Mara pov
"I go where I want, Mara," he said, his voice turning cold as ice again. "Now, get in the car. We're going home." He grabbed my arm gently, and led me into the car.
The "home" he took me to was a hidden apartment on the edge of the city. It was clean, modern, and felt like a high-tech cage. The air inside was still and quiet . We walked in and I immediately removed the expensive outfit I had my tank top on with my trouser. I headed straight to the kitchen. I was standing in the kitchen, trying to rub the tension out of my neck, when my phone rang. It was Mr. Vance.
"Mara! Where the hell have you been?" he shouted. He sounded like he was vibrating with excitement.
"I've been... out, sir. What's wrong?"
"Listen, forget about the Ghost for a minute. Ryan Smart is holding a special meeting tomorrow morning. It's for the top young journalists in the city. He's picking a new partner for his tech launch. If you get in there and get the exclusive, it's a career-maker! Be there by 8 PM. Don't blow this!"
Vance hung up before I could even say okay. I put the phone on the counter and saw Lorenzo leaning against the doorframe, watching me.
"Vance wants me to meet Ryan Smart tomorrow," I said.
A slow, dark smile spread across Lorenzo's face. "Perfect. The lamb is walking right into the trap. You get in there, find his private server location, and I'll handle the rest."
"I'm hungry," I said, my stomach giving a loud, embarrassing growl. I hadn't eaten since the "test" in the penthouse, and the stress was making me dizzy.
Lorenzo sighed, rolling up his sleeves.
"Cemal!"
Cemal walked out from a back room, chewing on a toothpick. "Yeah, K.S?"
"K.S." I muttered. "What does that mean?" he moved closer to me and whispered "Killing squad." I froze but my foot trembled.
"Don't tell me you believed me?" Cemal started laughing.
"Hahaha….I laughed back. I didn't want to look stupid but I guess I did anyway.
Lorenzo, narrowed his eyes over us like two stupid people "Watch her. I'm making dinner."
"You?" I laughed, though it sounded a bit dry. "The great Ghost is going to cook? Do you poison the food first or after?"
"Don't be a mean," Cemal laughed, leaning against the wall. "My bro, is actually a master in the kitchen. It's the only thing he does well that doesn't involve a gun."
Lorenzo ignored us both. He moved around the kitchen with a strange, quiet focus. He chopped garlic and onions so fast the knife was just a blur. The smell of searing tomatoes and garlic, onions, began to fill the room, making my mouth water despite how much I hated him.
Twenty minutes later, he set a plate of pasta in front of me. It was steaming, covered in a rich, red sauce.
Cemal took a bite of his own and groaned. "Man, Lorenzo. This is the best one yet. You really should quit the crime business and open a restaurant."
"Idiot." Lorenzo cursed him.
I took a forkful and chewed slowly. It was perfect. The pasta was firm, the sauce was spicy and sweet, and it was the best thing I had tasted in years. But I looked up at him and made a face.
"It's okay," I said, pushing the plate an inch away. "A bit too salty. And the noodles are mushy. My grandmother could do better with a broken stove."
Lorenzo stopped with his fork halfway to his mouth. He looked at my plate, then at me. "Mushy?"
"Yeah. It's very basic," I said, crossing my arms. "A bit amateur."
"Basic?" Lorenzo stood up, his height making the kitchen feel small. "That is a family recipe from the south. There isn't a single thing wrong with that pasta."
"Maybe your family had bad taste," I snapped.
"Cemal, tell her," Lorenzo said, looking at his brother for backup.
Cemal looked at the two of us and held up his hands. "Leave me out of this. I want to finish my meal in peace."
"Tell her!" Lorenzo barked.
"Fine! It's the best pasta in the world, Mara. You're just lying because you hate his guts," Cemal said, shaking his head.
"I'm being honest," I said, tilting my head.
"He's a bad man and a mediocre cook. Deal with it."
Lorenzo leaned over the table, his face inches from mine. I could smell the garlic on his breath and the heat coming off his skin.
"You're trying to provoke me," he whispered. "It's pathetic."
"It's working," I whispered back. "Look at your neck. The veins are popping out." I chewed more pasta.
He opened his mouth to retort, but my phone started vibrating on the glass table. A name flashed on the screen that made my heart jump into my throat.
DAVID — UNIVERSITY
I froze. David. My first love. The guy I had spent years waiting for him. I hadn't heard from him in two years.
Lorenzo's gaze dropped to the phone. He saw the name. He saw the way I suddenly looked like I couldn't breathe.
I reached for the phone, but Lorenzo's hand was faster. He snatched it up and held it high, his eyes fixed on the screen as it kept ringing.
"Who is David?" he asked. His voice wasn't playful anymore. It was low, vibrating with a dark, dangerous energy.