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A frown creases his forehead. "Are you going to answer that?" he asks.
"No," I shake my head, "but I have to go."
"Go?" He repeats the word as if he hasn’t quite comprehended what I’m saying.
"I have to leave Seb, I’m so sorry. It’s just I…" I bite my lower lip, and his nostrils flare. His gaze drops to my mouth, and a nerve flicks to life at his temple.
My phone vibrates again. Damn, I can’t ignore it. "I’m so sorry, Seb. I really have to go." I step back from him, but he swoops his arm out and around my waist, pulling me close and holding me in place.
"You’re leaving me?" he asks in a voice devoid of emotion.
"I’m sorry, but I have to. I know how much pain you are in, and believe me, if I could, I would stay—"
"So stay," he says in that same remote voice.
"I can’t." I glance past him at the door. "I’m truly sorry, but I can’t." I try to pull away, and to my relief, he releases me. I brush past him, rush out the door, and run straight into Michael and Karma, whom I've already met through Theresa.
"Elsa." Karma grips my arm. "How is she?"
"She..." I swallow, then turn to Michael. "I’m sorry for your loss," I say in a soft voice.
Michael’s gaze widens before he wipes all emotion from his face.
"Oh, no!" Karma’s features crumple. She releases me, only to turn to Michael and throw her arms around him. "I’m so sorry, baby."
He leans into her, and for just a few seconds, I see the vulnerability of the Don of theCosa Nostra.Feeling like an intruder, I walk past them and down the corridor to exit. I scramble out of the way of incoming paramedics with a woman on a stretcher, and I’m reminded—that could have been me. Simultaneously, I remember I left my car at Nonna’s place. I hesitate.What do I do?
I reach for my phone to call a car when a town car with tinted windows pulls to a stop in front of me. The driver rolls down his window and addresses me, "Sebastian told me to bring you home."
"Eh?" I blink rapidly. "But he didn’t tell me anything. He—" My phone buzzes. I pull it out of my jeans pocket to find there’s a message from an unknown number:
Michael’s bodyguard Antonio will take you to your car and follow you home.
I blow out a breath. Only one person would message me in that imperious tone, and somehow, I’m not surprised he’s gotten hold of my number. He is a part of the Mafia, after all. I assume he has minions in his pocket almost everywhere—people who are only too glad to drop everything and do his bidding.
Antonio—I assume he’s the one driving—gets out of the car, then opens the back door for me. "Please, Miss Elsa, let me make sure you get home safely."
I hesitate.
"He has a lot on his plate at the moment; it’ll help if he knows you’re safe," Antonio adds.
That’s true. And damn, if I don’t feel manipulated. On the other hand, this means I’ll save time and reach home faster.
I slide into the backseat and he shuts the door behind me. He gets into the driver’s seat, shuts his own door and eases onto the road.
In half an hour, we are back at Nonna’s place. I find my car parked in the driveway, behind the now-closed gates, with the windows rolled up. I left the car on the street, with the engine running and the keys in the ignition. The gates to the house had been open and I’d darted through and up the pathway to the front door.
"I got the car off the main road. Seb told me to," Antonio explains as the gate opens and he parks behind my car.
"Thank you." I nod at him, before getting out of the car and heading toward my own.
Inside, I find the keys still in the ignition and my hardback where I left it on the passenger seat. I adjust the rearview mirror and spot the cut on my forehead. It’s crazy how just a few hours can change everything. Now, his nonna is gone. And I know that the simmering connection between us is more than I had imagined. The entire situation is so messy. On the other hand, I caught his attention. Mission accomplished. But at what cost?
I draw in a breath, start the car, and follow the circular driveway out and onto the main road.
Twenty minutes later, I am home. Antonio had followed me at a safe distance, and waited until I had walked up the steps and into the door of my apartment block. Only after I shut the door behind me, do I hear him drive off. No doubt, he’s following Seb’s instructions to a T.
The flat is quiet as I place my handbag and keys on the table near the door. I walk into the living room to find my babysitter, Sara, fast asleep on the couch. I head toward the smaller of the two bedrooms and peek inside. The night light is on, illuminating the stars stuck to the ceiling. I walk over to the crib and find Avery fast asleep. She’s on her back, chubby arms flung out to the sides. Her chest rises and falls as she breathes. Her eyelashes lay against her cheekbones and her mouth is slightly parted. Warmth coils in my chest. I lean forward and slide my finger inside the tiny half-curled fingers of her hand. She stirs, then clasps her fingers firmly around mine. I wait a few seconds, to ensure she is completely still, before I kiss my fingertips and touch them to Avery's forehead. Her baby smell fills my lungs and it’s all I can do not to scoop her up and cuddle her close. I’d do anything for this little girl. Anything to ensure that she has every happiness in her life. She deserves everything I couldn’t have. I never knew my father, and I’m going to ensure she has one, bastard though he might be. I’d sacrifice myself so she’d go to sleep every night with a smile on her face.
