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Low chuckles echo around the room and I huff a pained laugh of my own. As if I’d ever go to the boss for comfort. To get drunk, maybe, but to mope about Leah? Never.
She’s too good for any of this. I don’t even want her name spoken in this house.
“Gianni.” Santo’s moved on, his gaze tracking further along the table. “Talk to me about diamonds.”
As the conversation moves along, I’m not the only one sinking an inch down in my seat, tension bleeding from my frame. Up near the boss, Raul plucks his glasses off his nose and polishes them with a scrap of cloth from his pocket, frowning at his hands as he works. His stupid Hollywood-looking mouth is all pouty, likehehas a right to be mad.
I’ll kick his ass for this. Near miss or not, he risked Leah.
Hey, Raul’s a doctor. He can fix his own scrapes.
* * *
Leah’s street quietens down at night, especially once the bar closes its doors. The occasional cab trundles past, splashing through shallow puddles, and lamplight bounces off the wet sidewalk.
The snow’s melted again. Hope Leah wasn’t too excited about that. If I could boss the weather around for her, I would.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve chosen my favorite guarding spots. Some nights I like to keep watch from her neighbor’s fire escape; some nights I pick my way over the roof. Tonight, with fear still coppery on my tongue, I wedge myself right in her shadowy bookshop stoop, a meat shield against the world.
“I knew it.”
Raul’s voice is no surprise, but it’s definitely not welcome. His footsteps smack against the sidewalk, and he’s agitated when he reaches me, cheeks flushed like he’s been slapped.
Hey, the night’s still young.
The doctor came out without a scarf, his collar open to the wind. He’ll catch a chill waltzing around like that.
“Go home, Raul. Or better yet, go and finish selling me out to Santo. Asshole.” I know I sound petty, but I can’t help grumbling, pressing my back harder against Leah’s door. If he wants me to stop protecting her, he’ll have to peel me off the painted wood.
Can’t believe he told the boss about Leah. Doesn’t he realize she’s more important than any of us?
One day this prick will fall for a woman of his own and have his whole world turned upside down—and I will laugh.
“I knew you had a screw loose, Nico, but this is bullshit. If Santo finds you here—”
“The boss gave his blessing.” My smile is unpleasant. “Didn’t you hear? You should really listen when he talks, Raul. You might miss something important.”
“He gave his blessing for you to keep screwing some random woman that you don’t care about.” Raul jerks his chin up at the silent windows high above us, dark and slanted with moonlight. Leah’s apartment. “That’s not what this is, and don’t try to tell me I’m wrong. I’m not fucking blind.”
I lean closer, peering at his glasses. It’s childish, but I can’t help myself. “You sure about that?”
Raul’s curses echo down the empty street, and I grin, settling back in Leah’s stoop.
No one’s getting through me tonight. I already spent way too long away from here—hours and hours at the compound, when anyone could’ve got to her. Unacceptable.
“It’s been weeks.” Raul’s only saying what I’ve been thinking lately, but I’ll never admit that. “If they were going to come for her, they’d already have tried it.”
“We don’t even know who they are.”
If there is athey.If my stabbing really was the opening gambit to some grand conspiracy. If this isn’t just Santo getting paranoid as he approaches midlife.
A drop of rainwater drips down the back of my neck, sliding under my collar. I suppress a shudder.
“If you don’t like it, Raul, learn to mind your fucking business—”
A muffled thump drifts down from Leah’s apartment, followed by the tinkle of breaking glass.
“Nico!”
