"Good riddance." Luca prowls over to us. "This one was so goddamn corrupt, he was given a wide berth, even by his own men."
"He has friends in high places; there’ll be a fallout from this," Massimo warns.
"Avery. Who's with Avery?" she croaks.
"Axel and Theresa are with her," Massimo replies in a gentle voice.
A trembling grips her, and I pull her even closer.
"You mind?" I hold the gun out to Massimo, who grips it with his gloved fingers.
"I assume this needs to be disposed of?"
I nod.
"And what about this piece of trash?" Luca stabs the foot of his pointed boot into the fallen Fabio’s chest.
Elsa stiffens in my arms. She tips up her chin and meets my gaze. "Burn him."
An hour later, I wrap a blanket around her as I put her to bed.
Massimo drove both of us back, while Luca stayed behind to take care of the details. Before we reached home, Luca called us to say it was done. After making sure there was no one else in the house, he set the place on fire. I spoke to Michael, and he promised me he would reach out to his sources within the police to ensure his death would not be investigated. Paradoxically, with Fabio out of the way, it was much easier for his contacts to do what was needed.
After we got home, she went straight to Avery’s room, where she and Theresa had quietly embraced beside the sleeping little girl. She didn’t say anything to Theresa, but her best friend seemed to understand that something major had gone down. In just a few words, I conveyed to Axel what had happened. His features turned grim, and he told me he’d double the number of people guarding our place. Then, he and Theresa left. I led her into the bathroom, stripped her, and bathed her, and she still hadn’t spoken a word. Then I dried her, and myself, dropped an old T-shirt of mine over her shoulders, and helped her into bed.
Now, as I slide out of bed, she grabs my arm. "Stay," she says in a hollow voice, "don’t leave me alone."
"Just going to check on Avery one last time. I’ll be right back."
48
Elsa
A few seconds later, he returns, then undresses, his movements slow because of his injured shoulder. Finally, he slides under the covers, wearing only his boxers.
"How’s the shoulder," I ask.
"It’s healing fast." He pulls me into his arms and I place my cheek against the thud-thud-thud of his heartbeat. If only I could, I’d bottle this sound, and carry it around with me, and take it out and listen every time I needed a pick me up.
"How are you feeling?" He tucks my head under his chin. He wanted me to see a doctor, but I refused. I wasn't really hurt, and once I had a shower, all I wanted was to crawl into bed with him and have him hold me.
"Shaken." Tears prick the backs of my eyes, and I turn my face into his chest. "You know what’s the worst thing?" I swallow. "I went there, hoping to have an excuse to kill him, and put an end to this torture he's put me through."
He runs his fingers through my hair, the gesture soothing.
"You had a gun with you?"
I nod. "Cass procured it for me."
He stills, and I pull back. I glance up into his face. "Please don't blame her. I’m the one who asked her to procure it for me."
"And she did." His lips thin. "She endangered your life."
"She helped me out. She was there for me when I needed a friend."
"And if you’d been killed? What then? Did you think about what would happen to me and Avery if thatstronzohad hurt you?"
"I wasn’t going to let that happen. I knew I was going to get out of there alive."