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I wonder why he sounds bothered by that.

As I finish my second slice, I feel oddly at ease.

The pizza is delicious, almost as good as Nonno’s homemade pies in its own way.

“And what about you?” I lean in closer.

“Me?” His face blanks at the question.

“Well, yeah. What do you do when you’re not bossing everyone else around or whatever? You have hobbies.”

His eyes light up before his face darkens again.

I think I’ve hit a nerve.

Suddenly, I can feel exactly how close I am to him, even across the massive table. Too close.

That forested masculinity fanning off him wafts over and my nostrils flare.

When he speaks, his voice is lower and quieter than ever.

“Ferrazzo’s the family name, dove. I don’t take much time off. This is what I am and who I am. It’s who I have to be.”

Ouch.

That sounds freaking miserable and it makes me wonder if I’m the only prisoner here.

“You’re not too old yet.” He looks like he’s in his early thirties. “There’s always time for something besides work, isn’t there? You need some time to yourself, whenever you’re not beating up doctors and jacking organs out of bad guys, I guess.”

“You’d be surprised. I don’t retrieve the organs personally. We have a special team for that. It really is a twenty-four-seven circus.”

“I don’t believe it. You could find a little time to read, couldn’t you? Like, when you’re between jobs? I love reading. Even on my break, just fifteen minutes a day. I’d go crazy if I didn’t. Reading is easy, and a good book can take you wherever you want.”

He eyes me skeptically but doesn’t say anything.

“What do you think you’d be interested in? Romance, mysteries, thrillers… crime?”

He shakes his head, hiding a tiny smile.

“Okay, okay. Probably not crime. What about a comedy? Something to take the edge off the daily grind, y’know?”

“I’m not a big comedy guy.” He presses his lips together, and I definitely see it now.

He’s amused.

“Okay, right.” I shrug. “You’re a classics guy, maybe. You need something with meaning and layers, serious yet beautiful. Ever read Dante? Most people stop after Inferno, but the Divine Comedy, that’s gold. You should try reading. So many books remind you there’s always light at the end of the tunnel.” I pause, remembering my situation. “I mean, usually.”

We share a long look.

I can’t read his face.

Bone enters the room, and I’m half expecting he’ll serenade us on the trombone. But instead of an instrument, he’s holding a massive slice of pizza.

I almost laugh.

But his face is deadly serious, enough to make me shiver when he says, “He’s arrived, boss.”

He folds the pizza slice and shoves it in his mouth.