Chapter 2 - THE OFFER IN THE RAIN
The rain drummed a relentless beat against the roof of the black Escalade. I stood on the wet pavement, the neon lights of the city reflecting in the puddles at my feet, my final paycheck crumpled in my fist. Ricardo Moretti stared at me from the luxurious depths of the SUV, his expression unreadable. I didn't move. The myths surrounding this man were painted in blood and whispered in dark alleys.
"Get in, Clara," he repeated, his voice smooth but carrying an undeniable weight of command. "You are freezing, and we have a mutual problem."
My breath hitched. He knew my name. Of course he did. A man like Ricardo didn't invite a stranger into his car without running a full background check in the ten minutes it took the restaurant manager to fire me. Against every instinct screaming at me to run, I stepped into the leather-scented warmth of the vehicle. Sitting opposite him was a heavily tattooed man with cold, calculating eyes—Jax, his chief enforcer. Jax didn't blink as I settled onto the seat.
"You have a gift," Ricardo said, pouring a glass of amber liquid from a crystal decanter. "My son has not slept through the night since his mother died in a car accident a year ago. Tonight, after you held him, he fell asleep in my arms before we even reached the car."
"He's grieving, Mr. Moretti. He doesn't need a gift, he needs patience."
"He needs you," Ricardo countered smoothly, handing me a manila folder. "I am offering you a position as Leo's private caretaker. You will live at my estate. Your salary will be ten times what you made serving truffles to ungrateful socialites. You will have everything you need."
May you like
I looked at the folder, then up at his dark, intense eyes. "And if I say no?"
"I don't force people to work for me, Clara. But you lost a daughter to cancer. You have medical debts that are crushing you, and a landlord threatening eviction." His gaze softened, just a fraction. "Let me help you, while you help my son."
