Mafia's Final Play (Mafia's Obsession #3) - Summer Cooper Page 0,63

needed, and full of people that were smiling, even at the early hour they arrived at.

The motel they decided to stop at wouldn’t let them check in until 11 am, so they drove around until they found a café that served breakfast. In quiet, they ate the meals they’d ordered, drank a few cups of coffee, then left after paying with the same dead man’s credit card.

Marie’s back hurt, her legs felt like they were frozen solid, and her eyes felt like they were full of sand. She looked over at Matteo and wanted to cry.

“By the time we get some supplies, fill up the car, and get back to the motel, we can check in to our rooms.”

She smiled gratefully and walked with the men when they stopped at a grocery store. She found some antibiotic ointment and more bandages for his leg, and some pain relievers in case he got a fever. And for the headache that made it feel as if her eyes were pulsing with her every heartbeat.

“I feel like we haven’t slept in days,” Marie said when they were finally allowed into the room. It wasn’t anything near like she knew Matteo was used to, it was a cheap motel, but it was clean and tidy. She went directly to the bed and slid in between the covers. She didn’t care if Matteo had paid for the most expensive room, the one with a huge hot-tub, or that it was the middle of the day, she needed to sleep.

“You rest, babe. I’m going to talk to Anton,” Matteo said softly, but he stopped when she sat up a little.

“You need to sleep, you both do. We’re safe for now, come get some rest.” She held the covers up - a white sheet, a fuzzy pink blanket, and a tacky pink and blue floral bedspread - to invite him in.

“I will in a bit, I just need to talk to him. It’s fine, really.” He kissed her forehead then left the room.

She’d cleaned up his leg again at a gas station before they crossed the border. She’d put a new bandage on it, but she still thought he needed to stay off of it and rest. He wouldn’t listen, though. She was too tired to fight him, she decided, and pulled the covers up over her head. She’d change the bandage later, add the antibiotic ointment, and make sure he rested. After she had a little nap, just a little one. That’s all.

Hours later, when the sun had set and the room was dark, she heard Matteo and Anton talking. She hadn’t wanted to sleep so long, she’d be awake all night now, but she felt rested at least. When she realized what they were talking about she went still and tried to even out her breath.

“I think it’s Celeste, which is why we’re using that card. She doesn’t know about it because she doesn’t bother the accountant. As long as the money’s coming in, she doesn’t care about anything else. It’s been open since the day he died.”

“Strange how they didn’t cut that one off, after he died, I mean,” Anton mused. They were at a tiny table in the corner with cups of coffee, away from the tiny dresser with the flatscreen TV sitting on top of it. The hot tub was in the space where the other double bed would normally be.

Marie thought it was a little tacky to have the tub in the room with them but wouldn’t turn down a chance to get in it. Her muscles ached all over, but Matteo should stay out of it with his leg, so maybe she’d just have a shower instead.

“She didn’t bother to send in the paperwork and the accountant didn’t either. We’ll use that one until we figure out if it’s safe to go back to New York yet.”

“Alright, boss. I’ll go pick us up some food and come back in a little while.”

“Yeah, she’ll probably be hungry. Bring plenty of water back too, she’ll be thirsty.”

“Will do.”

He left and Matteo came to the other side of the bed and slipped in. “You awake, Marie?”

His New York accent wasn’t as pronounced when he was in public, but sometimes, when he was with her, it came back. She found it endearing and turned to hug him with a grin. “I am. I’m alive, I’m fine, and as you said, thirsty.”

“I thought you would be, so I got some bottles of water for you