Page 272 of Merciless Desires

“Then play with her,” I offered, and slipped closer to the supply room.

The woman grabbed sterile surgical supplies and loaded them onto a silver tray, kicking up the door stopper as she exited the room.

“That is not the answer I was…expecting.”

I stopped the door to the supply room from closing with my foot and entered. “It’s the answer you’re getting.”

“You will regret your unwillingness to play, Cortese.”

“I doubt that.”

“You will.”

The call ended, and I immediately dialed Papà’s number, pocketing a few syringes and a scalpel. These could come in handy when persuading Dominov’s men to talk.

“What?” Papà growled into the phone.

“Dominov just called me.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” he demanded in Italian.

Clearly, I had pissed the man off simply by calling him.

“He. Called. Me.”

“How the fuck did he get your number? What the fuck did he say?”

“I don’t know, and I don’t know. He talked about playing, so I guess he’s going to do something stupid soon.”

“You need to take this seriously, figlio. Think. What did Dominov say?”

I exhaled slowly through my nose. “He said he wanted to play. That she wanted to play. Who the fuck is she?”

“That was it? Nothing else?”

“Should there have been?”

Papà sighed. “Be careful, figlio. Your…decision-making skills have been questionable lately. Don’t get yourself killed before your wedding.”

He hung up, and I took a slow breath before creeping out into the empty hallway.

Marcella was standing outside the hospital room, entirely alone, and that only pissed me off further. Where the hell were the men stationed to look after the Morettis? There should have been at least two here watching Marcella’s mamma.

“What are you doing out here?” I asked, a bit harsher than I intended.

Marcella slowly turned her head toward me and gazed at me. Gazed through me.

“I’m ready to leave.”

“Okay,” I said and stepped toward her, but she countered the movement.

Marcella looked pissed, and I needed to know what had happened since we had been apart.

“Is everything…alright?”

She scoffed, but didn’t reply. She turned away and started walking down the hall. I followed, mentally retracing my steps since we got to the hospital, and came up absolutely empty.

Whatever was eating away at Marcella was my fault.

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