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“You two kids take care,” Dani tells us, “and take care of each other. And take care of lil nuggy.”
“What’s a nuggy?”
“Your angst-spawn. The little nugget.” She pets Elise’s belly. “I’m just kidding. That’s my niece or nephew in there.”
I participate in the small talk as Elise’s best friend walks us out. Then we’re in the quiet hall. I can’t help kissing her, tucking her silly scarf under her chin.
“Good thing we’re going into cooler months, where all these clothes will make more sense,” she murmurs. “Hope we get things worked out by summer.”
“We’ll come up with something.”
“Maybe we can go on a long vacation.”
“Can you do that if you’re pregnant?”
“I can travel.”
“Can you? That far into it?”
“I don’t know,” she murmurs. “Actually…maybe not. Maybe it depends on what the doctor says.”
We’re on the elevator, and we’re wrapped up in each other.
“I like you.” She’s grinning up at me.
“I love you,” I whisper. Then the doors open, and we have to move apart.33EliseWe walk through the lobby like we walk through every lobby lately—staying close but not touching. I can’t take my eyes off Luca. Handsome Luca, with his small smiles and his warm hands always reaching for mine. Luca, my dark prince and hero in one, flawed but always good at the core. And he’s mine. I’m not letting him go.
We stop at the valet counter, exchanging little smiles, wearing our scarves and hats, waiting—until I feel like the people working here are clearly on a break or something.
“There’s another podium outside,” he says. “Let’s check that.”
We walk out the building’s front doors, and his fingers briefly catch mine. I watch him frown when we find the valet podium out here is also empty. Then a young guy in a button-up and dress pants stands up; I guess he was crouched behind the podium.
“Hello there.”
Luca hands him our ticket. The guy frowns, looking at his ledger. He reaches behind the podium and brings out Luca’s key. Then he frowns again. “Sorry, this isn’t the right book.” He shakes his head. “I’ll just need to go inside for one moment, find out where we’ve got you parked.”
Luca holds his hand out. “I’ll take the key, no problem. We’ll walk down and look.”
He arches a brow at me, and I know what he means: it’s not a great idea for the two of us to stand in front of Dani’s building together.
The guy tells us where he thinks the car is—two floors down—and we head into the stairwell. Luca’s hand envelops mine, squeezing as we head into the belly of the beast.
“I hate these things,” I tell him.
His thumb rubs the top of my hand. “Make you claustrophobic?”
“Yeah, I guess so. I get uptight. Feel trapped.”
“I’m sorry, la mia rosa.” He wraps an arm around my waist. “I’ve got you, though. And you wouldn’t believe what kind of testing these things go through, to make sure the walls are strong enough and all that.”
I’m sad when he lets go of my hand and we step out into the G2 level. We walk slowly around, eyes peeled for Luca’s car. I’m thinking about how grateful I am for him—grateful that he cares about my job and doesn’t want to put me at risk—when a man dressed in black steps out from behind one of the cars, stopping right in front of us.
“The traitor and his cunt!”
My eyes search for a face, and I feel a wash of horror when I can’t find one; he’s wearing a hood. I’m frozen in place when Luca shoves me back. His arms push me so hard I almost fall. Then the hooded man is attacking him. Luca reaches into his coat, but then he staggers back, arms pinwheeling.
He hits the ground hard, landing with a kind of limpness that makes me feel sick. I can’t even rush to his side before the man in is on him. I can’t see what’s going on—it’s all dark arms—but I hear Luca grunt, and then he’s up; Luca shoves the guy, and after that, they’re grappling with each other.
Luca shouts, “RUN!”—but I’m frozen. I’m partly hidden behind an SUV, watching, aghast, as Luca pins the guy down and the guy tosses him off. Now he’s flat on his back and the man’s leaning down over him. At that second, there’s a deafening BOOM!
The masked man flies back, landing sprawled on his side.
Luca’s on his back, and then he’s rolling over onto his side. Oh my God, the dark pool around him—I think that’s blood!
I rush over, drop down, and grab his shoulders. “Luca! Are you okay?”
He groans, harsh and loud, his face twisting in agony. His hand is fumbling at his chest. His face is colorless, his features slack just like he’s dying.
“Oh my God.” I’m sobbing as I hold his face in my hands. “Luca, I need you to look at me!” He lifts his eyelids, but his eyes are glazed. He’s breathing hard now, groaning as he holds his shoulder.
