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"If anything, it's an improvement," Laverna added. Bellona glared at her. "Not that he needed it. You never told me he was so cute. I can see why you've pouted about that kiss for so long."
Bellona growled, and Laverna grinned. "Drink your fucking wine, Bells. He's going to live, which is more than I can say for Rico over there. Blood has been repaid with blood, and you know it."
Bellona picked up her goblet and drained it. Laverna topped it up for her.
"Tell me what you know about Rita Costa," she said finally.
"She's from a family of mobsters and knows the game. Unlike her ancestors, she's not as polite about wanting to take over as much of Rome as possible. She clearly doesn't know who runs this city, above or below. She did know how to contact my people and offer me three million to take your boy. She wanted me to keep him prisoner and torture him into giving her what she wants."
Bellona's eyes narrowed. "Which is what exactly?"
"His hand in marriage," Laverna replied, gesturing to Rafael. "She wants to be his baby mama."
The goblet crumpled in Bellona's hand. Laverna just gestured for one of her minions to bring another one.
"I would like you to get one of your sly foxes to find Miss Costa for me and keep an eye on her," Bellona said and got to her feet. "I need to leave now."
"I can find her. I'll text you an update," Laverna replied. She didn't look happy that Bellona was still angry. "Are we good, Bells? Because last time you got that look on your face, you burned down Rome."
"Just message me when you find her," Bellona replied.
Rafael got up and smiled at Laverna. "I'll keep her away from the matches."
Laverna laughed, but it didn't reach her eyes. "You take care now, Rafael. Seriously. Not even a paper cut. Understand?"
"I'll do my best," Rafael replied.
Bellona nodded once at Laverna before heading back down one of the tunnels. Rafael wrapped the red cloak around him and hurried to catch up to his goddess.
11
Rafael didn't dare try to talk to Bellona on the way home. Her armor had become a blood-splattered suit by the time they exited the Catacombs. The sun was setting, and she drove them home with her eyes never moving from the road.
Safely inside her apartment once more, Rafael couldn't help but sigh with relief.
"What a day, huh?" he said, desperately trying to break her out of the icy glare in her eyes.
"Go wash the blood off in the bathroom. I'll get the first-aid kit," she instructed, her voice devoid of all emotion.
Rafael didn't fight with her about it. His whole body was aching, and his face stung every time he moved it. When he finally got a good look at himself, he saw why Bellona was freaking out. He looked like a terror, with dried blood all over his front. He stripped off his shirt and jacket and cleaned up in the sink.
The cut on his face stretched from the curve of his cheekbone and up to his temple. It was still bleeding, but Rafael knew from experience that any wounds on the face bled more than anywhere else. He was toweling off when he felt Bellona behind him. She was like a burning wind of compressed energy heating his back.
"Come and sit over here so I can look at that cut," she said. Rafael took one of the clean towels from the bathroom and placed it over the bed before sitting on it. Bellona put a large kit on the bedside table and started removing things.
"Take these," she said, handing him some tablets.
"What are they?" Rafael asked before downing them with water. If Bellona wanted him dead, she wouldn't have gone to all the trouble to save him so many times.
Bellona wet some gauze with a sharp-smelling liquid. "They are antibiotics and something that will help you with the pain. Fates only know what that piece of shit had on his blade, and I don't want you getting an infection." She lifted his chin, turning his face to study the cut. Rafael fought not to think of her touching him so softly. She studied the wound and then started to clean it. Rafael tried not to hiss at the sharp sting.
"What do you think? It's going to scar and make me look like a pirate?" he asked. She was close enough that the dark, sensual smell of her perfume enclosed him, and he tried hard not to think sexy thoughts. She was just so damn beautiful and fierce and terrifying. He wanted to close the distance between them and kiss her so badly, it burned.
"If it does scar, it will be thin and faint. The knife was sharp, at least." Bellona took a small tube of surgical glue from the kit. "Tilt your face for me."
Rafael tried to keep still as she glued the cut back together. She still had rage in her eyes. "Bellona? Thank you for coming to find me. I know I fucked up."
Bellona gently held the cut together while the glue set. "It wasn't your fault. If you can't trust the police, who can you trust? I'm not mad at you for going with them, Rafael."
