What is wrong with my child?
Our whole life just went up in flames…literally…and she’s still hung up on my dating life.
“Yes,” Maverick says, watching me closely.
I’m still lying on my side, hands tucked between my thighs, trying to process the fact that my daughter and the head of acrime family are apparently making housing arrangements over me.
“That’s good,” Livy says. “Mama’s zoned out, which means she’s gonna forget about her needs for a little while. Then, when she feels better, she’ll freak out about everything and focus on taking care of me. So she needs someone who will take care of her until she can take care of herself again.”
Maverick’s face softens.
“How about I take care of both of you?”
“Deal,” Livy says. “Let’s get up so we can take Mama home. She needs a hot bath.”
Deciding to be the adult, I take a breath to tell them both to stop.
Livy and I are grateful, but we are not moving into Maverick’s house.
We’ll go to a hotel for the night and figure this out in the morning.
“I can’t feel my toes,” I say instead.
Maverick’s expression changes instantly.
“Amelia.”
“I’m okay. Just cold.”
Livy sits up straighter. “Mama?”
“I’m okay, baby.”
Maverick’s hand closes around my toes, and his jaw tightens.
“Amelia.”
“I know.” I try to pull my foot back, but he doesn’t let me. “It’s Raynaud’s. My fingers and toes get cold when I’m stressed or too cold. Sometimes they go numb.”
His eyes cut to mine. “Numb?”
“It sounds worse than it is.”
“It does not.”
“It’s annoying, not deadly.”
“Tonight is not the night to tell me something is not deadly.”
Fair.
Annoying, but fair.
Livy crawls closer, her face pinched with worry. “Is it happening because of the fire?”
“Probably. The cold, the stress, all of it.” I force a smile for her. “I just need warmth.”
Maverick looks toward Stefano. “Get a nurse.”
