The Carrero Heart - Beginning (Friends to Lovers)

I must have fallen asleep quickly as I wake to noise, only half aware of Camilla telling me she is going out and then fall back into
oblivion after the door slams shut in the outer living area. I think I drift off again into oblivion because everything becomes
confusing and time seems to drift away.
I jump up with the pounding noise coming from what seems to be all around me, disorientated, and immediately terrified; it takes
a moment to realize the ‘thud, thud, thud’ is coming from the outer living room, and I’m in semi-darkness.
I get up warily, realizing I must have been out for a while as it’s later in the evening, even though the clock tells me it’s still well
before midnight. I venture into the open plan area slowly and fearfully; aware someone is pounding on the apartment door and I
sigh with relief and trudge towards it casually.
“I’m coming, keep your hair on!” I yell out as I try to cool the hammering of my heart to a steadier pace, still foggy headed from
sleep, trembling from my rude awakening and realizing I never even picked up a robe to cover myself.
Camilla’s delivery no doubt.
Guy sure is keen to deliver a parcel.
Without hesitation, or even checking the peephole, I open the safety lock and ease the heavy fire door, just enough to pop my
head round to see who is making all that infernal, impatient noise, with an irritated sigh.
All the blood drains from my soul, my body instantly met with a cold wave and heart dropping lurch when faced with one casually
dressed, and obviously majorly pissed off, Arrick Carrero.
He doesn’t give me a second to say anything before he shoves the door wider, knocking me back into the apartment and storms
in, turning on me with so much fury on that normally calm face, that I’m instantly mute.
“What the fuck is this?” He snaps at me, okay more like majorly yells in my face. I’m so taken aback, that I inhale sharply,
wounded child making an appearance and unable to react except stare back with wide eyes and quivering nerves.
His eyes suddenly drop down noticing the fact I’m wearing a skimpy tank, that is slightly transparent, and lace panties that are
meant more for seduction than walking around the Livingroom. Realizing where his gaze has landed, I immediately turn to make
a fast move for the bedroom to cover up, but he is hot on my heels and catches my arm, swinging me back to him.
“Don’t you dare walk away from me. Answer me, Sophie.” He tugs me back harshly, so I’m pulled to within an inch of his bristling
body, igniting my inner rage monster.

“Let me go.” I try to shrug free, not really sure how to navigate this version of him and being overcome by the instinctive fight-or-
flight impulse I have. He is bubbling hostility, and instead of his normal sexy tailored clothes, he’s in sweats a hoody, and
sneakers, as though he’s been running or fight training before coming here. His short-cropped hair is messily cute, but his face is
raw rage that I have only ever seen on him mid arena fight, and crazily intimidating. My heart threatens to break out of my chest,
but I won’t yield to him like this. I haven’t got it in me to back down when faced with a terrifying male in destructive mode. He
hauls me to a standstill, hands grasping both upper arms as I wriggle, and I’m jerked into submission momentarily.
“Not until you tell me what the fuck you were thinking.... You ran off... Again, Sophie! What the fuck is wrong with you? Why the
hell do you think it’s acceptable to up and run anytime something annoys you? It’s immature as fuck!” He pulls me up against his
large height and strong chest, and I instantly feel feeble and weak, fear flowing through me that in this mode, I have no power
against him at all. I have never seen him like this, and he’s scaring me. All the childhood warning bells, even though it’s him,
even though I know he wouldn’t hit me. They’re firing hard and fear’s coursing through my veins.
“How did you even find me here?” Is the only thing I can whisper, averting my eyes to stop the way he’s eating into my soul with
that penetrative death glare. Trying to bring calm to my jellified legs and trembling body.
“That doesn’t matter, what matters is that I’m taking you home. Right now! You have no fucking choice!” He’s seething, gritting
teeth, and a tone he never uses on anyone. I lose the last dredges of my bravado and instead slowly turn into a puddle of Jell-O,
every limb shaking and unsure how to deal with this version of Arrick. He’s a stranger like this.
“No! ... I’m not going back. You can’t make me.” I sound childish and churlish, voice weak, and feeble, tears prickling my eyes,
but still that stubborn bottom lip jutting out.
“Watch me, Sophs. You can’t behave like a goddamn fucking child and skip out on people who did nothing but love you. I won’t
stand back and watch you fuck things up even more than you have done already. You and I are a different matter, right now this
shit with your family is priority, and you won’t keep hurting them if I have any say in it.” He turns me harshly, marching me into the
room, hands still on my arms tightly. I try to run in before him, but that biting grip yanks me back so he can move past and start
hauling my things from the floor, leaving me trembling.
I cross my arms over my chest in a bid to cover up what he has already gotten more than an eyeful of, but it’s futile. Arrick turns,
throwing jeans and a sweater my way so they land on the bed right in front of me, and pushes the rest of my clothes back in my
rucksack. He is a man on a mission, blinkered by rage and completely closed off from the guy I trust. All I can do is obey and
stand here feeling weak and fragile. I’m numb and speechless; arguing won’t work when he’s like this. He has that stubborn
unmovable air of Jake about him, and that aggression I only ever see when he is in fight mode.

“Is this all you brought?” He barks at me as a tear slips down involuntarily, and I nod. My heart still pounding violently. I don’t
want to go back to the Hamptons, but I also don’t want to have to run somewhere else in the city tonight, to escape him. Even if I
could, he doesn’t look like he will give me an inch to get free again. I have no one here that will help me, except Camilla, and
booking into a hotel will get me caught just as quick.
“Get dressed, you’re staying at my apartment tonight, and then tomorrow, Jake is coming. The three of us will fly back together.”
He commands as my brain starts piecing together the puzzle parts quickly.
“Jake tracked my cell, didn’t he? That’s why he told me to leave it on, right?” I sniff back more tears of betrayal, the sudden
realization that Jake has done this before. Emma told me many a time that Jake once used her cell to find her in a New York bar
to come to her rescue years ago. He isn’t against using those means on me if he thought I needed rescuing.
“Just get dressed. I’m not doing this here.” He stands watching me, obviously refusing to leave to let me dress, in case I climb
out the window of a penthouse suite and shimmy down a brick wall.
Biting on my bottom lip, I pick up the sweater and pull it over my tank, grateful that I’m covering up, and more than aware that
Arrick looks my body over more than once while glaring angrily. It never bothered me before if he saw me in skimpy attire, but
something in how he is being right now, makes his glances feel different. Like he’s really noticing for the first time I have a female
body, and I’m not entirely sure he likes it one little bit; his expression is impossible to read.