Free Russo: His Untold Story (Blacklisted #3) by Maria Delaurentis

fresh towels?” Before she could answer I quickly pulled a $20 bill from my wallet and handed it over to her with another 100-watt smile.
    “Not a problem, sir! Thank you.” She grinned and pulled a small tower of fresh linen from her cart. She left them in the bathroom then grabbed her things and left quickly. I smirked and headed to the TV; all I could do was wait.

seven
     
    I had been flipping through channels for hours. I caught parts of movies, a little Jerry Springer, some music videos that seemed more like soft core porn and a little bit of a basketball game. It was getting dark out and I was growing antsy. As if the girl could read my mind the handle began to move. I turned the TV off and shot up, gripping my hands together as I waited for her to come in. Once she was inside I moved closer, my voice soft.
    “Gabriella…” She spun around quickly at the sound of my voice, her eyes wide as she gripped at her chest.
    “ARE YOU CRAZY? GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!” She was screaming and coming at me quick. She went to hit me but I grabbed her arms, staring down at her.
    “Please just talk to me. If you never want to see me again afterwards, fine. But at least give me that, please.”
    She rolled her eyes and pulled away but she didn’t try to hit me again. She moved over to the bed and took a seat, giving me the look she got when she was feeling skeptical.
    “Go ahead.”
    I pushed my fingers through my hair, trying to figure out how to word what I needed to say.
    "Gabriella, what I did was completely out of line. I should've warned you—I shouldn't have deceived you like that. I just got so caught up in the fact that it was almost over, that things could go back to normal. I had no idea he would hurt you like that—I swear. I knew I was going to come get you that night, and I figured he would've left you there alone most of the day. I caused enough problems at various businesses of his that I figured it would keep him away from you ‘til night time. I came as soon as I knew he would be there. Brie, I never wanted you to get hurt that way. I know in the beginning—you didn't matter to me, you were just a way to make my plan work. But, you're so much more now. You helped me see light where there wasn't any. You showed me what my future could be. I'm so sorry I let you suffer; I'm so sorry you got so tangled into this.” I stared into her eyes, my heart pounding as the moment resonated around me. I knew there was more to say—I knew I could’ve told her I loved her… but I wasn’t ready to. I couldn’t say it and have her reject me.
    “I don’t think we’ll ever be okay. I think you should go.” There it was, the same ugly truth. She didn’t care how I felt. The word pathetic didn’t accurately describe how I felt. I quickly and quietly left the room, making my way across the hall and into my own. I knew it was stupid to stay but I wanted to be closer to her for a little while longer. Just knowing she was across the hall felt better than driving back to that warehouse.
    I slept that night—better than I had in days, and regardless of the fact that she was staying here I decided to check myself in for longer. I knew I had to get out of the warehouse but I didn’t want to take the first apartment I saw. I moved myself to a suite on a different floor, deciding that it was best I kept my distance from her. I wouldn’t blame her for calling the cops if she saw me floating around. I purposely kept my SUV out of the main parking lot, and always used the back exit when leaving. I had gone back to the warehouse once to grab the things I needed—clothes and my laptop, but other than that I had spent most of my time in the hotel doing research. I couldn’t wait around for her to change her mind—I needed to get back to a better place.
    I still checked her bank account every now and then, more habit than anything else. I had seen a large payment going to DBT properties, a firm that owned a beautiful