"I'll go let Tony know," Tristan said. "And the others."
I gave him a nod. "Don't let him see you. Be discreet. We'll need to leave in an hour. I'd like to get there early. Scope out the area before they arrive. Just in case this is a setup. Some way to get me out into the open." He gave me a nod and went to go find Tony.
Enzo took off his sunglasses and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. "You think Mario would've gotten to Rene?"
The idea seemed ludicrous, even to me. Rene and I were almost like family. And if this was a trap, I knew without a shadow of a doubt Rene had been forced into it. But I wouldn't put anything past my brother. "It wouldn't surprise me. Despite our father's order, he must be feeling threatened right now. And as we know, my brother doesn't react well to being threatened."
"What's going on?"
We both turned to find Veda standing in the doorway. My eyes raked over her unconsciously, taking in every detail: her hair pulled back into a ponytail that fell over one shoulder, the too-big black T-shirt that was obviously mine, and the pair of loose, creamy shorts she must've found in our closet, left here from before. Her feet were bare. Toes painted a light peachy color that matched her nails.
Raising my eyes back to her face, I found the same hunger in hers that now burned deep within me. "How are your parents?" I asked her.
She quietly cleared her throat. "Pretty much the same as yesterday. My mother is crankier than usual, which is to be expected. Lisa's making her some soup that she'll be able to slurp up through a straw, although I don't know if that'll help. Dad won't leave her side, but I did coerce him into taking a shower just now. I gave him a pair of your sweatpants and a shirt to borrow." She frowned, as if just realizing something. "I hope that was alright."
"Of course," I assured her. "We can get them more of their things tomorrow after I make sure it's safe to go to their house."
"Thank you." She looked back and forth between us. "So, what's going on?"
"I'm going to go get things ready," Enzo said.
Veda smiled at him and moved out of the way so he could walk past. "Ready for what?"
"I have to go out of town," I told her, watching her expression closely. "Just for tonight. There's something I need to take care of, and Tristan and Enzo are coming with me."
A flash of disappointment crossed her face. "Oh." She opened her mouth. Closed it. Then blurted out, "Can't someone else do it?"
"No, amore. Not this time."
Crossing her arms, she stared down at her toes.
I closed the distance between us and cupped her jaw, tilting her chin up until her eyes met mine. "You'll be alright here. I'm going to leave men outside, and Tony will be here in the house with you and Lisa. You met him that day in my office."
"The day you were shot."
"Yes. And there'll be guards outside the house as well." I brushed my thumb over the lines of worry between her brows. "It's only for one night. I'll be back before you wake up tomorrow."
"What if something goes wrong?"
"It won't," I said with more conviction than I felt. I pressed my forehead to hers for a few seconds. "Please don't do anything stupid while I'm gone. And when I get back, you and I will talk." I kissed her head, then her sweet lips.
She was suspiciously quiet as we walked back out to the kitchen together, where I told Lisa what was going on. She agreed that she and her husband, Kevin, would be there in the house that night with Veda and her family.
I gave Veda one last kiss, running my fingers through the soft strands of her hair before laying it back down over the curve of her breast. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Be careful," she told me.
I left her in the kitchen with Lisa and went to join my men.