Mafia's Final Play (Mafia's Obsession #3) - Summer Cooper Page 0,64
at the grocery store earlier. There’s juice too if you want that. I have apples, tangerines, and some chips to snack on until Anton gets back if you want them. He’s getting us all the special over at that bar and grill across the street.”
“That sounds good. How’s your leg?” She turned to face him properly and cuddled close.
“It’s sore, but I’ll live. Just a scratch really.” He brushed it off, but she thought he was brave.
“It could have ended up anywhere, and all you cared about was getting me in the car. You saved me, again.”
“I protected you, it’s my job.” He shrugged off her praise and slid his hand down her back. “I’m just glad it was me that got the graze and not you. I couldn’t live with myself if you’d been hit.”
“Not to mention you’d have gone crazy on the guy.” She knew him enough now to know that was true.
“You are correct.” He dotted a kiss on her nose before he left the bed. “Tonight’s entertainment includes crappy television, a game of cards, or reading. I’d like us to keep all electronics off for a while. There’s a store across the street that sells second-hand books if you want to have a look later.”
“That sounds good. What about clothes?” She looked down at her jeans and wondered how long she could wear them before they started to smell grungy.
“That we’ve already taken care of.” Matteo pointed to the closet and she went to it. She found a new pack of cotton panties in her size, a couple of bras, a pack of socks, three sweaters, four pairs of jeans, a couple of sweatshirts, and shoes - all cheap but serviceable. They’d work until they figured out their next move.
“Great.” She found another bag and found her favorite kind of fleece pajamas, a couple of nightgowns, and some flannel pajamas too. “Thanks.”
“I see you like your sleepwear, at least.” He sat down at the table and looked at her. “I’m really sorry about this.”
“Don’t be Matteo, it’s not your fault, it really isn’t. I think we know who is behind this, don’t we? There’s only one person smart enough to track Anton, only one person that would know you’d bring him with you: Celeste.”
Pain crossed his face in a dark flash, but he frowned and then finally looked up, resigned. “It has to be her.”
“It does.” She felt terrible for him, but it was true. Celeste was the only one that could figure all of that out.
“Why don’t you get a shower, wash all that smoke off you, and I’ll wait for Anton, okay? I got you some shampoo, conditioner, a toothbrush and toothpaste earlier, when you were in zombie mode.” He chuckled and she glared at him.
“I was exhausted after all of that. I barely even remember being at the store. It’s a good thing you were awake.”
“I was tired too, babe, but you’ve never experienced something like that.”
“Have you?” she asked quickly, curious.
“Not the fire part, but the being shot at part? A time or two. Which is part of the reason I’m wanting to get out of this game.” The way lines appeared at the side of his eyes, and the tightness of his mouth was enough to tell her how thoughts of his past troubled him.
She nodded and walked into the bathroom, her new fuzzy pajamas in hand. She had a brush in her bag so she could brush her hair out later, but that wasn’t what was on her mind. His aunt had put him in a life that meant he’d get shot at. What kind of woman would do that to her own nephew?
19
“I want you to go to Italy, find my aunt, and find out if she’s the one behind this contract,” Matteo said into the phone. He was outside of their hotel room, while Marie was in the shower, cleaning off the smoke and filth from the night before.
“Sure, Matteo. I can do that,” Petey said from the other end of the line as Matteo breathed in relief. He wasn’t sure how the other man would feel about the job.
“You don’t have to do anything, just find out what you can. She’ll have started the contract over there if she is the one behind it. Someone there will know.” Matteo sighed, exhaustion was creeping in, even though he’d had a nap earlier. It had been a long day, and it still wasn’t over. Not yet.