Page 45 of Protecting Charity

“Yes?”

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

“Errands?” I shrugged with one shoulder.

“Normally, when someone goes on errands, it’s during the day and not right after almost having their brains painting their car. Get out of the car, Charity,” Luca ordered.

“Nope. I have something to take care of.”

I would not give in so easily. How could I? My life was literally on the line, and I would not sit back and let this continue to happen.

“It can wait. Get out.”

“No, it can’t. Tell Nico to move. I don’t want to hit him, but my foot might slip, and this thing takes off like it has a mind of its own.”

Luca wrapped both hands on the door, where the window disappeared. “What are you doing, Charity? You are actively putting yourself at risk.”

I reared my head back and glowered. “I am not. I’m going to Nora’s, okay?”

“Nora Macaney? Tom’s wife?” Darkness crossed his face as he went still, causing my blood to run cold. “Why?”

The growl of the engine flooded through the silence as I thought of a way to explain to him my theory. My heart kicked up a notch as he bore holes into my soul with his wicked gaze.

“She’s the only one who has ever hired a hitman to come after me. I’m thinking she is trying to finish the job, and I’m going to find out.”

“No, you aren’t.”

“I’ll take Max. Just let me fucking figure this out.”

His brow furrowed, and I watched as emotions flashed across his eyes. His gaze hit Max from across the car, and the worry I saw beating his brow disappear with newfound confidence as if he had a mute conversation with him.

“Unlock the car.”

I gave him a side-eye, contemplating if he was trying to trick me, but ultimately realized he couldn’t stop me. He may take the keys away and drag me kicking and screaming from the car, but I’ll still find my way to Nora, and she’ll regret the day she tried to have me killed—the moment she wanted to take me away from them, my family, my brother.

I flipped the lock, allowing Max to open the passenger door and climb inside while looking rather murderous. “Say… you wouldn’t have a silencer, would you?” I asked Luca while batting my lashes and giving him my best smile.

He grumbled something as he walked away, then came back moments later with a black round barrel. “It’s my favorite one, don’t lose it.”

“You’re strange.”

I put the silencer between my thighs and watched his eyes follow. I grinned with pride, knowing I took his mind off the doom and gloom that had been previously intoxicating his thoughts.

Luca leaned in close to the opening of the car and said, “If you come back any worse than you already are, I’ll beat you with my belt.”

I bit my lip and caressed his stubble with my thumb. “Promise?”

“Cazzo,” Max said on my right, causing a smile to rip across my face.

“You should leave the punishments to me, Luca. At least when I do it, she doesn’t get off on it.”

He shook his head and rubbed his eyes with his finger and thumb, then stepped away from the car. “Be back before light. You need to sleep before tomorrow night.”

Shock ripped through my body like a battering ram. Was that all I had to do with him to get what I needed? Ask for Max to accompany me? Why was he giving up so easily? I looked at him suspiciously, then agreed to his terms. Nico moved out of the way and up to the side of the car beside me. “I didn’t get in a shootout to save your life just so you could go run off and put it back in danger. If you come back hurt, I won’t speak to you.”

My chest ached with a deep-seated pain. “Are you sure being a lawyer was your future?”

“I’m not kidding.”

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