“What do you mean?” He asked while taking an insanely large bite of his pancakes. “Chaotic?” The words were muffled by the food.
I giggled… actually giggled. Which was embarrassing. I really needed this concussion to heal up quickly. “No, happy?”
He stared at me for a moment, midchew. Finally he sighed, swallowed, and kissed my temple. “Yeah, sweetheart. That’s how it should be.”
“So,” Mateo clasped his hands together, “how about we address the elephant in the room while we’re all together.”
“Ooo, the fact that Rome is actually a good boyfriend?” Bee asked. “Because let me tell ya, I am shocked.”
“Rude,” Rome mumbled.
“No, Bianca,” Mateo chastised, “I mean the circumstances of our guest’s stay.” He motioned towards me. “Rome, correct me if I am wrong, but her work believes she’s in Oregon?”
Surprised, I turned to Rome, who nodded. “Yeah. The car chase is all over the news. I called and told her assistant that we flew to her brother's place while she heals up. It buys us a few weeks to figure out what the fuck is going on.”
“Rome,” Lucia chastized, “not in this household.”
“Sorry Mama,” he apologized. “What theheckis going on? Happy?”
She nodded in acceptance, “Carry on.”
“Anyway,” Mateo interjected, “we need someone with Bec…” He then abruptly turned to me, “Can I call you Bec, or would you prefer Rebecca?”
“Bec is perfect, thank you.”
While Rome physically resembled his late father, it was obvious the hand Mateo had in raising him. Mateo was why Rome was as kind and considerate as he was now.
“We need someone with Bec at all times to ensure what happened, doesn’t happen again.”
“You really don’t need to go through all this trouble. I can simply hire people…” I began to explain, but Lucia clicked her tongue, cutting me off.
“You’re family now, and we take care of each other." She was resolute, leaving no room for argument.
Rome grabbed my thigh under the table, giving me a reassuring squeeze. “We need to keep you as low profile as possible. I know you probably have the money and connections to fix this, but I don’t know how to get there in that way. I do know how to keep you safemyway. Hiring people would bring attention to where you are really at. The way things are set up now, it all goes through Bly Enterprises. We need to keep you away from them until we find out who tried to kidnap you, and why.”
“But my job?” I asked in a quiet voice.
“I know,” he answered in an understanding voice, “but what’s more important… you having this job and proving everyone wrong? Or your life and your safety?”
Six months ago, I would have readily answered: My job. My job was my entire life. I would have given anything up to prove I was up to the task.
Now… well, now I had Rome. Now I had a life away from the job, and joy away from the job. None of which I was ready to give up.
“You’re right.”
Rome stared at me for a moment in shock. “Just how bad is your concussion that you actually admitted I’m right?”
I rolled my eyes and playfully punched his arm.
“There she is,” he joked and wrapped his arms around me. I guess I was moving in with the Romano’s for the foreseeable future. What could go wrong?
Chapter Twenty-One
ROME
Bec was absolutely losing her mind. She enjoyed staying at my house and spending time with my family, but she missed having something to do.Anythingto do.
Because of her concussion, she couldn’t work out, read, or do anything mentally or physically stimulating. She essentially existed in a holding pattern while she waited for a clean bill of health. For a woman who had spent the better half of her life working at a speed that would send most people to their graves,slowing down felt impossible for her. When my family was around, it was hectic enough that she was preoccupied, but once they left… she went a bit insane.
