And under all of it, the brutal, immediate truth:
Everything just changed.
Not someday.
Now.
I touch my lips to Elsa’s and sink into her.
She looks at me with tears in her eyes. “Antonio…”
I don’t even know what my face looks like right now. I just know my chest hurts so much it feels like joy and terror are fighting to own it.
“We’ll figure it out,” I say softly against her mouth.
It’s the only thing I can say that isn’t too much.
She nods, and her lips tremble.
Dr. Bianchi clears her throat gently. “I’ll print a few—”
The comm in my ear crackles.
“Movement near the building.”
Every muscle in my body locks.
I go still, and Elsa senses it because she’s frozen, looking at me.
“One of Bellandi’s men was just spotted near the south side,” one of the guards says.
“Weneed to leave. Now,” Vito says.
My mind is already thinking ahead.
“We need a minute,” I tell Vito. Then to the doctor: “We need to wrap this up now. Elsa, get dressed.”
I look at Elsa, brushing a hand over her hair once, quickly.
She swallows hard and nods.
“I’ll be right back.”
I kiss her forehead and step out before I can think too hard about leaving her for even ten seconds.
Vito is waiting, body tight, eyes hard.
We head fast down the hall. At the side entrance, the two guards are already in position.
I stop just long enough to look them both in the eye.
“No one goes in or out of that stairwell until I get back,” I say. “No one. I don’t care who it is.”
They nod.
Then Vito and I head down, fast and silent, toward whatever Bellandi thinks he’s doing near my family, my woman, and my children.
Chapter Forty Four
