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"You don't know how much you scared me," she breathes out. "But you're fine. You're fine and it's all that matters."
I grab her hand, squeezing tightly in a gesture of comfort.
"Where is Carlos? Can you ask him to come in?"
"He's outside. He let me have a moment with you when he saw you were waking up."
"How long…" I frown. "How long was I out?"
"A few hours," she sighs. "But that's already a few hours too many. I'm not letting you take that type of risk again."
"Nothing happened, pretty girl. I'm fine."
She huffs, but continues kissing me. Only after she's thoroughly covered every inch of my face does she draw back, looking pensive.
"Oh well, I suppose Icouldcall Carlos back in now," she sighs as if it's the hardest thing she's ever done.
A perpetual smile on my lips, I watch as she opens the door to my salon, asking Carlos to come in before closing it again and resuming her place by my side.
"Glad to see you're back to normal," Carlos adds dryly, surveying me up and down with a sardonic smile.
"Not you, too," I groan. "We need to focus on who was after me. Is it Ortega again? Or…"
"We ID-ed the men, and safe to say they are part of Ortega's network. They all had warrants on their heads for a slew of crimes."
"Damn it," I purse my lips. "I guess Ortega is really taking his mission seriously."
"He's floundering, Raf. Of course he is. He needs support—financialsupport. And you're his ticket to getting Michele's backing."
"Somehow I doubt that," I grumble.
"What do you mean?" Carlos asks.
"If Michele truly wanted me dead, I would be dead," I state confidently. Maybe in the beginning I'd thought his thirst for revenge would compel him to see me to my grave. But after so many failed attempts, after so many times when he'd had the opportunity to end me, I don't think that's his objective anymore—if it ever was.
He wanted me to suffer, yes. But I don't think he truly wanted me dead.
"So even if he does kill me. Auch," I wince when Noelle pokes me.
"No one is killing you," she gives me a deadly look.
"Right, so even if hewould," I look at her as she gives me a small nod, as if that sentence construction is rather acceptable. "I don't think he would gain anything from Michele."
"But he doesn't know that. And for as long as he thinks he will secure the cash in exchange for your head, he'll keep coming after you."
"And I'll keep fighting back," I roll my eyes.
"Or we kill him," Noelle suddenly suggests.
Both Carlos and I turn to look at her.
"It's the easiest course of action," she shrugs.
"With the exception that we have no ideawherehe is. He's like a fucking rat, hiding in any sewer he can find," Carlos sighs.
We go over a few strategies before Noelle practically shoos Carlos out of the room, telling him I need to rest.
"It's not that bad," I try to tell her, but she just won't have it.
