“No,” she replied. “New rule. Body armor every day.”
“It’s a pain in the?—”
Simone lowered the privacy screen. “Mr. Fletcher?—”
“Stuart, please.”
“Call me Simone.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Or that,” she replied. “Stuart, Luciano and I need to wear body armor daily, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Absolutely, ma’am. Mr. Santini, you told me you’d wear it months ago.”
Silence.
“He’ll do it,” Simone said, “if I have to dress him myself.”
Luciano leaned over, kissed her cheek. “I’ll wear it.”
As Stuart drove them out of Georgetown, holiday lights and wreaths on the lampposts lining M Street bathed the city in a festive spirit. Christmas used to be his favorite time of year. Now, it reminded him how fragile life was… how alone he felt, even when surrounded by family.
A pang of loneliness pierced his heart and he clasped her hand. He didn’t give a damn how unprofessional it was. They were facing the monumental challenge of finding a killer who loved taunting them. Even though this enemy wielded significant power, Luciano wasn’t deterred. If anything, he was more determined than ever to root him out.
“We need to find that mule and, when we do, we’re doing it my way,” Luciano ground out. “He cooperates, he lives. If not, we take him out.”
Her gaze met his. “What happened that turned you into a killing machine?”
“I lost everything,” he replied. “Everything that mattered.”
The vehicle stopped. They’d arrived back at Simone’s. Stuart opened the rear door, Luciano waited for her to exit before he pushed into the night.
In truth, he was furious. Flat-out furious.
A family had just lost their husband and dad. Now, they would join the group of walking dead.
Like me.
He needed to go for a hard run or punch his boxing bag until his taped knuckles bled, but as his gaze found Simone’s, he knew onlyonething could calm his angry soul.
Her.
“Thank you, Stuart,” she said.
“My pleasure, ma’am.”
She stared into Luciano’s eyes, but she stayed silent.
“Mr. Santini, please don’t linger outside.” Stuart retreated inside the vehicle.
“Stay,” she murmured.
This time, staying meant he would take the next step with her. A relationship… if she wanted that. Not a work fling, not another meaningless hookup.
As he soaked up her beauty, her essence, he knew his answer.
“Yes.”
