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Then one possibility hit me fast.Veryfast.
Cesare was private about his sex life, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have one. And she was beautiful, single, and had kissed his brains out the first time they met. Still, it didn’t make sense that he’d invite her to his place right now, not when Leonardo and I were about to meet with him to discuss strategy.
Which meant the pretty nurse was going rogue.
I lengthened my strides and intercepted her when she was about twenty paces from Cesare’s building. “Morning, Piper.”
She looked startled, clutching her purse, but then she took off her oversized sunglasses and squinted at me. “Matteo, right?”
“Right.” The smile I gave her was likely less than enthusiastic. “You’re the last person I expected to see out here.”
“I was in the neighborhood. I thought I’d stop by and say hi to Cesare.”
“I’ll pass the message along.” Yeah, I was being rude, which she likely didn’t deserve, but this wasn’t a situation that could lead to anything good.
“He’s a big boy,” she said. She put a slight emphasis on the wordbig. “He can take his own messages.”
“Or it could be that he’s got more important things to think about. Like making sure his buddy doesn’t get shot again.”
Piper’s face whitened, and I regretted my flippant words. There was no doubt she cared about Leonardo’s health. I took a deep breath. “Look, Piper, I don’t know what connection you think you have to him, but Cesare isn’t your typical nice guy. He’s not going to become your doting boyfriend if that’s what you’re after.”
“Nice way to speak about your cousin,” she said, but there was a wounded look in her eyes, and I felt like an ass.
I tried again. “Our line of work… it isn’t something that gives us much leeway. In fact, it basically just gives us trouble. Is that what you’re looking for? Because that’s what you’ll get with a man like Cesare.”
By this point, I wasn’t sure who I was protecting. My cousin, who didn’t need this gorgeous distraction in his life at such a complicated crossroads, or the nurse who didn’t deserve the problems we’d brought her way. For a moment, I was sympathetic with Maggie. Clearly, warning people off wasn’t as easy as I’d originally thought.
“I know you think I’m a jerk, but for your sake and for Cesare’s—I think it’s best if you just turn around and go home.”
Her lips squeezed together as she stared up at me, her green eyes trouble. Then she put on her sunglasses, hiding them from view. To my surprise, she turned around and walked away without saying another word.
I watched her put distance between us, unable to keep myself from staring at that sweet, heart-shaped ass of hers. I had to admit, I couldn’t take my eyes off of it until she disappeared from view. It seemed wrong to ogle her when I’d just upset her. Even if I had done it—mostly—for her sake.
But god, she was hot. It was easy to see why Leonardo, and now possible Cesare, had fallen for her. And unlike Ms. Owens-Roselli, there was no question that Piper truly was a do-gooder.
And I’d treated her like shit.
I didn’t feel good about that as I jogged up the steps to Cesare’s apartment, but then I pushed it out of my mind. The operation we were about to embark on had to be executed to perfection. We’d screwed up once, and we couldn’t afford any more mistakes. Not if we wanted the status and power we craved. And not if we wanted to live past the next few days.
So now was definitelynotthe time to get hung up on a pretty blonde.
14
PIPER
How couldI have been so stupid?
How could I have not considered doing something as simple as picking up the phone and calling Cesare?
This would have told me if he was available or not. After crossing paths with Matteo outside his building, it became clear to me that he wasn’t.
For crying out loud, I’d acted like a schoolgirl who was about to meet her boyfriend in secret. Meaning to surprise him in his bedroom. Staying out of sight of his parents and mine as well. I had been much too impulsive and paid the price.
As for Matteo? I wasn’t mad at him. I shouldn’t have been mad at him, although he wasn’t so nice to me. It was me I was mad at. I should have acted like an adult, not like a sex-hungry girl who couldn’t wait to pounce on Cesare. He might have been amazing in bed, but I could have waited a day or two for some more of his sexy moves.
Deep in regret, I arrived at the hospital that afternoon. As usual, I greeted my colleagues and said “fine” to anyone who had the courtesy to ask how I was doing. I was preparing mentally for another routine day at work. A dozen or so true emergencies would turn up and have everybody running like chickens with their heads cut off. In my emotional state, I was kind of hoping they would be more. I was looking for distractions. Cases that would draw my attention from start to finish.
The first one that day didn’t seem like an emergency at all. Just fifteen minutes into my shift, a young dark-haired beauty showed up in the ER. She couldn’t have been more than nineteen or twenty years old. At first glance, I realized that there was something off about her. Her outfit was just a little too nice. It was a purple pantsuit and three-inch heels. She reminded me of some ladies in cop shows, like CSI and Law & Order. Furthermore, that brunette wasn’t alone. She was accompanied by a couple of bodyguards. One of them sat down in the waiting room with her, while the other was at the entrance.
