Page 157 of Merciless Queen

She peers up at me with a smirk before jerking her head toward the bed. “After he wakes up, ‘cause I don’t want to disturb him. Seriously, though, why do I need them?”

I open my mouth but hesitate to admit the truth. If my suspicions are correct, I need to know if she’s truly in danger. If the Vitales are pulling what I think they’re about to.

But when Lev coughs in his sleep, she immediately goes back to his bedside. She retakes her seat and rests her hand on top of his. His coughing fades into a sigh and he returns to sleep.

Once his breathing is paced again, Serafina looks my way, but the moment’s obviously gone. Besides, if Lev is in and out of sleep, I’d rather no one outside Nero and Elio be aware of this possible complication.

“Go see her,” she demands suddenly.

“Sera—”

“Z, you weren’t paying attention ‘cause your head is so far up your ass, but in that warehouse, whenever she looked at you, she was fuckingterrified.” She glances at the white bandage on my arm. “I wasn’t even there for that part, but I could only imagine.”

Vanessa appears, her hands tearing at mine until seeing the bullet wound for herself. She rips the bottom of her blood-stained shirt and wraps the material around my bicep, putting pressure on the wound.

I say her name, but she ignores me.

I repeat it again, this time cupping her face, needing to see for myself she’s okay. She was in more scraps than me, and every slice on her face, every drop of blood makes me want to tear her uncle away from the soldiers and show him how Mancinis deal with our enemies. To keep him alive long enough that every scream is a fraction of what’s owed for her injuries.

“I’m okay. Because of you.”

“You’re hurt because of me.”

“I’m okay. It’s over. You did good. You saved me.”

I blink away the memory of earlier.

“It was an act for her uncle.” An act for him…and for herself.

“She loves you.”

“She wants nothing to do with me.”

“Glad you’re alive, Mancini. Wouldn’t want to explain to the Cosa Nostra why one of their capos was killed on my territory.”

Her huff could very well be heard from downstairs. “Fine. She doesn’t love you. How do you feel about her?”

“I—” Words stick in my throat.I…can’t finish the words.

She smiles like a winner. “My point exactly. I’ll stop prying but do you really want to go back to Rome without knowing what could be between you two?”

I tried that. Almost twice but after her uncle’s capture, she still wouldn’t look at me. It’s like we went back to before everything went down, when she let me walk away from the club.

My gaze goes to the window again. Somehow, I know exactly where in the forest she is, and how easy it’d be to track her.

Mio Dio, I want to.

Want to find her. Claim her. Never let her go. Make her face her own feelings; the ones I saw etched in her expression as she bandaged me up. When she saw me held at gunpoint by Ivan.

I inch away before I can stop myself—because my sister’s right. What happened with her uncle changed things, even ifshe’s refusing to say them aloud. It’s changedherso much that she’s running.

The door opens again, saving me from replying. Anastasia carries in a bowl of soup and a water bottle, which she hands to Serafina. “Figured you’d be hungry after that ordeal.”

Serafina shoots me a look over Anastasia’s shoulder that says,See?reminding me of her earlier statement:“They’re not bad people.”

While my sister and Anastasia murmur over Lev’s passed out form, I glance at the window again.

The trees beyond.

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