“Yeah.” She shrugs. “He’ll live. And I’m an awful daughter that kicked him out of her life. What if he had died, Matteo?”
“He didn’t. And it’s stupid to ask what-if questions when everything is fine.”
She rolls her eyes. “You’re so annoying.”
“Come here, princess,” I state, opening my arms for a hug.
She immediately steps into my arms and I don’t miss the tremble that passes across her chest as she does. She grips the back of my shirt and buries her face in my neck. Another tremble passes through her and then something tiny and wet lands right above the collar of my shirt.
Those are the only indications that she’s crying. She’s silent and still, and I stay still as well as tears fall more frequently against my skin. I rub her arms, squeezing her waist to offer some semblance of comfort.
I hold on till the embers burn out. Until she draws a full breath. Eventually she loosens her hold. She pulls back and I see the puffiness of her eyes. They’re still magnetically blue and beautiful. She wipes her face and her cheeks, trying to find some semblance of composure.
I push back her hair and place a small kiss on her forehead. Mostly because I can’t help myself. The need to touch her overwhelms me. I know without a doubt this is where I’m meant to be. Despite how crazy that it seems.
“Thank you,” she whispers softly. “Thanks for being here, Matteo.”
“Of course, princess.”
She opens her mouth to say something else, but then there’s the sound of a door sliding open. A woman with brown hair pokes her head out and looks around for a second before her eyes land on Lindsay. She’s still in my arms and I notice her brief taken aback expression, which clears in the next breath.
“Ms. Beaumont,” she calls. “The mayor’s awake.”
Lindsay nods and exhales deeply. “I’ll be right in.”
The woman pokes her head back in while Lindsay looks up at me again.
“Do you want me to come in with you?” I ask.
“Yeah, sure. If you want to.”
“Your dad knows me. Are you sure he’ll be okay with me showing up beside you?”
She shrugs. “I’m sure he’ll be fine.”
“Alright. But if we send him into a coma, remember those words, princess.”
She slaps my arm at that, cracking a slight smile. Relief rushes through me at the sight. I reach toward her face to wipe a tear underneath her eyes.
“It’ll be alright, beautiful. I’ll make sure it’s alright.”
“Okay. Let’s go.”
The light in the hospital room is dim and there’s a slight chill in the air. I’ve always disliked the smell of hospitals. It’s the smell of antiseptic and death. Lindsay walks in front of me, taking small steps toward her father’s bed.
The man himself lies in it, head turned to watch our approach. His skin is sallow and pale and he’s hooked to a machine that reads his vitals. I’m glad to note that his heart rate doesn’t increase exponentially at the sight of me.
Mayor Beaumont and I have always had a civilized relationship. Over the years I may have had to resort to threats a couple of times, but our business talks have never escalated into violence.
While I do catch some surprise in his dull blue eyes at the sight of me, his gaze is mostly fixed on his daughter.
“Hi, Daddy,” Lindsay says, taking his hand in hers and rubbing it softly.
“Linny,” the mayor replies weakly. “Sorry I scared you, honey.”
“It’s okay. Thank you for surviving. I just need you to focus on getting better.”
“I will. And I need you to do something for me,” he tells her. “I need you to find a safe place. Lay low for a while. W-we don’t know who did this to me. He could be after you next. You can’t stay at the hotel anymore.”
