Page 43 of Merciless Attraction

He looks at my hand with worry in his eyes. “That doesn’t look well at all. What happened?”

“I just had the pleasure of talking to two of San Francisco’s finest who are looking for Frankie.”

Before Casper can say anything, the bell above the doors chimes again. This time Gemma rushes inside, clutching an envelope to her chest. She drops it the minute she sees my hand.

“What the hell happened? Are you okay?” She rushes over to me and stops just shy of touching my abstract finger.

“What are you doing here?” I ask and pull my hand away from her. “You were supposed to go to my place and stay there.”

“Well, she sent up the bat signal.” Casper answers me instead of Gemma. He says, “Bash is on his way back to New York. Damian should be in Vegas by now. I thought you needed help.”

I cut my gaze to Gemma. “I said I didn’t want you in the middle of whatever was waiting for me here. So here is where you come?”

“I know, but Bash also told me to tell you, well tell you both, whenever the demand for money came,” she says with worry etching her gorgeous features as she picks up the envelope and puts it on the receptionist desk.

Casper flanks her from the side as she pulls the photos out of the envelope.

“Who reached out to you?” I ask her.

“No one yet, but they definitely know what I did. Look.” She spreads the pictures out and I see what has her worried.

“Well, at least Damian taught you how to use that thing,” Casper sighs as he runs his fingers across the top of them. “You have good form.”

She scoffs. “That’s only because the pictures don’t show me being dragged across the foyer. I think I squeezed off two shots.”

Casper nods and steps away to use his phone, telling us, “I’ll have Bash circle back to the house and see if it’s still lodged in a wall or something. If someone fished that bullet out of your ex and the house, we may be in trouble. Where did you put the gun, Gem?”

“Chucked it off the Golden Gate as soon as I got out here. Natalie had it in her stuff which her parents shipped to the apartment.”

“Thankfully, that’s one less thing for us to worry about. For right now,” I tell her, “I need you to help me with this.”

Gemma cringes with disgust as I show her my finger that’s at an angle I can barely stomach to look at myself.

“Maybe I should help with this.” Casper says as he slides Gemma away from me.

“I don’t care who helps. I just want to be able to put on a pair of surgical gloves without looking like a penguin.”

Chapter 19: Gemma

Casper looks at me and then to Antonio as he helps reset his finger. Antonio bites down with his eyes shifting to the ceiling as the subtle pop echoes around the waiting room.

“Gem, I’ve seen you gut and clean an octopus, branzino, and whole birds. But popping a bone into place makes you squeamish?” Casper laughs.

I shake my head. “Animals and humans just feel different.”

Casper shrugs and Antonio smirks with beads of sweat spreading across his forehead. Those devilish brows of his zero in on his hand. The knuckle begins to swell, and my heart sinks wondering what happened before Casper got here.

“How do you feel about needles?” Antonio asks as his left hand shakes, but he presses down on the desk to stop it. He offers me a small grin to ease my worry, but he’s failing.

“I can pin you,” Casper volunteers with a smile. “It will be just like last time.”

“Don’t remind me, and don’t worry about it. I can do it.” Antonio replies and walks down the hall into the same room he treated Bash in the other night.

“What happened the last time?” I ask Casper.

Casper clicks his teeth. “Oh no. I’m not telling secrets of Tre Fratelli. If Antonio wants to tell you, he will. Tell me more about these pictures. Where were they?”

“I just picked up my car and the envelope was under the passenger seat,” I tell him.

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