but it’s the box sitting in my hand that has my knees shaking together.

My heart stammers in my chest as my fingers run across the smooth dark blue velvet case. With shaky hands, I lift the lid and there sits a beautiful gold necklace with a diamond encrusted compass charm dangling from the thin chain. I gasp. I’ve never owned a piece of jewelry in my life, let alone something this beautiful. I look up, and Alex has a sincere smile on his face as he watches me. I fake a smile again as I’m wondering if his smile is another lie.

I wonder what lie he’ll tell next, and I wonder if it’ll be the one to break me.