Down the stairs he went, returning to find Teddy admiring his gun collection.
“Do you like her?” Teddy asked as Luciano handed him a double shoulder harness. Teddy pulled his Glock from behind his pants. “I’m good.”
Luciano shook his head. “Two weapons.”
On a grunt, Teddy shouldered into the harness, tucked his Glock into the right one and slid one of Luciano’s SIG SAUERs into the left.
“Well?” Teddy asked as he pulled on his black gloves.
“Well, what?”
“For fuck’s sake,” Teddy bit out. “Why has talking to you become so damn difficult. Do you like Simone?”
“I do. She’s different, but it’s complicated.”
“What have you told her?”
“Nothing,” Luciano replied. “I wanted to, but I took off instead.”
“That’s not good,” Teddy said.
“I fucked up.”
“Maybe if she knew?—”
“Her knowing won’t change anything.”
“Maybe it will,” Teddy pushed back.
“I don’t deserve to be happy?—”
“Lulu, you gotta forgive yourself. I mean, hell, it wasn’t your fault.”
“Enough,” Luciano murmured.
“I’m here if you wanna talk.”
Luciano draped his arm around Teddy’s shoulder. “You’re a good brother.”
“If you’re gonna get all mushy on me, go back tonotanswering my questions.”
Luciano slid a Glock into one holster, a SIG SAUER into the second. Then, he attached an ankle holster and slid a third weapon into that. After shoving a mini lock pick set into his pocket, he said, “Time to take out two monsters, Santini style.”
They grabbed their night goggles, left the weapons room. From there, they took the elevator to his underground garage.
“Do you have on body armor?” Luciano asked.
“Hell, yeah.”
“Range Rover,” Luciano said.
They slid into the vehicle, buckled up. As Luciano was pulling out of the garage, Teddy said, “maybe it’s time you forgave yourself.”
Searing pain sliced through his heart. “Never.”
“What about loving again. Can you do that?”
“I love them physically.”
