Page 66 of The Mob Boss' Pet

“They won’t approach you,” he assures me.

“What’s going on, Vincenzo?”

He touches his chest.

“You can tell me anything. Maybe it would be helpful just to get it off your chest.” I try for a gentle smile. So much pain still weighs on him.

He covers my hand with his own while his dark eyes rove over my face. Does he not get by now that I’m not going to turn on him? I’ve been given the chance and I didn’t take it.

“I didn’t tell Anderson anything, Vincenzo,” I say hurriedly before he decides we need to get inside, and my chance blows away with the breeze. “Really. I know him from the hospital. He recognized me and called out to me. I just said hi. I didn’t tell him why I was with you, or why I was there.”

His lips press together. He wants to believe me; I can feel it.

“I work in the ER, Vincenzo. I know a few cops. He’s just one of them. I swear to you.” I touch the side of his face with my other hand. Such tension. “I swear, I didn’t tell him anything. I wasn’t trying to get away from you.”

I lower my eyes to his chin, unable to see his eyes while I speak.

“I don’t want to get away from you,” I say softly. “I’m here. Right here, for you.” Using all the courage I have, I look into his eyes again, uncertain what I expect.

He says nothing.

Pulling my hands away from him, he tucks them at my sides.

“Be a good girl this afternoon, pet,” he whispers, but it’s ragged, unsure. The dominant force I’m used to with him isn’t there. There’s a distance between us even with him standing so close to me I can tell he didn’t put on his aftershave.

He steps around me. Charlie has the door open for us, and I follow directly behind Vincenzo inside.

In the time I’ve been with Vincenzo, I never felt cold fear.

Until now.

Chapter Twenty

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Vincenzo

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