Page 35 of Caterina
I don’t like that it comes so quickly, either.
I tell myself to shake it off. To stop standing here like a sulking child in my own house. To act like the capable, composed woman I actually am instead of the one they all clearly still think they have to manage.
It almost works.
Then the irritation creeps higher again, curling tight around the back of my neck.
My thumb hovers over the button in the app for half a second, and I get one stupid flash of temptation to let him sit there. Five minutes. Ten. Let him stew outside those gates and wonder whether I’m ever going to let him in.
But that would only prove I am rattled enough to play games.
And I refuse to give anyone that satisfaction.
So I press the button.
A soft click sounds through the house. On the screen, the wrought iron gates begin to swing inward.
Then I stand there, phone in one hand, the old resentment curling hot and sharp through me again as the black SUV eases forward and drives through with patience. No sudden movement, but also no hesitation. Just a smooth roll onto the drive as if he already belongs there.
The gates close behind him with slow finality.
For a second, I remain where I am, staring at the monitor as the camera tracks the vehicle through the first stretch of the drive before passing the feed to the next angle.
My house suddenly feels less like mine.
That realization is low and ugly in my stomach.
I hate that too.
I draw in a breath through my nose, straighten my spine, and lift my chin at the screen as if the man can somehow see me through it already.
Fine.
He’s here.
Let him come.
Chapter Five
Adrian
The black SUV rolls to a stop at the base of the front steps, and I let it idle while I take in the house.
Different from Vito’s place. Smaller footprint. Less land. Closer to the city, just like he said. Enough money in the stonework and the landscaping to keep it elegant, enough thought in the layout to suggest somebody wanted privacy, but not enough perimeter depth to make me comfortable.
The front approach is too direct once you’re through the gate. The sight lines are cleaner than most houses this size, which Ilike, but the windows are still windows, the yard is still a yard, and proximity is always a problem when somebody wants to get close.
I clock the cameras first.
Updated hardware. Good placement. Some overlap in coverage. Gate feed likely routed inside. Antonio’s work, if I’m guessing right. Better than average. Still not a substitute for a person who knows what to look for in real time.
I shut off the engine, step out, and scan once more before I close the door behind me. Front door. Side windows. Roofline. Eaves. Driveway angle. Possible blind spots near the garage.
Shrubs low enough not to hide a man, which tells me somebody here understands that landscaping can get you killed if it’s done badly.
Good. I'm not starting from scratch.
The front door opens before I reach it.
