This is Mattia’s fault. How could he leave me alone with guns? I can’t be trusted with mace, and he’s leaving guns around for anyone to pick up?
Realizing that I have to do something, I rush over to the man and try to roll him over.
“Holy crap, you’re heavy,” I grit out as I try to push. “I mean you’re not fat. Just thick,” I add, not wanting to fat-shame.
Finally, I manage to get him onto his back. When I see the blood, I start to gag. It’s pooling around him, and that’s when I see the gun next to him. Mine is bigger. I hadn’t noticed the gun before, but in fairness, I didn’t even notice he was in the room until I shot him.
“Oh, shit.” I lean over and force one of his eyelids open. “Wake up.”
Suddenly his hand flies up and wraps around my throat. I should be careful what I wish for because he’s fully awake now. I scratch and pull at his forearm, but his grip is relentless. Black spots begin to dance in my eyes, and I feel like I’m going to pass out.
“Leonora!” Mattia shouts, and if this guy wasn’t a dead man already, he surely is now.
I hear a loud crack, and the man releases his hand from around my throat as Mattia lifts me off the ground and into his arms.
“This isn’t what it looks like,” I manage to croak out.
He carries me over to the couch and sits down with me in his lap. He closes his eyes and presses his forehead to mine, and I feel a slight tremble from him.
“I’m okay,” I tell him.
“You could have died,” he says as his eyes snap open. There’s a deadly chill in them that has me audibly swallowing.
“It was kind of my fault,” I admit. “I shot him, but I didn’t know he was there. I didn’t know anyone was here, or I wouldn’t have been snooping.” He lifts a brow. “Okay, I’ll always snoop, but he caught me off guard, and the gun is tricky. You should sue the manufacturer. It’s unacceptable.” As I ramble, my eyes fill with tears as all of it catches up to me. “And where were you? Out doing mob stuff without me.” I sniffle. “Probably at a strip club with your mistress.” I hiss out the last part and then look around for the gun.
“Maeve.” He says my nickname in a soothing tone. “You know I’d never cheat on you.”
“I know. It’s because I’d kill you, and clearly I’m capable.” I point over my shoulder with my thumb to the dead man.
“Of course you would,” he says as his hands cups my face. “I think you just took ten years off my life.”
“Why not twenty?” His lips twitch, which is what I was going for. “But who is that? Tell me he’s a serial killer and not a family man or whatever.”
“He’s a hitman,” Mattia says as he looks back at the body. “A very good one that my little fiancée managed to kill.”
“Oh, really?” I say and sit up straighter. I’m literally killing it around here. “So maybe you should be paying me for doing you a favor?”
Chapter 16
Mattia
“Wait, she took him out?” Ernie asks on the other end of the line.
“Yeah, she did.” I can’t keep the pride out of my voice as I look down at my soon-to-be wife. She’s stretched out naked in our bed with her head in my lap, and I’m playing with her hair while she sleeps.
“Jesus, who knew she was a cold-blooded killer?” Ernie chuckles to himself, but I can tell he’s impressed too.
“Make sure you spread the word around that she’s armed and dangerous.”
“Will do, boss,” he agrees, and I hear him get into his car. “Are we still meeting at the same spot tonight?”
I check my watch to make sure I’m not going to be late. “Yep, I’ll be there.”
We end the call, and I bend down to move Leo off of my lap. She immediately jerks awake and tightens her hold.
“You’re leaving me again,” she says in an accusatory voice.
“Not all night. Just one quick thing to finish so I can put an end to all of this.”
