Chapter 16 - 126 Bleecker Street (3)

A U T U M N

He mixed the spaghetti with the sauce and served it with grated Parmesan and some fresh basils. It smelt so good that I could hear my stomach sing.

Phraser smiled as he handed me the cutleries. "Dig in." And so I did, I twisted the spaghetti using the fork and put it in my mouth. "How is it?" asked him. I looked up and found his eyes staring back at me, waiting for my reply.

I smiled. "It's wonderful." My reply made him smile like a kid in a candy store. His eyes sparkled as he smiled. "Your family must be so lucky."

His lips twitched. "Why?" He looked at me quizzically.

I gave him a duh look. "They have you cooking great food daily." I shrugged one shoulder.

He chewed and swallowed. "I don't cook for my family." A small frown appeared on his forehead. "They have their own chef."

I blinked. "Not even once?"

Slowly, he shook his head. "Nope."

"Why not?" I asked incredulously. I found it weird that he has never cooked for his family. I remembered Hunter, Tyler's friend who was dating my best friend Mey, he was a wonderful cook and when I asked him why he loved to cook, he said it was because of his family. Hunter said seeing the smile on his twin little sisters' face made him happy.

Phraser shrugged. He held a glass of water close to his lips and took a drink. When he set it back on the table, he looked at me and had his usual smirk on his face. "You're the first person to ever taste my food."

His eyes were so intense, I had to drop my gaze at my plate and twisted the spaghetti using the fork and spoon. I heard him laugh and looked up. "Don't worry, Temptress, I'm not trying to seduce you. It's an honest truth." He put his elbows on the table and leaned forward. "Believe me, when I do seduce you," he paused and gave me a wink, "you'll know."

* * *

T Y L E R

It was around five P.M. when I heard my phone buzz. I put my pizza down and wiped my hand on the tissue before I grabbed my phone off the table. I groaned when I saw the notification on the screen. It was from Mario again. I was about to turn my attention back to my pizza when the phone buzzed again. This time, he sent a file.

I clicked it open and my breath caught. It was a photo of Autumn walking down the street. There was someone beside her but I couldn't see his face since the photo was focused on her and only showed his body up to his neck. I scrolled up to read his message.

Anything could happen anytime.

I froze. My body felt stiff and I could feel the blood drained from my face. When the phone rang, it took me a minute before I answered the call. "Hello?"

"Signore Vincent." I put the phone away and looked at the screen to make sure it was Mario's number.

I put the phone next to my ear and asked, "who's this?" He didn't sound like Mario or Santiano. I've never heard his voice before and I had no idea who he was.

"You don't need to who I am." His voice laced with a thick Italian accent. "You only need to do the job. I don't give second chances, if you don't do what needs to be done, I'm going to blow the head of that girlfriend of yours." The man laughed and I felt my heart would stop anytime now. When he continued to speak, his voice sounded deep and dangerous, sending shivers down my spine. "You're a good employee but you're not irreplaceable." He ended the call.

I was still listening to the dial tone for two minutes before I ran to the bedroom and swapped my clothes. I shoved my cell phone into the back pocket of my jeans and put on my coat. I needed to move fast, I couldn't let anything happen to Autumn. She was too important. Too precious.

I swung the door open and stopped in my track as my eyes locked with a pair of hazel eyes staring back at me in surprise. "Ty."

Not wasting any time, I pulled her into a hug. I heard her muffled against my chest, "Ty, what's going on?"

"Nothing." I could feel tears pricking my eyes as I took a sharp intake of breath. "I miss you so much." I tightened the hug.

I felt her arms started to wrap around me. "I miss you too."

I kissed the top of her head before pulling away. We stared at each other for a brief moment and I saw love and affection in her eyes. "We should talk."

She nodded. "We should."

"But first, I have something to take care of." I opened the door and looked over my shoulder as I added, "Wait for me, love, it will not be long."