But even kindred spirits can be dangerous together.
Too much of the same fuel in one place and you don’t get warmth because it turns into a wildfire. And I already have enough fires burning in my life. Enough blood on my hands. Enough things that need controlling before they destroy everything around them.
I don’t need another temptation.
No matter how badly I want it.
So I’ll do what I do best. I’ll watch from the shadows. I’ll stay where I belong. I’ll make sure the dark never gets too close to her, even if she never knows my name.
And if she ever needs me?—
I’ll be there.
Whether she knows it or not. It doesn’t matter if she wants it or not.
3
AMBER
The next day, I know something’s wrong the second I walk in.
Notte Bianca never feels empty before the rush. There’s always at least one familiar voice, one laugh from the kitchen, one of the girls complaining about sore feet or a bad tipper.
Tonight, there’s none of that.
I clock in and scan the room. The restaurant is clean. Too clean. No Rose perched on her stool. No Savannah drifting in and out of the kitchen. No Erin slipping through the space between tables like she owns it.
“Where is everyone?” I ask.
Izzy looks up from the host stand. Her smile is automatic, but it doesn’t quite stick. “They called in sick.”
I stare at her. “All of them?”
She shrugs. “Guess so. Probably a virus making the rounds.”
I don’t believe it for a second.
“When have you ever seen Erin take a day off?” I ask. “Or Savannah? Or Rose?”
Izzy presses her lips together. I can see the doubt catch up to her in real time. “I know,” she says quietly. She pauses for a minute, then mouths, “It’s strange.”
That’s one word for it.
She glances toward the dining room, then back at me. “I saw Erin last night,” she says. “After closing.”
My stomach tightens. “And?”
“She was being carried out. Mr. Lucchese had her in his arms.”
“What?”
“She fainted,” Izzy says. “Or something like that. She looked out of it.”
That doesn’t help. It makes everything worse.
“And Savannah?” I ask.
Izzy swallows. “I found Gerard in the alley.”
