Page 30 of The Mobster's Nanny

I don’t like how it sounds, but…

Yes.

You know the deal.

Better give us something valuable this time.

I huff out a sigh and lock the phone, dropping it on the counter. Goddamnit. Yes, I know the deal—I give them information about the Messinas in return for them giving me the means to kill Matteo. But how can I get him new information out of nowhere? And what does valuable even mean in this context? I have no idea what’s important to them and—

“Oh, Liss, you’re here? You were so quiet, I thought you went out with Dolce.”

Matteo enters the kitchen with a chuckle, startling me out of my thoughts, and I immediately look up with an automatic smile, hurrying to hide any trace of my distress. The last thing I want is for him to catch me thinking about things he’s not supposed to know about—like that time he found Hank’s photo in my living room.

Can you imagine how angry I was to hear Matteo ask about the person who was closer to me than anyone else, who he fuckingkilled? I almost burst out and kicked him out right then and there! Which, of course, would be a total failure, so I’m glad I managed to hold myself back. The whole situation only reminded me that I should be more careful around Matteo and that, no matter what feelings he wakes up me, I should always remember why I came here in the first place.

My brother is dead because of Matteo, and I’m the only one who cares enough to make him pay for it.

“What are you making?” Matteo peeks over my shoulder at the bunch of ingredients on the counter before continuing on his way to the coffee machine. “It smells good.”

Ah, right, Giovanni’s message caught me in the middle of making cookie dough, and it takes me a moment to remember where I was in the recipe.

“Chocolate cookies,” I say in the meantime, trying to keep my tone light and casual—like I wasn’t just talking to Matteo’s enemy about a new way to kill him. “I promised Romeo to bake them if he gets a B or higher for his math test.”

Matteo hums, sounding impressed. “Did he?”

“He got an A.” I can’t help but smile with pride as I go back to mixing sugar into the bowl. “Romeo is good at math, he just thinks it’s boring.”

Matteo chuckles, and I hear him walking closer to me. Before I realize what he’s doing, he wraps his arms around my waist and puts his chin on my shoulder. A moment later, I catch the scent of his deodorant, the note of masculine sweetness that always makes my insides curl. My body responds to his closeness with a shiver that spreads heat through my veins, and I lean back into his touch despite myself.

“I couldn’t stop thinking about you today,” Matteo murmurs, slowly stroking my waist, and I smile and turn my head a little to give him a side-eye.

“Haven't you been working all day?”

“I have.” He sighs with a theatrical note and presses himself closer. “But you’re too distracting, I can’t help it.”

The low tone of his voice, the tight grip of his hands, and the warmth of his body bring a whole bunch of lewd images to my mind. Damn, what is he doing to me? I breathe out and put my hand on his wrist, rubbing it gently.

“Do you want me to distract you even more?”

Matteo’s hold immediately tightens and he presses a kiss to my neck, whispering, “Well, Romeo is at school, so—”

But the sound of a ringtone interrupts him, and I can hear him curse under his breath. It’s almost cute if only I didn’t feel the same wave of disappointment. The anticipation of something more was already circling inside of me, but I guess Matteo’s work gives us no choice but to wait until tonight.

“Sorry, I have to—” Matteo murmurs, already picking up his phone and turning back to the coffee machine.

Well, whatever. I breathe out the remnants of my tension and focus back on the cookies. What was next in the recipe?

“Hey, Louis. Yes, I received your report and talked to Paolo. We think it’s better to pick it up on Tuesday when the cops won’t be around.” Matteo keeps talking, walking past me to the living room, and I perk up.

Tuesday? What will be on Tuesday?

“Yeah, it’s all settled, Riccardo has been in touch with Chen for a while. Mm-hmm, yeah.”

Shit. His voice gets quieter as he walks up the stairs, but I have to hear the rest of the conversation. It will make a perfect piece of information for Giovanni! So with a rush of adrenaline, I follow Matteo to the hallway, but I need an excuse—I can’t be so obvious. I frantically look around, and my gaze lingers on Dolce rolling on his back on the lawn outside.

“You’ll take the lead, okay? We need someone experienced there—and yes, okay, you’re the best at it. Happy now?”

Matteo chuckles while I’m holding my breath, walking faster to the front door, pretending like I’m looking for Dolce to call him inside. Thankfully, Matteo doesn’t seem to care about my movements, so after he enters the second floor, I hurry up a few stairs as quietly as possible.

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