She stood frozen, his dark eyes piercing her very soul, unyielding and unreadable.
"You're alive," she finally said, her voice breathless and barely audible.
He gave a curt nod, no amusement in his expression. "You don't seem too excited about it."
She forced a sunny smile, though it barely masked her unease. It wasn't that she wasn't glad he survived, it was just that his presence unsettled her in ways she couldn't explain.
Being near him felt like standing too close to the edge of a cliff. "Not at all. I'm thrilled," she said, her voice dripping with forced cheer. "Now I can finally sleep well knowing you didn't die taking a bullet for me."
His lips pressed into a thin, flat line. He shrugged, his silence more unnerving than words.
They locked eyes in a stare-off, though it was clear she was the one struggling to hold the contact. "Aren't you going to invite me in?" he asked.
Her eyes widened in alarm, and she shot back, "No. I don't want anything to do with a man like you."
For a fleeting moment, his expression faltered, like her words struck a nerve. But the emotion, if it had even been real, was gone in an instant.
He shrugged off her rejection, his voice low and unyielding. "I need a nurse for my injuries."
She crossed her arms, her hazel eyes flashing defiantly as she glared at the imposing figure standing in her tulip-lined courtyard.
His dark form was an unnatural contrast to the delicate pink blossoms. "Then hire one. I'm sure a man of your caliber can afford such services. Good day, Mr. Vitale."
Turning sharply, she marched past him, fumbling to unlock her door with shaky hands.
She prayed he would leave, but the sound of his steady footsteps behind her sent a chill down her spine.
Spinning to face him, she mustered what courage she had left. "I said no!" she snapped, her tone laced with defiance.
He didn't flinch. Instead, he tilted his head, giving her a look so deviant it made her quiver to her sandals, His voice was quiet, dangerous. "I didn't ask."
Before she could react, he raised a booted foot and kicked her door open with a resounding crash, splintering the lock as if it were made of paper.
"Men of my caliber don't ask," he said, stepping inside with the certainty of someone who owned the world or at least her space in it.