Giorgio (Vigilance #1) - Silvia Violet Page 0,49
you don’t cook.”
He was right, my eating schedule was as fucked up as my sleeping. “Um… I get by. “
He huffed. “You need to take care of yourself.”
“Do you? Somehow I’m not convinced you live a healthy lifestyle.”
“I was in the army for years, and I’ve never managed to break the early-rising habit. I like routine to my days, but I can manage without it. I had to learn to be flexible. “
“How long were you in the army?”
He shook his head. “That’s not what we should be talking about.”
“I told you I was sorry. I’ll let you know where I’m going next time.”
He shook his head. “You will not walk away from me.”
“I only went to the shop next door.”
“Do you have any idea how quickly someone could grab you?”
“Have you had a client taken before?”
A pained expression crossed his face. “Not exactly.”
What did that mean? “Did you have to learn a lot about kidnapping to be a bodyguard?”
He seemed to be considering how to answer that.
“What did you do in the army?”
“You don’t need to know about that. If you need to search for art supplies again, tell me, and we’ll do it together. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“I’m not supposed to tell you this. Your mother and my boss don’t want to frighten you, but I need you to understand why this matters.”
My heart pounded. I knew I wasn’t going to like whatever he was about to say.
“Two men Alan dated before you are dead. Supposedly, both deaths were accidental, but the circumstances and timing are suspicious.”
My stomach churned, threatening to bring up the few bites of sandwich I’d eaten. “Do you think he killed them?”
“I think it’s likely he’s responsible for their deaths whether he killed them himself or not.”
“You mean like he paid someone to kill them or something?”
“Or something.”
I studied him for a moment, considering what to ask next. “How does my mother know your boss?”
“They’ve known each other for years, since they were kids, I think.”
That didn’t really answer my question. “These deaths are what you’re really investigating, aren’t they? What do you think happened?” Did I truly want to know? Maybe I was better off not knowing any of this.
“He’s connected to some men who have been known to invite young men and women to parties and force them to provide sexual services for the guests.”
“You think he wanted to pimp me out?” My voice rose so high I was nearly shrieking.
“Possibly. The other men’s deaths may have resulted from being passed around to his friends.”
“Oh my God. I…” Bile rose in my throat. I jumped up and ran for the bathroom. I made it just in time to lose what I’d eaten.
I felt a hand on my back as I hung over the toilet, waiting to make sure the retching had stopped for good. I hadn’t heard Giorgio come in, but he rubbed my back in slow circles. “Are you okay?”
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak yet.
He wet a washcloth and laid it against my forehead. The cool fabric felt wonderful. A few moments later, I took the cloth from him, rinsed my mouth, and then brushed my teeth.
“I need to sit down.”
Giorgio picked me up and carried me to one of the armchairs in the living room. He sat and settled me on his lap.
“Alan tried to convince me to go to a sex party with him. I almost did, but I had a gallery opening that night. What if I’d… Would he…?”
“I don’t know.”
I closed my eyes and took a slow breath. Giorgio didn’t ask me to say more, he just held me.
After a few deep breaths, I looked around the room. Seeing the pieces of the broken couch made me smile even though I was still scared and angry.
“I guess we need to tell my mom’s friend about that,” I said, tilting my head toward the mess.
“My boss will pay for it. Don’t worry about it.”
“Do you have a budget for broken furniture?”
He laughed. “In our line of work, a lot of things tend to break, though not usually when I’m sleeping on them.”
“You mean you’ve never broken a bed before? I find that hard to believe.”
He squeezed me tighter against him. “Not everyone’s as enthusiastic as you are.”
“I’m not always that enthusiastic.”
“Really?”
“Are you fishing for compliments?”
Giorgio brushed his thumb over my cheek. “No. I just… You’re so full of life and energy, and I assumed that was normal for you.”
“I’m not saying I’m quiet. I don’t lie there