Her back straightened to her full height as she stood on the gravel road, glaring at Fletcher but saying nothing. She’d clearly missed her calling; she would have been an impressive operative.
“Oh,” Fletcher said. “Sorry.” The embarrassed expression drained away when his focus switched to me. “How many bodies?”
“Two from the crew, and Renzo Librizzi.”
“Librizzi’s dead?” Fletcher wasn’t easy to surprise, but this did it. “How?”
“Giovanni.”
“Bollocks. First Constantine and now Librizzi. Do we know who took out Constantine?”
“No.” I ignored Olivia’s stare. My head ached. “We’vebeen up a long time and need someplace to crash.”
He gave me a set of keys and directions to the hotel room he’d procured.
“What’s going to happen to my crew?” she asked when I opened the passenger door of Fletcher’s car, gesturing for her to get in.
“They’ll be held somewhere safe.”
For the first time, she looked beaten as she watched the other man get into Gio’s car. She was rapidly reaching her breaking point, so I needed to get us going. I lobbed athanksat Fletcher and moved to the driver’s seat of the car he’d arrived in.
Her lack of movement was . . . concerning.
I knew I shouldn’t speed because it might attract attention, but I did it anyway. The sunlight crept over the ridge in the distance, and now I could see the dried crust of blood on her black uniform. Her blood that I’d spilled.
“I’m sorry about your hand,” I said.
She turned away to look out the window. “It had to be done.”
There was a twinge of relief at her understanding. “I didn’t want?—”
“What happens now?” she said flatly.
“You’ll get some sleep, and I can figure out what the next step is.”
The hotel had a side entrance, and I brought my suitcase up with us, ducking into the room and making sure it was clear. It was cramped. A full-sized bed with a dingy, lumpy comforter and lopsided curtains that made no effort to block daylight. It had an en-suite though, thank God.
“Okay,” I said, after I’d gotten her inside and locked the door behind us. “Let me take a look at that hand.”
“It’s fine.” The stiff words were a warning to keep my distance. Understandably, she wasn’t too happy with what I’d done.
“Are you hungry? I could go downstairs and get something if you want to take a shower.” She hadn’t mentioned that, but I’d assumed.
“No. I’m not hungry.”
Food was probably the last thing on her mind. She went into the bathroom, closed the door, and there was a tinyclickas she locked the flimsy doorknob that would be even quicker to kick open than pick. Plus, she was aware I knew my way around a lock, wasn’t she?
Moments later, the shower was running.
I set my suitcase on top of the dresser and dug out a white t-shirt for her to wear until Fletcher arrived with new clothes. Until then, she’d have to wear my shirt. That image stirred something inside my chest that was scary. I was coming apart with exhaustion; that was what this had to be.
I folded the shirt and placed it by the door then sat on the bed. I leaned back against the headboard and closed my eyes to rest for a moment...
The mattress jostled, waking me.Shit.
I hadn’t meant to fall asleep. Olivia climbed under the covers beside me in the microscopic bed, my undershirt clinging to her damp skin. Her exhausted stare crept up to mine, her eyes shuttered and guarded.
I got off the bed to give her space to sleep and went to grab a shower for myself. I’d been careful with the bodies, but I had blood on my hands—some of which I felt might never wash off. The showerhead only came up to my chin, so I put my hands on the wall and hunched over, letting the water rain down over the back of my head as I tried not to fall asleep standing up.
