Page 64 of His to Break

“One of your soldiers?”

Matteo cocks an eyebrow at me. I guess it was a silly question. Soldiers are never ‘let go’ from an organization like theirs.

“A chef.”

As I mull that over, Matteo leads me to one of the Volantes’ seemingly endless fleet of black SUVs. He does the chivalrous thing of opening the back door and helping me into the vehicle before getting into the passenger seat. I don’t recognize the blond-haired driver.

I rest my head against the window and close my eyes. Last night, I didn’t get any sleep and I am not one of those people who can be up for twenty-four hours straight. I must have dozed off because we’re pulling up in the parking garage at the apartment before I know it.

“I’ll come up with you,” Matteo announces as he helps me out of the car.

“No, you go to the hospital, or your mom’s, or wherever your family is. You need to be with them.”

Matteo grimaces. “Yeah, but if Leo’s up there and he’s been drinking…”

“It’ll be fine. He won’t hurt me.”

“Vinnie, when I spoke to him, he wasn’t in a good state. I really think I should…”

“No!” I cut him off again. “Whatever mess he’s in, I can handle it.”

Matteo stares at me for a minute. I meet his assessing gaze and refuse to look away. The corner of his mouth twitches. “Yeah, sweetheart, I think you can.”

He escorts me to the elevator and waits until I step inside. Despite my assurances to Matteo, as I travel up to the apartment, I can’t help worrying about what state I’ll find Leo in, if he’s even here. It might be better if he’s not. I’d like a chance to freshen up before I see him.

When the doors slide open and I enter the apartment, Nico is sitting on the sofa, looking at his phone.

“What are you doing here?” I ask.

He gets to his feet and walks toward me. “Leo got drunk. He tried to burn down Aphrodite’s.”

“What?”

“It’s all good,” Nico says. “The manager called me when Leo arrived and I stopped him before he could set fire to the bar.”

“That’s, uh…” It’s fucked up, but I don’t want to be critical of Leo in front of his friend. “Where is he?”

“I brought him home. Benny poured a gallon of coffee down his throat and I threw him in the shower.”

“Benny’s here?”

“In the kitchen.”

“Okay, good. I’ll take it from here.”

Like Matteo, he looks as if he’s going to argue, but he can obviously tell I’m not in the mood. He nods and heads for the elevator. When he’s gone, I head for the bedroom, where I find Leo sitting on the edge of the bed, head bowed low.

“Vinnie, what the fuck are you doing here?” he demands when he spots me.

“Going for a shower. Go get yourself some more coffee. Ask Benny to make breakfast. I want a spinach omelet and home fries. When he’s done, he can leave.”

“Vinnie…”

“We’ll talk when I feel more human.”

Not waiting for him to respond, I go into the bathroom, where I find Leo’s clothes strewn across the floor. I strip my dress off and add it to the pile. I glance in the mirror and shudder. No wonder Matteo looked so worried when he saw me at first. There are purple bruises beneath my eyes and my hair is a mess. There are red tear streaks down my cheeks.

I get into the shower, setting the temperature hotter than I usually like it. I need the heat to soothe my aching muscles. Though I know Leo’s waiting, I take my time to wash the grime off my body. It doesn’t take long for me to feel more like myself again. I get out of the shower and towel myself off, doing what I can to dry my hair. Then I throw on a pair of cotton pajamas, because I want to feel comfy.

---