The Billionaire & I

42.

I got home just as mom and Cece were on their way out to have dinner at the diner Cece worked at. I tagged along not wanting to be left alone in the apartment. I hadn't fully shaken off the feeling of being watched.

"You dropped this."

"Thank you—" I paused seeing the ginger haired man that handed me my purse. Cece was working the grill tonight and mom was having a chat with the owner of the restaurant. I was alone at my table—not anymore. The man felt familiar.

"We've met before." I pronounced.

"You have good memory." He smiled.

After the day I'd had, it would be a shame not to. I couldn't pinpoint where we met before though. He must have noticed and the smug smile he wore after should have been a warning.

"Did you take my advice and hash it out with sex?"

My cheeks flushed. That was it. He was the handsome ginger haired man from the bar in Chicago. He and the bartender had listened to and adviced me. What was he doing all the way here?

"Are you following me?" I panicked.

"Not exactly."

"Mom—"

"I'm with the FBI." He quickly held up a badge.

"How am I sure that isn't fake?"

"Should I bite it?"

My face scrunched up in confusion.

"My code name's loony. You were on a high end hit list and I want to know why."

My eyes flew open.

"Let's talk at the back." I finally said. "I don't want my mom or sister seeing us."

"Your call." He said and we moved a few tables back.

"Did you know who I was in Chicago?" I fired away the moment he sat.

"Yes."

He pulled a phone out of his pocket and slid it over to me. On it was a picture of a man who looked mid sixties. Below the picture was his name; Runo Florentino. I studied the picture intently. He was smiling and didn't really look like a mafia boss. He looked more like a grandfather. Or a godfather.

"Do you know him?" He was watching me.

"Not personally."

"Yet he's trying to kill you. You also don't seem very surprised about that."

"It's been a long day."

He leaned back.

"We've been tracking him down for months now. The assassin that is. Some cops from the NYPD finally got a hold of him and he led us to the bigger fish. Runo Florentino, him, we've been after for years."

"Are you here to protect me?"

"I thought William Illston could handle that alright." He smiled and I tried to remain neutral. "No need to pretend. I know all about what he's been up to."