Page 68 of Gin & Trouble

I walked into the kitchen and found my cell wedged beneath a forgotten plate of rigatoni. The battery was down to twenty percent, not great, but not the end of the world. I made a mental note to charge it as soon as I returned to the apartment.

Shaking my head, I checked my alerts. Two messages from Iris, one from Mia, and another from Marco.

Great. Just great.

Dante hadn’t moved a muscle since I’d slipped out of bed. Sleeping half on his stomach, half on his side, he took up more than his fair share of the king-sized bed. My gaze lingered on the dips and valleys of his back. Not even Michelangelo could have sculpted a more beautiful man.

I hated to leave without saying good morning or goodbye or thanks for an incredible night…and by the way, that thing you did with your tongue was phenomenal. However, I didn’t dare tempt fate. One kiss and we wouldn’t crawl back out of bed until Sunday.

Rather than pulling a vanishing act, I fired off a quick text.

Me:Did anyone ever tell you you’re adorable when you talk in your sleep? See you soon. XOXO

I dressed quickly and ran my fingers through my hair. Then it hit me. I was free. As long as Kincaid, or any of the guards who’d babysat me over the past few days didn’t see me, I could leave the building. I could finally go to the lab and get the DNA results.

My pulse raced at the thought of running into one of my brother’s men downstairs. I had no idea if they were still in the city, but after the incident with Iris, I hoped they’d run back to Sicily. Tommaso had to know that Marco was aware of their presence.

Just in case, I borrowed Dante’s discarded hoodie and twisted my hair into a bun. It was a crumby disguise, but beggars and choosers and all of that.

And then I remembered I’d left my purse downstairs.

Shit.

I slipped into the kitchen and called Iris.

“Frankie? Where are you? I saw the note, but—”

“I’m in the penthouse with Dante, but I need you to do me a huge favor.” I hadn’t stopped to think about what I’d tell her, so I went with the truth. “Can you grab my purse and meet me at the side entrance to the restaurant downstairs? I have an errand to run.”

She made a humming sound that I assumed meant she didn’t like the idea of me leaving the building.

“Please, Iris. I wouldn’t go if it wasn’t important.” I added a little whine to my voice for good measure.

“What errand?” Her tone reminded me of Sophia—surprising for the usually mousy computer nerd.

The first thought that popped into my over-orgasmed brain fell out my mouth. “I need to pick up birth control pills from the clinic at Tulane.”

“I’ll see you in five.” Iris giggled like a tween-girl.

Rather than risking running into one of Kincaid’s men in the elevator, I took the stairs to the ground floor.

True to her word, Iris was waiting by the exit. She took one look at me and burst out laughing. “Good grief. Did you have a quickie between now and the time we hung up?”

“Stairs.” I pressed one hand to my chest to calm my racing heart and took my purse from her with the other.

She held onto the strap as if debating snatching the bag and running back upstairs. “Be careful. Please. Promise me.”

“I promise.” I couldn’t help but smile. It was nice to have someone I wasn’t related to or sleeping with care about me.

“And hurry. I can’t lie for shit. I’ll panic if security realizes you’re missing.” She gave me a quick hug and slipped back inside.

I slipped the crossbody purse over my head and stepped outside.

The side door opened to a walkway that gave me a direct shot to the streetcar stop. I’d spent so much time indoors, the first blast of cold air went straight through my chest and into my lungs. On the plus side, the icy wind made my slumped shoulders and hood less conspicuous.

Normally, I loved winter. I’d seen snow for the first time while away at boarding school. While my classmates had huddled beside the fire, I’d stayed outside until my clothes were soggy and I couldn’t feel my toes. But this year was different.

All I wanted for Christmas was more time with Dante—and my sisters to have the chance to fall in love, too.

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