Chapter 88

The Hamptons is as dull as I thought it would be and Mico is like my parasitic shadow. He never lets me out of his sight no matter what reason I give him for going out, even for lady’s products; he still stands right there, three feet away as though I’m going to crawl under the tampon shelf and make an epic escape.

Alexi left after that night and I haven’t seen him since. He was gone when I got up. and it’s been five days with absolutely no word from him at all. Not that I should expect word as he never told me he would contact me, and after he left I am certain I don’t want him to. I don’t ever want to see him again after what he did to me and the furthest away I can get from him, the better. I feel nothing for him right now, except hatred and loathing and if I never saw him again, it would be too soon.

I haven’t abandoned my plan of running. I withdrew as much money as I could every day for the last four when we stopped at the cash line and concealed it from Mico, the nosy bastard that he is. I swear now he is the man I have to deal with, and he actually talks, I am starting to see he is as bad as Alexi for his need to know everything and bossy self. You can tell they are related.

Using my own account, not the credit card Alexi left for me to use on food and bills, I have managed to squirrel a decent amount away. I’ve packed my money in the lining of my handbag and sewn it in along with my passport, so if Mico looks he will find nothing. They don’t even know my passport is in my real name, so I have always kept it concealed.

I aim to run first chance I get, and I don’t care where I end up. I have a baseball cap in my bag waiting to be able to cover my tell-tale hair, and I am literally just waiting for that opportunistic moment that Mico lowers his guard. I am always watching for it.

He’s taking me to the wine store to stock up Alexi’s cellar this afternoon, seeing as the group of five security, that he doesn’t think is overly excessive at all for one little woman, has been boozing out the last few nights from boredom and it is running low. I want some bottles of red to kill my nights if I am stuck like this for a prolonged length of time. I might have to get drunk enough to attempt a climb from my bedroom to escape at this rate, as Mico is bloody relentless at guard duty.

We walk into the wine shop and I immediately run for cover behind the nearest shelves when I spot a very familiar blonde head, perky little frame and bubbly tone two aisles away and almost thrust myself into a crate of bottles in a panic to avoid her. Surprise hitting me hard and self-preservation kicking in.

Mico looks at me like I have lost the plot and then his eyes scan the shop and a smile breaks across his face.

‘’Arrick … Sophs … hey cuz.’’ He wanders forward and I glance around to see if the blonde really is Sophie Huntsberger like I fear. Peeking out from my spot I catch sight of her turning and greeting Mico with a hug, fully entangling her petite frame in the hulk of a grizzly bear. I almost forgot she is a part of the Carrero family that all live here and I presume the tall handsome one with her is the Carrero she is living with, Arrick.

I remember the name from that night Tyler’s men held us captive. I guess they are living their happily ever after still, and she looks good. Healthier, happier and it churns up another bout of guilt for what I did to her and I push it aside.

Sophie didn’t deserve the shit I threw at her. She was more of a revengeful knee-jerk reaction to liking someone. I got petty, pushed her away for fear of giving a shit.

I watch safely from afar, cursing my luck at walking into the one girl in this place who would know who I am and last time she saw me broke my fucking nose. Okay, so I deserved it after what I did to her, and I do still feel a little bit shitty for trying to screw her over and drug her into a night of rape at one of my client's hands.