Page 99 of Savage Prince

“Seriously?”

“Yes, seriously. I can’t have you running around with some mobster without cash for a quick getaway.” His gaze drifts down to the gun at my waist. “I’m assuming he trusts you since he’s letting you carry a gun. The guy must be as batshit crazy for you as you are for him.” He grins and man, it feels good to see it. “Maybe it’s a Ferrara thing.”

Now I’m the one smiling. Maybe he’s right. I can’t help but think about Raf and Bella and how happy they are together. The man worships the ground she walks on.

Rifling through the bag of my cousin’s belongings, my thoughts suddenly take a dark turn, chest hollowing out. What if he hadn’t survived? What if this had been all that was left ofAlessandro? I swallow hard, forcing down the fear.Dio, I never would have forgiven myself. “I’m so glad you’re alive.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“And I’m really sorry about everything.”

“Don’t be sorry, just don’t fuck up again, okay?”

I nod, stuffing a few hundred-dollar bills in my pocket. “And when we’re all back in Manhattan, I swear I’ll be the best nurse maid.”

“Don’t fucking lie to me, Serena.” He chuckles, amusement dancing across his dark eyes. “You’d be an absolutely awful caretaker.”

“You know me too well.” I close the distance between us and gently wrap my arms around his head, the least injured part of him, and squeeze. “Love you, asshole.”

“Same, Sere.” He holds my gaze as I turn to walk out. “And if you don’t show up when I call, I will personally hunt down Antonio Ferrara until I find you.”

Twisting my head around my shoulder, I throw him a smile. “Thanks, cuz.”

CHAPTER 48

THE L-WORD

Serena

I hug my arms around Antonio’s sweatshirt as I walk through the sliding doors of the hospital and into the busy streets of Milano. The quiet from earlier has given way to the hustle of morning activity. My steps are quick, anxious to get back to a hopefully still sleeping Toni, as I thread through the bustling streets lined with age-old buildings and modern shops. The mix of old and new is one of the things I love most about this city. I’m not looking forward to leaving it.

A sudden prickling sensation creeps up my spine, a whisper of instinct that I've learned never to ignore.

I glance over my shoulder to confirm—there's a man in all black a few paces too close, matching my speed, his gaze a bit too focused beneath his baseball cap. My heart kicks up its pace, thudding loudly in my ears. I tell myself it's nothing, just nerves after days in hiding, but the feeling doesn't fade.

How did they find me? And who the hell is this guy?

Focus, Serena. Right now, all that matters is losing him. I make a sudden turn into a busier street, weaving through a group of tourists snapping photos of a grand cathedral. He follows. I cross the street without waiting for the light, mingling with a crowd of locals that flows around a cluster of street vendors. He's still behind me, now dodging through the same crowd, his eyes locked on mine.

Panic tightens my chest, but I force it down, replacing it with cold strategy. I palm the gun at my hip, its presence bringing me a measure of comfort even if I can’t use it in the middle of a crowded street.

Instead, I duck into a small café, the warm scent of espresso and baked pastries hitting me immediately. I don't stop; I head straight through to the other side, exiting through a back door that leads into a narrow, less populated alley.

My steps quicken, soles smacking against the cobblestones. The alley opens up to another street, this one lined with high-end boutiques with brightly lit windows. A tram barrels down the street, wheels squealing against the track.Yes! It slows at the stop and I quicken my pace, slipping into the crowded tram just as the doors are closing. Once I’m in, I press myself against the back and peer out the window.

The guy is there, on the platform, scanning the departing tram with a frustrated scowl.See ya, sucker. Relief floods through me, my breath coming out in a shaky laugh. As the tram pulls away, I watch him disappear, a dark figure swallowed up by the city's shadows. Fuck, that was too close.

Safe for now, I lean against the cool metal of the tram, the adrenaline slowly ebbing from my veins. Antonio is going to kill me when I tell him.

If I tell him…

I gnaw on the inside of my cheek as the tram meanders down the busy streets. Just a few more stops, and I’ll be backto thepensione. My heart flutters in anticipation, but I quickly smack my palm to my chest, slamming down on the ridiculous sensation.

No man makes my heart flutter.

It must be his magical orgasms that have me in a fluster.

I spend the remainder of the ride with my thoughts in chaos, juggling between the overwhelming guilt over Alessandro and the inexplicable new feelings for Antonio. Pressing the call stop button, I weave between the passengers and hop off at the stop only a block from the small hotel.

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