Page 69 of The Mob Boss' Pet

He pauses only a brief moment before shutting her door and walking around the front of the car.

“Text me when she’s secure,” I tell him and turn from the car, heading back up the steps into the house.

A coward hides from the destruction he’s caused. But that’s what I’ve turned into. The car pulls away from the house. I stand in the doorway, watching until Charlie turns off the drive and onto the main road.

With the evidence gone, I suck in a breath, trying to refill what she’s taken with her.

I close the door, listening to the still of the house. It seemed louder with her in it, it felt fuller. Now it holds the same cold emptiness it had before she entered my life.

“Vincenzo.” Roberto walks down the stairs toward me. “Anton’s on his way to the precinct.”

I raise my gaze to meet my little brother’s eyes. “Good.” I push away from the door. Business has to get back to normal. We can get back on track now. Anton’s arrest will raise questions. “Call the meeting,” I tell him.

“Stephania...”

“She’s gone,” I say in a clipped tone. “Call the meeting.” I seek out the sanctuary of my office and slam the door.

Life will get back to normal now.

Chapter Twenty-One

Stephania

“Chest x-ray and CT in room 4,” I tell Julie, the nurse working the room with me. “I put the order in the computer already.”

She looks up from her tablet. “Sure thing, Dr. Benzitto.” She smiles. “I know it was crazy earlier when I got on shift, but I wanted to say it’s good to have you back.”

I settle into a chair and log into the computer system.

“It’s good to be back,” I say, forcing another smile to my lips. My cheeks ache from carrying the facade all day that I’ve been away on a vacation.

Vincenzo pulled plenty of strings with the hospital to hide the fact I was missing. I didn’t even use up any vacation time while I was tucked away in his mansion.

Julie walks off to deal with another patient while I get to work on filling in the rest of the chart. It’s a relatively slow night in the emergency room. There were a few hours of chaos but it’s nearing midnight. Hopefully there won’t be any large traumas.

“Stephania.” Detective Anderson greets me from behind the counter. I look up from my workstation, exhaustion pulling at me. How much more can I take in one day? My first day back at the ER and I’m already facing Vincenzo’s ghosts.

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