56. Chapter Fifty-Five

Chapter Fifty-Five

I stare down at my phone, rereading the headline and still unable to grasp what it's saying. I know the words, but what the fuck.

He actually did it?

Piano Man Finds a New Gig: Russian Mafia Leader Nearly Decapitated

He killed his father. But not just that. He killed one of the most feared men on this planet… for me.

For me.

In the name of grand gestures, I think this takes the cake.

Only, I don't think he did this just for me. I mean, he did, but it wasn't to get me back. If it was, he'd have come to me already.

This article is a week old.

I haven't seen Sevastian in over a month. I haven't called and he hasn't called me. I've been working on getting my place set up. Working on getting my life settled here in California. There have been many times I've wanted to call him. Even picked up my phone to do so, but it didn't feel right. Deep down, I know I have shit to figure out too. Missing him isn't the worst thing. We both have shit to figure out, and maybe I want to see how long it'll take for him to come back. Yet, how long will I wait before I give in and call him first?

Thankfully, between my new house and helping Ori at the bookstore, I've been occupied.

I haven't been back to my condo at all. I asked Freddy to do me a solid and grab the few things I wanted and ship them to me and told the Realtor to sell it furnished. Whoever buys it can handle getting rid of the shit they don't want or keep all of it for all I care. Even managed to sell my truck with the help of Freddy. I told him to keep the money for helping me out. It wasn't much, but I don't need it. I'll buy something new out here. Maybe a Jeep or some kind of fancy convertible.

Reese came with me to buy furniture for the house. I ordered a ton of clothes off the internet because there's no way in fuck I'm stepping foot in a mall or a clothing store. The only reason I didn't do the same for furniture was because Reese was bugging me to go. No idea why he was so excited about it, but he was. So I went. And I didn't hate it. Looking at things in person is better than browsing websites on a screen. Sitting on couches and feeling rugs helped decide which ones I wanted.

"Mr. Lorenzetti?" I look up and click my phone off. There's a young girl walking toward me with a bright smile on her face. "I'm Nicole, and I'm ready to take you in the back now."

I get to my feet, putting my phone into my pocket, and following after her. She pushes through a door that she holds open for me. I can already hear the whining.

"If there is anyone you'd like to see, just let me know," she explains as we walk through a short white hallway toward another door. "Ready?" she asks, pausing by the door.

"Ready," I say awkwardly.

She pushes the door open, and the whining turns to excited yelps and barks. This hallway is long, with at least twenty cages on each side. It smells like dog, which should be a turn off, but I know one dog won't smell this bad. Which is why I'm here to get one. A hamster wasn't right. I scoped them out the other day, and they were just weird. I mean, what are you supposed to do with those things? Just watch them? They're boring as hell.

"Take your time," Nicole says, walking beside me as I move past each cage, glancing in. I'd gone back and forth over what animal to get. I finally decided on a dog, thanks to the yard that came with my house. I decided I did not want to deal with training a puppy, and figured I'd adopt.

I pass a lot of cute dogs of all different colors and sizes. They jump at the gates, begging for attention. But there is one dog that catches my attention. He's sitting in front of the gate, wagging his tail, his tongue hanging out of his mouth. His black curly hair is just long enough that it almost covers his eyes. He's medium-sized and staring at me with eyes that look way too human.

I glance over my shoulder at Nicole. "Can I see this one?"

"Of course," she says, undoing the lock on the gate and opening it. The dog hurries toward me and I kneel down. He hops up, sniffing my neck and licking my face. "This is Buster, but he doesn't really know that, so you can call him whatever you'd like. He's a little over two and was dropped off here last week. He's great with kids and other animals, and housebroken."

I run my hands through his soft fur, scratching his back. His whole body is wiggling like crazy as he tries to jump into my arms.

"He's perfect," I say, looking up at Nicole. "I'll take him."

So, I know I said I didn't want to go into stores for anything, but after me and Buster leave the shelter, I drive straight to a pet store so I can get him some things. The shelter gave me a temporary leash, so we use that for now. I have no idea what I'm going to name him yet, but don't plan to keep Buster. It doesn't fit him.

The dog is extremely well-behaved. He doesn't tug on the leash and stays by my side. He does get excited when he sees other dogs and animals and goes bonkers over a pack of tennis balls. So, obviously, I have to buy them. Pushing a cart and holding him isn't an easy task, but I manage. By the time we're done, the cart is full of all sorts of dog stuff. Food bowls, harness, toys, shampoo, treats… It all costs a pretty penny too. Who knew a dog would be so damn expensive?

I get him into the car then load everything into the trunk. He watches me the entire time.

"You excited about going to your new home?" I ask once I'm in the car, glancing in the rear-view mirror. He barks in response. Smart dog.

I open the window enough for him to stick his head out, which he does for the entire ride. When we get home, I bring him inside and show him around. I give him the grand tour of the house, and then let him outside so he can get familiar with the yard while I bring all of his stuff in. I put all his toys in the basket I got to keep them organized and place it beside the couch. The bag of dog food goes in the pantry, and I put the food and water bowl against the wall by the sliding glass door. I hear him barking, and when I look out the window, I find him chasing a squirrel.

I can't wait to see what Sev thinks about this dog. And more? How he plans to sneak in without getting caught now.