Matteo is only a step behind but makes fast work of grabbing two chipped tumblers from a cabinet.
I pour.
Amber liquid splashes into the glass.
Matteo lifts his glass, clinking it lightly against mine. “To no issues today.”
“To small miracles.” I take a sip.
The whiskey bites, but it also steadies me. Something I need while I lie to him.
Matteo watches me over the rim of his glass, then drops it to his side with a sigh. “You need to blow off steam.”
“I have steam. It’s simmering. It’s fine.”
“That’s not steam,” he counters, leaning his hip against the desk. “That’s a volcano ready to erupt.”
I take another sip. “Maybe that’s how I have to be to get the job done.”
Matteo laughs, low and warm. “Peace might be nice . . .”
“Peace is boring.” I swallow the whiskey and let the burn distract me.
“You want advice?” I ask.
Matteo’s brows lift. “Do I?”
“Worry about someone else. I’m fine.”
Matteo’s eyes narrow. He’s suspicious. He’s also loyal enough to let me hide if he thinks I need it. “I was going to suggest you find a woman,” he says, as if testing the waters.
I choke on a laugh. “A woman?”
“Yeah.” He shrugs. “Someone to take the edge off. Someone warm. Breathing. Preferably not armed.”
I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand. “You think sex will fix my attitude?”
Matteo’s smile turns wicked. “It fixes a lot of things.”
“Sex won’t fix that. I want to kill everyone.”
“That’s true,” he agrees readily.
“But I’ll think about it.”
Matteo’s eyes brighten like he’s pleased with himself. “Look at you. Growth.”
“Don’t get excited,” I warn, sipping again. “My growth is mostly cancerous.”
He grins. “So what’s the plan tonight?”
I glance at the clock, as if time is something I can still control. “Poker game.”
Matteo perks up. “At Cyrus’s?”
I nod once.
Matteo’s grin widens. “Perfect. I’ll go with you.”
