Page 48 of Bianchi

A shutter comes down over her features and she angrily swipes at her cheeks before hitting me with the full force of her glare. “I told you I was fine.”

Running a hand through my hair, I tug on the strands to keep from reaching for her. “And I can clearly see you have no issues with lying to me.”

Her features soften before she moves toward me, coming to a stop when she’s within touching distance. My eyes bounce around her face. I can’t ignore the dim light in her eyes and I press my lips together at the sight of it. This morning, that light shone so brightly that I thought it might blind me.

Reaching out her hand, she drops it before she makes contact, no doubt thinking my irritation is aimed at her. Round, red, pleading eyes look up at me. “That’s the only thing I’ve ever lied to you about. I swear.”

The tension seeps from my body, and I force my features into some semblance of neutrality. I close the distance between us, tugging her into my arms, uncaring that she’s soaking wet. My hand soothes up and down her back, and I murmur into her hair, “I know.”

She leans back, her teeth chattering as she searches my eyes. “I really mean it, Rome. I have no reason to lie to you.”

I want to believe her, but in my world, trusting someone who isn’t from it, can get you killed. And although Aurora might technically have been born into it, she’s spent too much of her life out of this world for me to be able to trust her. So, I only nod, releasing my hold on her. “Let’s get you out of these wet clothes and warmed up.”

My hands reach for the hem of her summer dress, pulling it up and over her head. A wet thud sounds when I drop the sodden material to the tiled floor. Bending, I hook a finger into either side of her panties, sliding them down her legs. She rests her hand on my shoulder as she steps out, and I discard them as well.

I watch as she removes her bra before ushering her toward the still-running shower. “Warm up under the water and I’ll get you some dry clothes.”

When I turn to leave, she grabs my hand, halting me. Looking at her over my shoulder, I wait for her to talk.

She releases me, her voice quiet when she stutters, “D-do you think someone could have killed my mom?”

Facing her, I pick up her hand, squeezing it as I say the only thing that I know to be true. “I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.”

Blinking up at me, she takes a step forward, her hand coming up to rest on my chest. Her eyes are wide and filled with gratitude. “You will?”

Tipping my head back, I stare at the bathroom ceiling, steam clouding it from my vision. When she looks at me like I can solve all of her problems, it’s so damn hard to remember that it’s not my place to. Still, I find myself justifying why my mind is telling me that because this is important to her, it’s important to me and so, easily and without thought, my answer rolls off my tongue. “Yes.”

She moves into the shower and under the spray. The action is a reminder of the day of the restaurant shooting and how she shut down on me before I forced her to feel something.

“Aurora,” I call, the authority in my tone clear. “I’ll find out who killed her and I’ll make them pay, but you have to promise me something.”

“Anything,” she breathes.

Inhaling sharply, I look away before forcing my focus back to her. I need her to know how important it is that she does this. “Want to live?”

A crease forms between her brows. “I do want to live.”

I chuckle softly, shaking my head because she’s far too accepting of death for someone who supposedly wants to live. “I’ve never met a person so at peace with having their life taken. I know that you miss her but you have your whole life ahead of you.”

She goes quiet for a moment, dropping her attention to the floor as water cascades over her body. There’s a swirl of emotions in her green eyes when she lifts her head again. “Do I? Because when this”—she motions between us—“is all over, you’re going to kill me.”

Cazzo.

A heaviness settles over us as we silently stare at each other. I want to tell her that plans change and that the more time I spend with her, the less appealing it’s getting, but I can’t give her that hope. Instead, I wipe my hand over my stubbled jaw, my teeth grinding before I say, “Get showered. I’ll leave your clothes on the bed.”

A muscle in her jaw jumps but I don’t stick around to see any more of her reaction. The lines between us are becoming increasingly blurred, and if we aren’t careful, we just might implode.

Chapter 28

Aurora

I’ve been awake for twenty minutes, reliving the events of yesterday as I watch Romeo. He’s asleep next to me, his features relaxed in the soft orange glow of the morning light spilling through the gap in the curtains.

I don’t know where he disappeared to after he left the bathroom, but I didn’t see him again last night. When he didn’t join me for dinner in the kitchen like he has for the past week, I ate alone before dragging myself to bed. It wasn’t until hours later that I felt the bed dip next to me and he wrapped his arms around me.

Rolling onto my back, I blankly stare up at the ceiling. It still doesn’t seem real that my mom worked here. She walked these halls, worked for this family, and knew what they were involved in. How could she have not? It’s not like anyone keeps it a secret. Jeez, Romeo told me the day we met that he is the head of the mafia.

Well, not the day we met, because apparently, we’ve known each other for years.

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