Page 90 of Mafia Darling

I gave him my sweetest smile. “We’ll discuss this later.”

“You’re going to be a pain in my ass, aren’t you?”

I sobered, realizing this wasn’t the time for teasing. He had enough to worry about that I didn’t need to add to it. “No, we’re a team. I only want to help. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Certo,” he said and kissed my cheek.

Then Giulio wrapped an arm around Zia and pulled her away from Fausto. “Domani, domani,” he kept telling her. She wasn’t happy, but she finally kissed my cheeks and left. Then I was alone with my husband.

The beeps and whirs echoed in the empty room as I went to his side. Only his chest moved as air was forced in and out of his lungs, his face serene. I placed a kiss on his forehead, letting my lips linger on his warm skin to reassure myself he was still here. Still alive. I never wanted to relive a day like today ever again.

“Paparino,” I whispered. “I don’t know what I would do without you.”

I took a shower, finally changing out of the bloody clothes and into a pair of scrubs they gave me. Then I ate dinner and sat with Fausto some more. I considered the tiny bed awaiting me, but I was wound too tightly. Every time I closed my eyes I saw Fausto on the ground, bleeding out. Or in the car, his blood seeping all over my hands.

Sleep would not come anytime soon.

I went to the door and found the soldier stationed there. “Stay with him, Carlo. I’m going down to the cafeteria for coffee.”

“I will get you coffee, signora.”

“No, that’s all right. I need to walk around a bit.”

Carlo motioned to the young man stationed at the end of the hall. “Leo will go with you.”

“I’ll be fine. That’s not necessary.”

“Signora, Marco and Giulio will gut me like a fish if you go alone.”

I took pity on him. Carlo was just trying to do his job. “Fine. I’m sorry.”

I smiled at Leo and let him follow me to the cafeteria. When we arrived he waited near the entrance, his eyes roving as he checked the area. There weren’t many people there at this hour, just a few women milling about and some nurses laughing together at a table. I went to the cappuccino machine and began making three cups, one each for me, Leo and Carlo.

A woman with a baseball cap on her head came to stand next to me. I switched out the cup and started another one. “I’ll just be another second.”

“No problem, Signora Ravazzani.”

She knew me? Surprised, I glanced over and came face-to-face with Agent Rinaldo.

My muscles tightened. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“I thought with what happened today you might be ready to chat. It’s not too late for us to help you.”

“You have to be joking. I married him.”

“The marriage can be annulled.” Her gaze searched my face from under the bill of her hat. “You don’t realize how close you were to getting shot, do you? Two inches to the right and that bullet would have torn through you and your baby.”

I hadn’t thought of that, but now I couldn’t think of anything else—and it made me very angry. What right did this woman have to come to the hospital where my husband almost died and say these things to me? She was trying to scare me, to get me to betray Fausto.

I considered alerting Leo, but I really couldn’t handle any more bloodshed today. So I hurried with my task, ready to get away from the agent as quickly as possible.

She continued, oblivious to my mounting fury. “Is this a risk you want to take with your child?”

“Don’t presume to know what is best for my child—and I’m not leaving my husband, ever. You are wasting your time.”

“You are making a mistake, Frankie.”

I sneered as I stepped closer and lowered my voice. “That is Signora Ravazzani to you. Stay the fuck away from me and my family, Agent Rinaldo.”

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