Sleeping With the Enemy

Chapter Eleven

It's almost embarrassing how excited I am for my dinner date with Sadie. It's been years since I felt this way, and never for another woman besides Sadie herself. I'm supposed to be a stone-cold mafia leader, capable of reigning in my emotions and always maintaining a solid poker face. Hard. Collected. Always in control.

Tonight, I'm anything but. It's like I'm a teenager all over again, lovestruck and nervous as I get ready to pick her up. Thankfully, I'm more than a little experienced this time around, but it doesn't stop me from wanting to impress her. There's a part of me that thinks tonight could be a turning point for us. That if it goes well, she'll finally come to her senses. That if everything goes perfectly, she'll come home for good and we can build the life together we always dreamed about.

As delusional as it may be, I'm going to pull out all the stops.

I have to find out what she's hiding tonight. The rest don't even matter if I can't. It's like a canyon-wide wedge between us, and I can't fully enjoy this without getting some answers.

That's what dinner is for. And hopefully we get it all out of the way then so that I can fully enjoy my dessert.

When I pull into her parking lot, I cringe. The apartment itself is nice enough, but I hate the idea of her living here alone. There's no gate or doorman so pretty much anyone can just wander inside. Thanks to my men, crime is low in the neighborhood, but I still feel uneasy about it. Sadie has always been slightly naïve, and she's been away from the big city long enough to forget about the potential danger around every corner. I've had a guy watching the building the last few days, and I know she'll lose her mind if she ever finds out, but I'm not going to take chances with her barely back in my life. She'll just have to accept it.

Jogging up the stairs, I can't wipe the smile off my face. It's exactly how I used to feel when we first started dating. When we were apart, all I did was fantasize about the next time I could see her, skipping class or workouts or sneaking out late at night or whatever I had to do to be around her. Things certainly haven't changed on that front. Tonight, I'm blowing off the transport my dad ordered this morning, letting Alex and a few of our men handle it. It's irresponsible of me, especially as the future Don, but Sadie has a unique way of rearranging all the pieces in my life.

When I get to her door, I noticed that she's added a flowered wreath and doormat since I was here last. That's typical Sadie, bringing light to everything around her. I knock on it a few times.

"It's open!" She calls from somewhere deeper in the apartment.

Turning the loose knob, I roll my eyes. She's way too comfortable around here leaving the door unlocked that way.

"I'll be right out."

"No rush." With a few seconds to myself, I look around the apartment. She doesn't have any personal belongings here, like she didn't plan to stay very long at all. Here are a few pieces of art and canvases on the walls, but nothing personal. No photographs or portraits. No mail on the counter. It feels very off brand for the girl who agonized over what photograph she would put up in her middle school locker like she was determining fate. The place hardly even looks lived in, which only makes me more suspicious of what she's up to.