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She blinked, her eyes meeting his.
“The man’s death meant something. Don’t take that away from him.” He clenched his hand on his thigh so he wouldn’t reach for her. “As for the family, he was in the Mafia. They knew it wasn’t risk-free.” His mind flipped through the limited details his informants had known, but one aspect was missing. “Who was responsible for the hit?”
“I’m assuming Lucchese leftovers. The men are looking into it to make sure.” Her hand went to the back of her head, squeezing her bun. “The weird thing was their target. I’m pretty sure they were there for me.”
Antonio’s body stiffened as his hand curled into the bedspread between them.
“Like maybe they were even waiting for me to get there?” Vespa swallowed. “It’s weird, isn’t it? I mean, I’ve been targeted to get at Montrell before, but the Lucchese would target him and Beatrice, not me.” Her good shoulder sagged to rest against his. “I’ll need to talk to them about it.”
The idea that she hadn’t, that she was talking to him first, made his skin prickle. “You haven’t?” he asked, sure he’d misunderstood.
“I…” She trailed off, her eyes shutting as her jaw ticked. Then her eyes opened again, staring straight ahead. “Let’s not talk about this anymore.”
There was that straightforward avoidance. That it cropped up when Montrell Coronella was mentioned made Antonio frown. “Vespa—”
Her good hand landed on his chest, pushing him back against the pillows. “What were you doing up and strolling around this late anyway? You were shot!” She straddled him, and her voice turned husky as she leaned down. “Is it like it was for me? Need help forgetting the world?”
He closed his eyes, trying to focus on her touch. Instead, he pictured her face bloody, with her blood this time. “Sorry,” he forced out. “Not that. Not tonight.”
“Oh.” Vespa pulled her hand away.
He didn’t like what he saw on her face.
“This was silly of me.” She shifted as if to rise.
He caught her arm. “It’s not silly.”
“No, I get it. You don’t have to spell it out.” Her forced smile was all teeth. “You warned me your interest only lasts so long.” She started to rise again, and he tugged her back down to the bed.
“You’re wrong. I’m interested, but my body is wrecked tonight.” He nodded at her shoulder. “So is yours. You used both guns today, didn’t you?”
“You know everything, don’t you?” She bit her lip, her hand hovering over her shoulder. “It’ll be fine.”
He’d expected her to say that. “I have pain pills. Take one and curl up with me.”
Her head tilted as she stared down at him. “What?”
“Sleep here with me.” He refused to question the wave of well-being that spread through him with the request. “I like having you here. Didn’t I admit as much earlier?”
Her brows drew together as she studied him. “I guess.”
“Then stay.” Antonio released her. He pointed to the nightstand where he’d placed the cloth earlier. “And take a pill. I can tell you’re hurting.”
She opened her mouth but snapped it shut without trying to argue. She shook out a pill, using his glass of water to swallow it down. “You need one too?” she asked.
Antonio hated the way they made him feel, but his arm was drilling him with pain. He swallowed his own pill. There was something about putting his lips on the glass over where hers had been that felt frighteningly intimate.
When she disarmed, it only added to the peace inside him, even if she did slip one of the guns under the pillow next to his. Watching her pull the band from her hair made him want to touch her there.
The thought that having her stay was a bad idea flittered away as she lay beside him. His hand found her hair, and her eyes closed. The tension inside her slowly slipped away, making him realize all over again that she’d come to him for a reason neither of them wanted to consider too closely.
Vespa yawned. Her head turned, brushing a kiss over his forearm. “Pills suck. I might not wake up if someone breaks down the door.”
“You’re on the Di Salvo estate, Vespa,” he murmured, studying her relaxed face. “You’re safe here.”
“Sure,” she mumbled. It wasn’t long before her breathing evened out, and Antonio let the pull on his eyelids win as he followed her into sleep.
Vespa pushed through the front door of the Coronellas’ main house feeling all sorts of nerves. Antonio had still been sleeping off his pill when she snuck out, but Enzo had seen her. He hadn’t said anything, but his smile had spoken volumes.
