Giorgio (Vigilance #1) - Silvia Violet Page 0,40

so I know whether to look for him around town.

“Sure, I can do that. I pretty much know everybody here.”

I pulled up the picture I’d taken of the man as he walked up onto the porch. “Sorry it’s not a very good one.”

“Oh, that’s okay.” She studied it for a second, then shook her head. “I’m sorry. I don’t recognize him.”

“Maybe he’s moved away. It’s been a while. Thank you, though.”

“You’re welcome. I hope you get to reconnect with him some time.”

“Me too.”

I turned to Lane, but he wasn’t there.

My pulse sped up. He’d probably just stepped outside. How had I let my guard down? I’d noticed someone else leaving. He must have gone out right behind them. Fuck.

I hurried out the door. He wasn’t in front of the shop. I looked both ways down the sidewalk, thinking maybe he wandered a bit, wanting to look in shop windows. I didn’t see him anywhere, so I grabbed my phone and called him. No answer.

Cold fear ran down my spine. Lane was mine to protect. Nothing could happen to him. X would carve me into little pieces if I lost his son, but that was a distant worry. I needed to find Lane because he meant more to me than I wanted to admit.

I should’ve told him everything I knew about Hendon. He was right. He deserved to know. Just because he’d been sheltered for most of his life didn’t mean it was right to withhold the information from him. I knew better than anyone that sometimes you had to break the rules in order to save someone.

I headed toward my SUV as I considered my options, scanning my surroundings for clues about what had happened. As I reached the vehicle, I saw a flash of teal from the corner of my eye.

14

Lane

I’d noticed an antique shop next door to the coffee shop. It looked like the sort of place where I could find lots of treasures to use in my art. While Giorgio talked to Cathy, I stepped out the door and walked over to peek in the antique store’s window. I hadn’t intended to go inside, but when I saw a shelf filled with all kinds of tiny ceramic figurines that looked like they dated from the 1930s or ’40s, I was mesmerized. Below the figurines, I saw a box of thimbles that were just what I needed for one of the sculptures I wanted to create. Forgetting I needed to watch for Giorgio to step out of the coffee shop, I wandered into the store, lost in a creative fog.

I sorted through the box of thimbles, choosing several that perfectly matched my vision. Then I studied the figurines. Along with miniature people, there were a variety of animals and individual saltshakers. There were over a dozen I was sure I could use. I felt like I’d won the lottery. I contemplated asking what kind of discount I could receive if I bought the entire collection. Suddenly, someone seized my arm in a tight grip. I jerked and cried out, but when I turned around, I saw it was Giorgio. His eyes were hard, and his face was red with anger. He didn’t say a word, he just started pulling me toward the door.

“Stop. I need to buy these things.”

“What you need is a goddamn spanking.”

My breath caught, and my traitorous cock responded. I knew Giorgio was furious with me, but as cliché as it might be, his anger made him even hotter. I imagined him putting me over his knee right there in the fucking store and holding me down as he spanked me, not stopping until I begged him to.

“I didn’t know where you’d gone, and you didn’t answer your phone. You’ve got to fucking take this seriously.”

“Shit. I’m sorry. I get spacey when I start daydreaming about an art project. I should have texted you before I went inside.”

“Do you have any idea what it was like to realize you’d disappeared?”

“Wait, did you think… Oh no.”

“We’ll discuss this in the car.”

The man I’d seen behind the counter approached us. He was glaring at Giorgio. It probably looked like he was trying to abduct me. “Is there a problem, sir?”

I shook my head. “We’re fine, thank you. We just had a misunderstanding.”

“A misunderstanding?” Giorgio muttered. At least he was keeping his voice low now. “Fuck right. You misunderstood how serious the situation is.”

“Maybe I would understand better if you’d tell me everything you know.” I turned away