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56
It’s answered quickly, but by Jake instead of Emma, and my stomach drops.
“Sophie? Don’t hang up.” He sounds worried, that familiar deep voice knocks me sideways, not sure what to say, as it’s not who I expected.
“I thought I would get Ems, Jake … I.....” …. I hesitate, losing all courage and hoping Jake isn’t about to go commanding godfather on me. He is laid back and fun until he is pissed, and then Jake is a scary ass mofo.
“She’s napping, Mimmo. Sophs, honey, just tell us where you are. Your parents are frantic, and we have all been out looking for you.” Jake is being gentle, unusual for the bossy cyclone he normally is, but then Emma has been rubbing off on him for years.
“I came to the city, I’m with friends and I’m safe. I just need a little headspace to sort this out on my own. I didn’t mean to scare anyone, Jake. I’m sor
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I must have fallen asleep quickly as I wake to noise, only half aware of Camilla telling me she is going out and then fall back into oblivion after the door slams shut in the outer living area. I think I drift off again into oblivion because everything becomes confusing and time seems to drift away.I jump up with the pounding noise coming from what seems to be all around me, disorientated, and immediately terrified; it takes a moment to realize the ‘thud, thud, thud’ is coming from the outer living room, and I’m in semi-darkness.I get up warily, realizing I must have been out for a while as it’s later in the evening, even though the clock tells me it’s still well before midnight. I venture into the open plan area slowly and fearfully; aware someone is pounding on the apartment door and I sigh with relief and trudge towards it casually.“I’m coming, keep your hair on!” I yell out as I try to cool the hammeri
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I’m quick to haul on skinny jeans and then carefully take the sneakers he holds out to me so that we don’t graze fingers. I pull them on over bare feet before standing back up with a deflated sigh. Arrick slings my bag on his shoulder and slides my phone into the front pocket of his hoody, making it clear he’s giving me no chance of escape.“Don’t make me go back home, Arry.” I try one more time, appealing to his softer side with doe eyes and a wobbling voice, but he only catches hold of my upper arm as he passes me and yanks me with him.“Don’t. I am in no fucking mood to have Bambi eyes and begging from you. It won’t work on me this time, Sophie. I am so beyond livid with you; I really would consider fucking spanking you.” He hauls me at speed to the front door, stopping as we get to it and turning back on me. “Keys?” He commands at me expectantly.I lean out to the mantle near the door an
The Carrero Heart (series book 2) 59
“All I know is that without you in my life, Sophs, I fall apart, and everything just sucks. I can’t seem to pull myself together, and that raises some major fucking questions as to what Natasha is to me.” His face crumbles, fusing brow over lost boy eyes and the heaviest sigh ever.My heart almost stops beating, my voice caught in my throat at this confession of sorts, and I no longer know what to do, or what to say. Tears start free falling down my face as Arrick gently wipes them away with soft fingertips. Watching me, agony mirrored in his expression.“What do you want from me?” I blurt out, unsure what to even think or feel anymore, heart constricting with the return of my pain and suffering.This is what I wanted, wasn’t it?Then why does it still feel like he’s pushing me away?“I don’t even know. I don’t know how to feel or what to do. That’s the honest truth
The Carrero Heart (series book 2) 60
Driving the few blocks to Arrick’s apartment, we are equally silent, both lost in our own heads. His occasional glances my way don’t go unnoticed, but I have no clue how to feel, and I’m dreading the moment we walk into his home and come face to face with the girl who has shared his bed for almost two years. Everything is a mess; I should have stayed miles away from him like I planned, but somehow that tiny flicker of hope inside of me is destroying all my willpower.Natasha comes out of the nearby bedroom as we enter Arrick’s penthouse apartment, her little brown curled head and slight frame just make her look like a little lost puppy dog, and it’s clear by her makeup-free face that she’s been crying at some point. Natasha is never without her makeup, and seeing her now, I see she is a lot plainer looking than I ever realized. She has that girl next door quality and looks a lot better when made up. It feels odd to see her like this, like I
The Carrero Heart (series book 2) 61
I’m more relaxed after my bath, warm and lazy from the hot soak and wrapped in a fluffy robe, carrying my clothes. I leave his room and head back towards my own for tonight. Head full of things I want to say to him and lost in how I’m going to convince him that going home is not what’s best for me anymore. I’ve managed to push all the other stuff aside, boxed it in the ‘we will evaluate later’ area of my overly crowded brain. I need to prioritize not going home first.I jump when his voice comes from right behind me.“It’s late; maybe we should go to bed and talk over breakfast.”I spin on him as he dumps his car keys on the table and hauls off his hoody to reveal a t-shirt molded to that hunky frame. Tattoos peeking at the neckline an
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Arrick sits forward, discarding his mug this time, and rests his elbows on his knees as he thinks this through. The frown on his face showing he is weighing things up and trying to figure out the best way to help me. To figure out what’s best for me. I know he’s internally juggling my family’s wishes to have me home, with my own need to start taking my life into my own hands.“We see Jake tomorrow and we talk more about this then, Sophs. As your godfather, he’ll want to have major input! If you want to do this, then you have to make some promises to your family. Promises to me. There has to be ground rules if they’re going to relax and trust me to look after you in this way.” He is in no-nonsense, business mode; a determined look on his face that he’s really considering this for me. I can’t help the small smile that starts spreading across my face, knowing he might actually help make this a reality if I can prove it’
The Carrero Heart (series book 2) 63
Jake regards me over the top of his walnut desk, both feet planked on the surface as Arrick leans against the row of tall wide windows and the New York skyline. We’re in Jake’s office at Carrero Corp and Arry has just finished explaining what it is I want to do with my life, and all the ground rules Arrick has placed on the agreement.Like a father figure, Jake is weighing it up, having been sent as spokesperson by my family to ‘deal’ with me in any way he sees fit. I squirm in the leather seat facing him, my untouched drink, brought by one of his assistants, fizzing in front of me on a leather coaster and annoying me that she felt soda pop was what I would want. I can’t blame her though; Margo, his PA, has known me as long as Jake has, and I guess everyone seems to be incapable of seeing me grow up.Jake is
The Carrero Heart (series book 2) 64
I keep my thoughts to myself, beam at Jake with a smile as he stands to walk us out, and try not to react in any way to the hand holding, even when Arrick’s grip tightens and he moves so close to me that his arm rests against mine.“We’ll drive rather than fly. I think she needs the time to think things through before we face Leila.” Arrick pulls me with him as we turn to leave the office, lifting my black cardigan from the chair for me and guiding me to the door.“I’ve never understood your aversion to the jet; it cuts travel time by three hours. Why do you hate flying so much?” Jake grins at his brother and is met with a shrug.“I guess I’m
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