Page 111 of The Masked King

His driver.

The loose end Gio left to tackle; the corrupt police commissioner with a penchant for Caribbean cruises, vulgar gold jewelry, and billionaires willing to swell his bank account in return for looking the other way.

I sit the corpse in a plastic seat in the visitor’s waiting room, place his gun back in his hand, and write a message on a blank sheet from a notepad I locate at the nurse’s station.

I WORK FOR THE POLICE COMMISSIONER.

Then I go back to the woman I love, slide onto the trundle bed beside her, spooning her body with mine, and close my eyes.

“Enzo?” Demi is facing me, so close, our breaths are mingled.

“You’re awake.”

I blink, aware that I slept when I should’ve remained alert. Painfully aware of what it would’ve cost me if the commissioner had sent another man to finish the job. She’s alive, I tell myself through the woolly nest that appears to have replaced my brain.

She’s safe.

Nothing happened to her.

“What are we doing down here?” Demi whispers.

I glance up at the bed, shielding us from view of anyone who might walk in.

“I thought we could use a little privacy.” I tuck her hair behind her ear and kiss her lips softly.

“Did you hang a DO NOT DISTURB sign on the door too?” Her tone is playful, and I’m glad I didn’t get to wake her with coffee when she so obviously needed the rest.

“No, but it can be arranged.”

She smiles, her eyes lighting up the way I remember. “What about when the nurses come around with my meds?”

“I think they might be occupied elsewhere.” I shift my hips closer to her, my erection already tenting inside my pants.

Her eyes widen when she feels it, and I can’t help smiling when she lifts one leg and drapes it over my thigh to grant me more access. “You missed me, huh?”

“What gave it away?”

“Oh, I don’t know…” She shimmies her hips closer. “Maybe it’s that weapon you’re hiding in your pants.”

“Weapon?” I’m grinning. “Is that in a good way or a bad way?”

Heat rushes to her face, highlighting the green bruises, and making me want to punch the next person who comes near her in the throat.

“The best way.” Her voice is husky as she tilts her head and kisses me, her tongue parting my lips.

It’s all the prompting I need. I roll her onto her back, supporting myself on my good arm, and kiss her slow and hard, reviving the memories of our kisses when we both believed we had all the time in the world.

“I’ve missed tasting you,” I murmur between short shallow breaths.

“Would you believe me if I said I missed you too?” Her eyes are glistening.

“Always.”

I reach behind her and tug open the strings holding the gown together. Watching her watching me, I pull the gown off her, realizing with a gasp that she’s naked underneath.

“Is this for my benefit?” I soak up the sight of her nakedness with my eyes.

“You almost sound like someone I once knew.” She nibbles the corner of her bottom lip.