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“Something regarding the last construction project?” he asks.
“No. This is a personal matter,” I say and lean back in my seat. “There is something of yours here. Something that shouldn’t have been in my city, Mr. Rossi . . .”
“Say that again.” Pippa lowers her purseand stares at me.
“Someone shot at us.” I grab a bottle of water from my locker and take a sip.
“In the middle of the day? Did you call the police? And why are you so... unperturbed?”
It’s not my first rodeo, but Pippa doesn’t have to know that. “My mysterious stranger threw me into his friend’s car and sent me away. I can’t say what happened afterward. The driver dropped me off and hightailed it.”
“Was it a random shooting?”
“I don’t know. It’s possible they were aiming at the jacket guy.”
“Why would someone shoot at him? You said he’s just a businessman.”
Yeah, I’ve wondered about that, too. “I’m not even sure whether they were shooting at us or if it was a stray bullet. Everything happened so fast. One moment we were kissing, and the next, the windshield behind me shattered, and then I ended up in the back of another car.”
“What?” She widens her eyes at me. “You kissed him? Was it good?”
“Technically speaking, he kissed me.” I grin in spite of myself. “And yup, it was good.”
“Are you going to see him again?”
“I don’t know. We didn’t exactly have time to exchange numbers.” I close the locker and lean back against it. “There is something about him. I can’t put my finger on what it is exactly, but I’m attracted to him like a bee to honey. And believe me, there is nothing sweet about that guy.”
“He certainly is hot.”
“It’s not just that. He’s... weird, in some strangely attractive way. He was completely serious the entire time, as if wewere in a business meeting, discussing stock fluctuations. But the way he looked at me...” I sigh. “Have you ever gone out on a date and talked nonsense to break the ice? There, outside the coffee shop, I rambled on about work while his eyes studied mine. And, Pippa, he listened to me. Not because he was being polite, but as though he really wanted to know.” I close my eyes and shake my head. “I like him. Like, really like him. But I don’t like being shot at. And I would have really appreciated it if he’d shared his name this time.”
* * *
I slide the key into the new lock, but the front door opens without me having to turn it. Did I forget to lock up this morning? I step into my apartment and freeze like a waxwork model. My brother is sitting at the kitchen table, his arms crossed, staring at me.
“What the fuck were you thinking, Milene?” he asks through his teeth.
I cross the small space and drop heavily down on the sofa. “How did you find me?”
“How? That’s a funny story, really. Last night, Rossi called me, furious. He wanted to know what the hell my sister was doing in New York. I said it must be a mistake since my sister was in Illinois.”
Shit. How did our don find out I’m in New York? I squeeze my eyes shut for a second, then look up at Angelo. “I knew you wouldn’t let me come to New York, but St Mary’s is the best hospital. I was lucky to get the chance to work there and didn’t want to miss it. I’m sorry.”
“You’re sorry?” he snarls. “You’re fuckingsorry?”
“I have three more months of my residency left, and then I’ll leave, I promise. Don Ajello won’t ever find out.”
Angelo regards me with his jaw pressed tight, the veins in his neck pulsing rapidly, and shakes his head. “How do you think I got your address, Milene?”
An icy chill passes down my spine as dread spreads a numb sort of panic throughout my body.
“Ajello sent your address to Rossi, Milene. Along with a copy of your residency details, showing you’ve been here nine fucking months!” He yells so loudly that my poor cat jumps from the sofa and dashes into the bathroom.
All I can do is stare at my brother, incapable of speech.
“Do you realize you’ve almost started a goddamned war?”
“But... I’m just working at a hospital. It’s not like I’m selling drugs on Ajello’s turf or anything. Why does it matter?”
