He glanced at the bed. “I noticed blood doesn’t bother you. Correct?”
I nodded. Not blood, or much else. I’d seen so much worse on patients who couldn’t even voice their fear or describe the pain they were in.
His hulking form joined me as I stared out at the rooftops and skyline in front of me. “That’s good.”
“This friend of his, he’s not really an assassin, is he?”
Loppa glanced at Mario’s sleeping form. He measured his words very carefully. “His friend is a nothing.”
That was more cryptic than a flat-out denial.
I studied him. “Are you an assassin?”
“No.”
“Interesting.”
Loppa stepped backward suddenly aware of me as more than he’d estimated. “What is interesting?”
I smiled, trying to soften my words for his sake. “You quickly denied my question about you, but didn’t deny the other question. Why is that?”
His eyes picked up the light from outside. Just a glint of reflection, then gone as his brows lowered. “Some people shouldn’t be discussed casually.”
Kind of like my grandfather.
An accountant, my ass. Or maybe, that was really who he was. But as one, he knew all of his clients’ dirty little secrets. And they were the type of person who shouldn’t be discussed casually.
Which was why I hadn’t touched that money. Worry ate at me over my inheritance. What if there was someone out there who wanted that money? And what if that someone was ruthless enough to take it by whatever means necessary? Or what if they took it through duplicitous means, like marrying me? A chill tickled the edges of my back. I hugged myself to rub it away.
Maybe Ellie had the right idea. Spend it as soon as it hit the bank. That way it was gone, and then no one would get any funny ideas about taking it.
Then again, if someone took it from me, I’d no longer have it hanging over my head like a proverbial sword. Somehow, that was comforting. Mario could have the money if that was his motive for marrying me. Then again, I almost coerced him into it. Did he resent me for that? I didn’t mean to trick him.
Was it only a day ago that we’d bumped into each other? In total hours it was less than a day, but nearly two by dateline and time zones. The math escaped me in the moment. I stared at a smiling moon so similar to the one I’d seen shining over the Las Vegas skyline right after getting married.
And I still hadn’t called my mother to tell her it wasn’t a real wedding. Ugh.
“I need to be in Venice tomorrow,” I told Loppa.
“You won’t be in Venice.” He sat in a chair that he’d shoved against the door.
I promised Ellie I’d be there. I told him as much.
“You won’t be in Venice,” he repeated. Then he tacked on, “You’ll be right here because he needs you.” His head tipped toward Mario.
Loppa might be strong, but he was also too damn smart. He’d already found my weakness and exploited it.
Bastardo.
7
Mario
My father gave me one night of peace. But that was only because he was calculating the best way to ruin the plans I’d made. Though instructed to rest by a doctor, and one stubborn, but cute veterinarian, I needed to remain one step ahead of my enemies. And that included my father.
One of those steps was to provide Allie the armor she needed to disable the enemies she’d inherited from me.
“I can’t wear this.” She plucked at the shimmering pale gold sheath dress hugging every curve of her body.
