Page 109 of Assassin's Obsession

"You have long hair. Xabat said you'd need it." He reaches past me and pulls out one of the many product containers. "This too."

It's a detangler spray. Of course, Angelo thought of that too. Or rather, consulted the expert who did.

He reads the directions on the side before spritzing a section of my hair. Lifting it, he gently pulls the detangling brush through the strands, his expression intent.

My shoulders relax more with each swipe of the brush. When Angelo hits a gnarly tangle, he doesn't force the brush but adds another spritz of detangler and then pulls the matte apart with his fingers until the brush will go through.

"If I wasn't already falling for you, this would do it right here," I tease.

"Good to know." He doesn't look at me in the mirror when he speaks but keeps hyper focused on his task.

"Who were you on the phone to when mom and Cookie got here earlier?" I ask, curious about his life as much as he is about mine.

Well, maybe not quite as curious. I have no plans to go foraging under beds to see what he treasures. Knowing him, there's nothing under the beds in this place. Not even a dust bunny.

"My boss, Severu. He wanted my version of what happened last night."

"Someone told him about what happened in the alley?" Will Angelo get in trouble for his men killing a capo's soldier?

Angelo shrugs. "I would have but I didn't want to leave to make the report in person."

"Because your guys kidnapped me and were bringing me here."

Angelo's lips quirk, but he doesn't answer.

"Are you in trouble?" Some of the tension that drained away is creeping back into my muscles.

"No."

"But I bet Stefano is mad at you."

"He is, but I'm not the one in trouble," Angelo assures me.

"Who is?" I wonder.

"Bianchi."

"What? Why?"

"His men were sloppy and that's on their capo."

"Oh." Derian and Mario sure hadn't seemed impressed with Freddy and Gino.

"Until recently, Bianchi leaving you and your mom to fend for yourself wouldn't have gotten him in actionable trouble with his don."

"But now?" I ask.

"Miceli will sanction him in some way for creating the clusterfuck from start to finish."

"I wish someone had made him pay my mom support back in the day, for her sake, but I don't want anything from him now."

Angelo runs his fingers through the section of hair he just finished "You don't need him."

"No, I don't."

"But that doesn't change the fact that he abandoned you," Angelo says grimly. "Family is supposed to mean something in the mafia."

"His family does mean something to him. I'm pretty sure they're why he never acknowledged me."

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