At once the door opened and Geno came striding in with his bodyguards. His energy filled the store. Not just his energy, but his presence. He was a big man, and he seemed to dominate the wholly feminine space. His dark eyes glittered with menace. He looked very intimidating.
Amaranthe held up the coat. “What do you think?”
“I think you should put it on for me. It looks as if it might be a little big for you, but it is beautiful.”
For the first time she really looked at it. It was gorgeous. She wanted it to fit, but Geno was right. It did look like it might be too big.
“It’s supposed to fit oversized,” Miranda murmured. “You’ll see. I think it will be perfect for you.”
Geno took the jacket and held it for her so she could slip her arms in the sleeves. It felt amazing on her, as if she was wrapping herself in a cocoon of warmth.
If I have to step into a shadow, I’d have to shed the jacket. Just drop it and go. It would be such a shame to loseit. I already love it, Geno, and I haven’t even looked in a mirror.
“Miranda’s right, Danzatrice Ombra, you look beautiful. The jacket looks as if it were made for you. We’ll take it.”
Fiero, Donte or one of the others will retrieve for you. Anything you need to leave behind, they’ll keep safe for you, Amara.
What are we going to do about Miranda?
Tell her the truth and then take her place each night until they come for her.
Relief swept through her and with it a kind of overwhelming emotion she was unfamiliar with. Geno might be devastated by what had taken place between Stefano and him, but he would never allow anything to keep him from protecting those around him.
“What time are you closing the store tonight, Miranda?” Geno asked as he walked up to the counter with Amaranthe.
She slipped out of the jacket to allow Miranda to remove the tags.
“It’s Sunday, Geno. I close early, around five. It only takes me about half an hour to lock the store up, and I go home and put my feet up.”
“Amaranthe and I will slip into the back room of the store tonight around four. You carry on as if we’re not here. My brothers may be with us. They pay no attention to any orders I give them, so even if I tell them to stay away, the likelihood of them listening is nil.”
Miranda laughed, but she sounded nervous. “Your brothers are so delightful. Lucca takes me to lunch at least once a month. Salvatore drops by for coffee in the mornings quite often. You raised them to be fine gentlemen, Geno. I always enjoy dinners with you the most.”
Amaranthe was happy to know Geno took Miranda to dinner and his brothers didn’t neglect her. She hadn’t mentioned a husband or children. She didn’t know if the womanwas alone in the world, but she thought she might be. That would be sad.
“You think that woman will come back to my shop after hours to murder me, don’t you?” Miranda’s voice was steady, but the hand she pressed to her throat trembled.
“Yes,” Geno answered without hesitation. “But she’s going to find me here, not you. You’re going to be protected because I’m not losing one more person I love.”
Miranda’s eyes flooded with tears, but she blinked them away. Her chin went up and she gripped the edge of the counter. “Have no worries, Geno, I can act with the best of them. If she’s spying on me, there will be no indication you’re in the backroom.”
“Even if Lucca’s making a fool of himself, you have to be strong and not laugh,” Geno warned with a straight face.
Miranda pressed her lips together to keep from smiling. She nodded, her eyes dancing once again. Her belief in Geno was absolute.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
I wish I were taller. I could be out front taking Miranda’s place.”
Geno turned around to look at his fiancée. Both his brothers did the same. The three Ferraro brothers took up most of the space in the small back room. Amaranthe appeared very small, almost fragile. No matter her size, she was a force to be reckoned with. She always would be. She was lightning fast and very observant.
“You don’t need to be bait. You managed to find out Miranda was being targeted when none of us knew. You saved her life. In a couple of minutes, we’ll have her retreat to the bathroom and stay there. It will look as if she came back here. The assassin, if she’s coming tonight, will enter and set up to attack.”
“I doubt she’ll be alone,” Amaranthe cautioned. “I don’t think any of the others were alone when they killed. I know the police reports said they were, but I don’t see how it was possible, certainly not with your parents being riders.”
Geno thought it was interesting that she’d gone to ananalytical voice without even being aware of it. His woman fell back on her training the moment she was in any situation where she perceived danger.
“Miranda isn’t a rider,” Lucca pointed out. “They will expect she’ll be easy to kill. She was a model. If this female assassin talked with her at any length or studied her, she should know Miranda is as sweet as they come. She wouldn’t hurt a fly. When we were kids, we would walk all over her.”
