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I raised my eyebrows. “How does a girl from Vegas look?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never been. More flashy and with more makeup and glittery clothes?”
I huffed. “That’s not true.”
He looked a bit embarrassed. “I prefer your looks. You’re really cute.”
“Uhhh, thanks?” I’d never gotten a compliment from a guy before.
He laughed and rubbed the back of his head. “Okay, this is awkward. Next time you come here, I’ll be smoother, all right?”
“All right?” I said, still a little unsure what to make of this.
“Your cousin is watching us, so I should probably take your order now.”
I glanced over my shoulder at Valerio, who had indeed ceased his conversation with the girl and was watching us intently.
I sighed. “An Americano for my cousin and an iced latte for me.”
“Are you sure you don’t want something with foam on top?”
“Why, do you want to add a message?” I teased.
He blushed. “Touché. Next time, I’ll be smoother, promise.”
“You said that before.” I laughed.
He turned and began to prepare our orders, and Valerio appeared by my side. “Everything okay?”
“Sure,” I said.
He nodded but didn’t leave again. Marcos only smiled when he handed us our order, probably because of Valerio’s presence.
Valerio and I left together.
Marcos’s awkward flirting had lifted my mood considerably, even if I wasn’t interested at all. He wasn’t even remotely my type, even if I didn’t want to ponder why that was. He’d probably run away screaming if he knew my family background. Though he must know who Valerio was.
“We can walk to the hospital from here. It’s not far. That way, we can drink our coffee.”
“Great.” With a smile, I really felt better than I had in a long time.
We turned a corner, and our surroundings became a little less boho and more… sketchy. The hairs on my neck rose. I slanted a look over my shoulder, searching the street.
Valerio followed my example, then raised an eyebrow. “What’s the matter?”
I quickly looked back to the front. “Nothing. I just thought there was someone…” I trailed off. It wasn’t a simple assumption or paranoia, even if Valerio’s expression suggested the latter. It was a gut feeling, one I ever only got around one person. It was a mix of anxiety, very similar to the sensation of being too close to a predator that could kill you with a swipe of their massive paw, and excitement.
Only one person made my body react like this. Valerio strode along completely at ease. I licked my lips, unsure what to do now. Could Nevio really be here? Nobody had mentioned anything to me. I had been in New York for five days now, and so far, my daily routine had been filled with meeting my cousins and aunts, going shopping, and just relaxing. But today would be my first day with the medical team of the Famiglia.
I looked over my shoulder again. And for a split second, a familiar face peeked out from behind a car across the street. My heart stopped a beat. I blinked, and he was gone as if he’d never been there in the first place. I quickly looked back to the front before I stumbled over my own feet. My instincts had been right. I so wished they weren’t.
Or was this my subconscious playing tricks on me?
And even if Nevio was here, maybe it was as a part of a Camorra job to make sure I was safe. However, I couldn’t imagine that Dad or Remo had picked Nevio for the task, considering the potential for havoc. None of this made sense.
Valerio stepped in my way and crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Okay. What’s going on?” His blue eyes searched the street, but I doubted he’d see Nevio as long as Nevio didn’t want to be seen. Still, I didn’t want to risk anything. Valerio was a Made Man and Luca Vitiello’s son. Many underestimated him because of his sunny display, but I wouldn’t be among them. His vigilant eyes scanned our surroundings meticulously.
I grabbed his arm. “Come on. I don’t want to be late on my first day. I hear the doc is a tough one.”
