Raven shakes her head. “No. I’m sorry, Matteo. I don’t remember her saying anything at all.”
I place my hand on her thigh and squeeze gently. “It’s okay,” I say, hating how frustrated that makes me feel.
Forty minutes later we’re almost at the hospital, and I let out a sigh of relief when the building comes into view. “Raven,” I say, changing gear as I take a left turn.
“Mhmm?”
“Gia will probably insist on talking with me alone,” I admit.
“Oh?”
Nodding, I continue. “I need you to get upset about that.”
“Wait… what’s going on?” she demands.
I explain about the crush I know Gia’s had for a while now. “We fucked once or twice before the explosion last year. She wanted more, but I didn’t. Then after the explosion, she became… needy. Wait, that’s not the right word. Shewantedto take care of me.”
Raven scoffs. “Oh, for fuck’s sake,” she seethes.
As I finish parking, I turn to Raven. “I haven’t touched her or anything since back then. And I’ve never given her reason to think anything more would come of—”
“Stop,” Raven says. “I’m not annoyed about your past, Firestarter. On the night of Freaky Friday, Gia said something… she, umm… oh yeah. She kind of hinted that we weren’t as serious as I thought or something since we didn’t live together.”
“What?”
“Yeah, I didn’t think much of it at the time, but now I think…” she pauses momentarily, her brows furrowed in concentration. “I think she was testing me. Either that, or maybe relieved.”
Reaching for Raven, I pull her onto my lap, turning her so she’s straddling me. I place two fingers under her chin and lift until she’s meeting my gaze.
“There’s no one else for me than you, Little Thief. Do you understand?” My tone’s low and husky.
She nods.
“Use your words,” I demand.
Raven licks her lips and winds her arms around me, finding the small hairs at the back of my neck. “I understand,” she rasps. “And I promise to act upset when you kick me out of her room.”
“If,” I correct.
She shakes her head. “No. You need to kick me out even if she doesn’t demand it,” she clarifies. “If you suspect her of something, answers are more important than my pride.”
Leaning forward, she kisses the tip of my nose.
“And thank you for telling me,” she grins. “You just earned yourself a sexual favor of my choosing.”
Together, we get out of the car and walk into the hospital. The hallways always remind me of death. Sterile white surfaces, the antiseptic smell that never quite masks the underlying scent of decay.
Fluorescent lights that drain the color from everything—including Raven’s pink hair, which looks almost ghostly under the harsh illumination. Her hand grips mine as we follow the doctor through the maze of corridors, her fingers tense against my palm.
Despite the pink splint on her wrist, her grip is strong. She hasn’t let go since we left the car, as if she’s afraid I might disappear if she releases me. I don’t mind. After nearly losing her at the Leone Room, I’m not eager for distance either.
“Mr. Russo,” the doctor says, stopping outside a consultation room. He’s older, with silver at his temples and the practiced neutrality of someone who’s seen too much trauma to be affected by it anymore. “Before you see Ms. Gia, there are some… irregularities I think you should be aware of.”
I feel Raven stiffen beside me. “What kind of irregularities?” I ask, keeping my voice flat.
The doctor gestures us into the room, closing the door behind us with a soft click that feels too final. “The stab wounds on Ms. Gia’s torso are consistent with a frontal attack.”
He pulls up images on a tablet, showing me wounds that look like angry red mouths across Gia’s stomach.
