“Naturally.” Vincenzo shot a glance to the door and then stood abruptly.
I looked past him to where Bill sauntered down the hall.
“All good, V,” Bill called out when Vincenzo opened the office door. “Clean team is on its way.”
I was glad I hadn’t eaten. I would have had trouble keeping the food down.
There were bodies. Dead people. I gagged. Good lord above, these mobsters were too casual when it came to death.
“Wonderful.” Vincenzo extended his arm to me. “Sorry for the interruption, fiore, but let’s go. We’ll still make our appointment.”
“Appointment?” I pushed myself off the floor, forcing my body to move. The numb muscles protested. My pumps felt like they were too unstable to hold me.
“What? You thought breakfast was all there was?” Vincenzo’s grin went wide.
Just breathe.“We were just…we were just chased.”
“And now the problem is gone.” Vincenzo moved close to drape his arm over my shoulder. I instantly felt steadier. “Come on, let’s take your mind off it.”
Yeah, like that was how it worked.
I didn’t feel like heading back into Boston. Clearly, I wasn’t safe. I had to figure a way out of this before I was caught and forced.
Or…I could trust Enzo to take care of me.
Rubbing my arms, I tried to chase away the raging anxiety coursing through my veins. The monster’s grip tightened around my shoulders. That indomitable strength leached into me. It wasn’t that Vincenzo wasn’t capable. A Made Man like him ruled his territory with an unforgiving control. I just struggled with the idea of giving up mine.
Chapter 43 – Amanda
This is such a waste of time!
I wanted to scream. My father was after me, and we were out shopping.
And Vincenzo brought me to a boutique. He’d reasoned that I didn’t have a proper wardrobe. Damn him, he had a point.
It was an outrageous luxury, but I paid a team in the Big Apple to curate my wardrobe. They delivered new pieces, did all the shopping, handled the alterations, and it saved me hours that I invested in my career.
I hadn’t stepped foot in a boutique in…years.
Probably since college with my sorority sisters after a boozy brunch.
Yet Vincenzo was making this a priority. Fuming, I followed him into the store.
The sales associate hurried over with a wide grin on her face. “Welcome to La Lamere! I’m sorry, but we’re closed right now.”
“We have an appointment.” Vincenzo shot a cautious gaze around the boutique. This was the monster, always assessing for a threat. It was kind of a surprise he didn’t venture to the corners to sweep the space with a gun drawn after the morning we’d had.
“Ah, Mr. Messina, yes,” the woman beamed. “We’ve been expecting you! Welcome. I’m Annette. Anything you need, I’m here to help.
I didn’t miss the way her gaze slid down Vincenzo’s body. I stepped closer to him, and some madness possessed me because I laid a hand on his arm.
Yes, we’d been touching all morning.
But this? This was different.
Vincenzo felt it, too. He stiffened, dropping his gaze to my hand. There was no missing the flash of hunger in his gaze. I resisted the urge to snatch my hand back, feeling feral at the connection.
“The store has been closed for your private appointment, just as you requested,” the associate explained, ignoring our silent exchange.
