𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐓

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓

VIII

IT probably wasn't wise to go out and meet with Jeremy after I swore to Alessandro I would tell him anything else that happened. I just needed to get him out of my life and move on which seemed to be something Jeremy simply couldn't do.

Jeremy no longer terrified me, but the thought of him staying around and lingering even after my child was born... The idea of it was stressful. I didn't want it to know anything about Jeremy, at least not until they were a near adult.

"You should cut your hair, it looks better when it's short," I looked up from the buttered croissant at the male talking to me. Prison didn't do Jeremy any good, his hair was cut into a buzz, and tattoos caked him from his face down to I assume his ankles.

"Well, I don't do stuff for your liking, Jeremy. Everything I do is for me," I took a bite out of the croissant to keep my stomach full. "And I don't want to spend my morning playing cat and mouse with you so can you take a seat?"

Jeremy chuckled and took a seat. "Let me guess, Alessandro doesn't know you're here? Very risky doing this behind his back," I placed my purse in my lap and reached inside to wrap my hand around the handle of the gun. Jeremy has to think I'm an idiot if he thought I'd come to meet him without some sort of weapon.

"I'm not stupid, Jeremy. I know you and besides your looks, I doubt you've changed all that much since you've been in prison. You can't go anywhere alone, neither can I," a green dot shunned through the cafe window directly at Jeremy's heart. "Give me one good damn reason I shouldn't tell my men to take the shot, Jeremy."

Jeremy tensed, his hands moving to rest on the table. "If he takes the shot I'll tell my guy to take the shot. It's a shame how you own curtains but rarely are they closed. Did you have fun with Alessandro last night?"

I scoffed out of disgust, it's like he just admitted to being a goddamn pervert.

"What do you want, Jeremy? I'm tired of your random ass calls and anonymous flower-sending. If you couldn't tell, there was a reason I didn't visit you in jail. I moved way past you, okay?" he leaned back in his seat, the green dot following his every movement. Always nice to have a sharpshooter on speed dial.

Jeremy reached into his pocket. Silently scrolling on his phone before leaning forward once again.

"I need a favor," I scoffed and removed my hand from my purse to cross my hands over my chest. "I need three million dollars by tonight. Of course, you have the option of not giving it to me but I also have the option of telling my men to shoot Alessandro. While he's recovering... if he makes it, your father will receive pictures of you and Alessandro's mess around with a little tip that he got you pregnant. We both know how that will end, Valentina. Your dad doesn't play about her little girl and you don't play about the father of your child so you should choose wisely."