“I’d do anything to keep you safe.”
When she kisses me, my knees nearly buckle. I wish we had nowhere to be. I’ll be counting the hours until we get home later.
“Thank you for everything, Nico. I don’t know what I’d be doing if you hadn’t made it your goal to keep me safe.”
“That’s not my only goal, you know.”
“I’d like to hear more about them. But for right now, I need to get to work.”
“Then you have to let me go so I can drive.”
Smiling, she kisses me one more time before she releases me, seeming as reluctant as I feel. Soon enough, I hope we’ll have every Saturday night to spend together, but for now, duty calls.
I drive her to the restaurant and walk her in through the back door, keeping a watchful eye out as we go. I breathe a little easier once we’re inside, surrounded by people who care about us both.
Nona greets us with hugs. “What’re you doing here, Button?”
“Don’t call me that in front of Sofia, Nona. She doesn’t need to know the bad stuff about me.”
Sofia’s eyes light up with interest. “Yes, I do. Why do you call him that, Livia?”
“Because he’s our button pusher. Always starting something with someone and causing trouble.”
“I used to be that way. I’m not anymore.” I’m desperate for Sofia to see only the good things in me and not the stuff that drives people crazy.
Nona raises a brow that calls me out on my bullshit. “And when did this miraculous transformation take place?”
“Recently.”
My grandmother howls with laughter. “I see how it is.”
I kiss Sofia’s cheek. “Go on to work, and don’t listen to anything they say about me.”
“Oh, I’ll be listening,” she says with a sexy grin.
It’s going to be a very long night.
After she walks away, Nona’s hand on my arm keeps me from following her. Having Sofia out of my line of sight makes me itchy.
“What’s going on?”
“With Sofia?”
“With all of it, and don’t say it’s nothing. Vin told us you asked for security for her.”
I give her a brief rundown of what’s happened—enough so she’ll be aware, but not so much that she’ll be afraid.
She listens with her usual sharp focus. “Is that why you’re here rather than at work where you belong on a busy Saturday night?”
“Milo offered to cover for me so I can be here with her.”
“That’s good of him.”
“Very good of him, and I told him so. He’s the best.”
“So are you.”
I give her the side-eye. “What’s with the sudden compliments?”