Redeemed (Dirty Air Series Book 4)

I slip through the same warped wooden plank as last night. Dark clouds hide the moon, which makes my journey through the overgrown yard difficult with only a small flashlight. My mood takes a dive when I trip over a group of exposed roots. I land on my knees, scraping them in the process. Wet dirt clings to my legs as I stand, and I’m pretty sure my shirt ripped down the back based on the breeze tickling my skin.

“Has this man ever heard of a lawnmower?” I mumble under my breath as I brush a clump of dirt off my shin.

I somehow make it through the maze of trees and bushes without any more accidents. My neck cranes as I check out the ominous mansion this man calls home. It’s about as welcoming as a nap in a coffin.

“I’ve officially made an enemy out of Count Dracula. Good to know.” I scan the front entryway, not finding any cars in the driveway. Like a desperate fool, I search nooks and crannies for a spare key but come up empty.

I follow the perimeter of the house and peek through a few windows. The rooms are dark enough for me to catch my reflection in the glass. My confidence grows as I praise God for helping me out and making sure the house is empty.

I come up to the back porch. Testing my luck, I try the knob only to find it locked. The standard deadbolt is easy to break into based on the information I gathered earlier from YouTube’s crash course on picking locks. I’m not entirely proud of how many times I watched it until I mastered the movements.

I pull out a special screwdriver I scored from a local shop from my backpack. Holding my mini flashlight in my mouth, I replicate the motions I practiced on my own bathroom door this afternoon. After a few failed tries because of my nerves, the door opens with a click.

Darkness cloaks the house in shadows and random shapes. My tiny flashlight does a poor job of guiding my way through the kitchen. Nothing stands out on the counters, so I continue moving forward.

“Okay, think. If I was an unhinged man, where would I hide a phone?” I stumble out of the room.

I make my way through a wide hallway before I’m spit out into a large room. Everything is going fine and dandy until I trip on something I didn’t see with the flashlight. I let out a scream as I fall forward, landing on my hands and scuffed-up knees. My eyes water as something embeds itself into my hands.

My fingers brush across lots of small rectangular shapes with ridges. I pull one up to my eyes and analyze the foreign object. “A fucking Lego? This place really is owned by the Devil.” I crawl through the Lego warzone, brushing the pieces aside.

I make it to a grand staircase lit by the glow from a dangling iron chandelier. I’m halfway up the stairs when the front door opens with a groan. All hell breaks loose in the lobby of the house, and my ears ache from a female screaming.

My heart gets stuck in my throat. “Seriously. Why can’t I catch a break this week?” I whisper under my breath. All that effort for nothing. In a rush, I tuck the flashlight into my back pocket and turn on my heel, hitting the guests with my best smile. With my knees threatening to buckle, I clutch onto the railing for support.

A few overhead lights turn on, revealing a brunette in a billowing skirt and a T-shirt. “Oh my God. Santiago, who is that?” She screams again for good measure.

I’m tempted to cover my ears but stop myself.

“Hmm. I didn’t expect you to show up unannounced.” The same rough voice from earlier sends a shiver up my spine. How exactly did he want me to show up?

“The welcoming committee and marching band were busy tonight, so I couldn’t announce my arrival.” I smile at him, hoping my eyes scream fuck you.

I take a moment to get a good look at the grumpiest man I’ve ever met. Of course, Santiago has to have a sexy name to match his looks. Lighting from the chandelier illuminates his warm golden skin, making his brown eyes shine. The asshole happens to be the most attractive man I’ve had a chance to look at in my short life.

I feel cheated by the moonlight last night because Santiago looks sexier in the light. He makes rugged seem attractive in the best kind of way with a thick, short beard and long hair grazing his shoulders in a wavy mess. His dark shirt highlights bulging muscles, and his gray sweatpants show off strong thigh muscles.

Damn. Seriously, this man should not be running around in public. He’s a danger to society and women everywhere for multiple reasons. The first starting with the instant attraction I have in his presence.

The woman grips onto Santiago’s arm. “Is this your girlfriend? You’ve been holding out on us! No wonder you haven’t answered my phone calls.” She speaks with such delight at the idea.

Oh God. No. My face must say everything words can’t. Santiago smirks like he’s in on a joke I’ve yet to catch onto.

I speak at the same time as him. “This isn’t what it looks like—”

“My girlfriend wasn’t supposed to be here.”

Girlfriend? Excuse me? 

The asshole has the nerve to smile at me. At least he has plump lips to distract me from the cunning lies he spews.

Maya frowns at me. “Are you okay? Your knees are covered in dirt.”

My cheeks flush as I brush random clumps of dirt off me. “Oh, yeah. I was gardening.”

Her brow raises. “At night?”

“My fair skin tends to burn easily so I like to work at night.” Well, that’s not a total lie.

Another guy appears, cradling a small child to his chest. Okay, seriously, what is in the Italian water and where can I get some? His dark hair and penetrating blue gaze has me wanting to pinch my arm to make sure I’m not dreaming.

Santiago’s eyes narrow at me. “She was supposed to come over tomorrow to help me babysit. That is, if you agree to letting Marko stay of course.” He looks at the woman before his eyes meet mine. “She must’ve mixed up the days.”

Well, I can’t let him win this round. I’d rather outplay him at his own game than let him have the upper hand.

I walk down the stairs with as much Julie Andrews’ The Princess Diaries’ energy as I can gather under tense circumstances. “I’ve heard so much about Marko. I can’t wait to help babysit. I actually spent years working in a daycare before coming to Italy.”

“Oh, that’s great! I’m Maya, Santiago’s sister.” An overly excited Maya offers her hand. Her assessing brown eyes make me nervous.

“Chloe.” I shake it with a fake smile.

“Chloe—” The way Santiago says my name has my toes curling in my sneakers. Screw this mission to hell and back. Would he think I’m weird if I ask him if I can record him saying my name a couple of times? For mindfulness meditation activities, obviously.

Santiago tilts his head in the direction of the other male. “This is Noah, my sister’s husband.” He says it in a way that makes me feel like I should recognize his brother-in-law.

I blink at Noah, trying to place him. Nope. Drawing a blank. “Santiago talks about you all the time.” Well, that sounded like the right thing to say. 

Noah smiles wide, looking way too handsome for comfort. “Oh, does he now? I’m flattered.”

“Yeah. It’s not my fault your ugly face is always on TV,” Santiago offers, saving me.

I have no clue why Noah’s face is on TV, but based on how he looks, Hollywood would suit him well. “I’ve heard a ton about you.” I move toward the front door. “Well, it’s pretty late, and I have an early morning. It was great to meet you both.”

“Oh no.” Maya’s bottom lip wobbles.

“Don’t go yet.” Santiago, in his typical don’t mind me, I’m secretly a psycho way, grabs me and tugs me into his body. His strong arms wrap around my body, basking me in his enticing scent and warmth. I’m tempted to rub my face into his shirt like a creep.

Bad Chloe. This man is anything but stable. Not to mention he stole your phone. 

“Yes, please stay for a few more minutes.” Maya clasps her hands together. “So… Santiago didn’t mention you today.”

“You know him. He prefers to have a life full of secrets in this big castle of his.”

Everyone laughs. Interesting. The plot thickens. 

“I see why he hid you from us.” Noah’s blue eyes lighten.

Santiago’s hand slides up my side, singeing my skin. “Chloe had me pegged from the first night she met me.”

“Yeah, it seems like only yesterday.”

The way Santiago laughs, loose and rough, has Maya and Noah looking at us with wide eyes. Something about their reaction tells me Santiago doesn’t laugh that way often.

Can I make him do it again? I’ve always dreamed of having a superpower.

Marko stirs in Noah’s arms.

Maya brushes his head with a tenderness I’m unaccustomed to seeing. “We’d love to have breakfast with you before we leave tomorrow. I can’t believe Santiago has kept you a secret for this long. I need to know everything about you. He hasn’t had a girlfriend since he was a teenager.”

I’m eating up all these clues about Santiago like discounted candy after Halloween.

“Oh. Chloe can’t have breakfast with us since she has to visit her friend.” Santiago speaks for me.

Right. My friend. AKA the father I traveled thousands of miles for but haven’t gotten the courage to meet yet.

Maya’s smile drops.

Noah’s eyes move from his wife’s face to mine. “I insist you join us. I’m sure your friend wouldn’t mind rescheduling.”

“Well…” I bite my bottom lip.

“We don’t visit often,” Noah says.

“More like ever,” Maya mumbles under her breath.

Shoot. “Umm…”

Santiago’s arms tighten around me in a way that says don’t confess our lie or else I’ll kill you. At least, that’s what I assume from the way his body tenses behind me. I go along with it because I honestly wouldn’t put it past him to have a graveyard somewhere on this property.

“Sure. I can just meet up with my friend later,” I offer.

Maya’s face brightens again. She forces Santiago to let me go and wraps her arms around me in a hug. “I’m beyond excited to spend some time with you! I didn’t realize Santiago was creating a life over here.”

I freeze, unused to this kind of affection from someone I barely know. Actually, I’m unaccustomed to this affection from people I do know. She releases me after one last squeeze.

She and Noah say good night and retreat upstairs with Marko.

I wait for them to disappear before I turn and stare Santiago down. “Girlfriend?!” I whisper-shout.

He shrugs. “It was the best thing I could come up with under pressure. It sounded better than calling you my little criminal, or was I wrong?”

I want to ignore the possessiveness of his nickname for me. It shouldn’t get me all tingly in my chest, but here I am. Now is not the time to realize I’ve got a thing for killers and creeps. I want to blame binging too many episodes of Dexter at a young impressionable age, but there’s no use denying the pull I have toward Santiago.

I clear my throat, recovering. “Of course that’s better. But now I need to have breakfast with your family and pretend I know who the hell you are.”

He rolls his eyes. “You can stop pretending. The innocent act was cute in front of them, but you can give it up now.”

“I’m sorry, what? An innocent act? You’re the one who’s acting, forcing me into pretending I recognize some Hollywood actor and his wife. It’s not like I’m exactly the type to flip through People Magazine, seeing as I have to work all the time.”

Santiago’s eyebrows draw together. “Hollywood actor?”

“Yes. Noah. The guy we ‘watch on TV together.’” I offer with air quotes. “I’ve never seen that man on any show before. So, is he a D-list actor or something?”

Santiago’s frown turns into a smug smile. “Or something like that.”

The way his eyes glow with something unknown has me bristling. “You’re up to something.”

“That’s funny coming from the woman who broke into my house.”

I can’t stop the laugh that bubbles out of me. It’s hard to remain serious based on the ridiculousness of our situation. Seriously. What the hell has my life become? Here I am arguing with a man I met less than a day ago about a fake relationship.

Santiago stares at me with such intensity, my stomach muscles clench. “Well, you better get some rest before breakfast tomorrow.” He opens the front door for me.

My jaw drops. “Wait. What about my phone?”

“You’ll get it tomorrow after breakfast. Consider it collateral.”

“You really are a psycho.” I huff under my breath.

“Funny, I’d say the same about someone who would trespass not once, but twice on the same person’s property. Speaking of—which window did you break to get inside? I’m assuming you won’t cover the bill based on the state of your clothing.” He runs a finger down the ripped back of my shirt. His touch sets off a bodily reaction I have no time to comprehend. I can only describe it as fireworks shooting off my skin, forcing every cell inside of me into overdrive.

I suck in a breath and turn on my heel, facing him in all his handsome glory. “I’m more talented than that.”

“I apologize for underestimating your abilities after yesterday’s shitty display of sneaking around.”

I rub my heart like his words hurt me. “One: I wasn’t sneaking around. And two: I don’t like you.”

“Okay. Sure.” He scoffs. “I don’t need you to like me. I just need you to show up and pretend for a little longer. See you in the morning.” He shoots me a tight smile before shutting the door in my face with a soft thud.

The audacity of this man. I want to hate it, but I end up respecting him for acting unapologetically himself.

Santiago whatever-his-last-name-is seems like the kind of man to trap people into giving him what he wants. And like an idiot, I willingly fly straight into his web of lies.