I heard him.
“Baby, it’s okay,” Salvatore said, making my head turn slowly to find him standing in the doorway to the kitchen, tucking his gun away, then slowly holding his hands up to me. “Hey, hey, it’s alright,” he went on, voice more soothing than I’d ever heard it.
Why was he talking to me like some scared animal?
Even as I thought it though, I felt it.
My entire body was shaking.
Head to toe.
My teeth were even knocking together.
My gaze moved from him back to my own hands, seeing the bloodied knife there, and dropping it with a yelp, like it was suddenly scalding me.
“Alright. It’s alright,” Salvatore said, and he was suddenly next to me, reaching for me, pulling me against his chest, holding me together when my body and mind threatened to fall apart. “You okay over there, kid?” he asked.
“I… ah… yeah. Is she okay?” Wren asked, sniffling hard.
“Yep. She got a heavy dose of adrenaline when she saw what was happening to you. The body can’t handle that much of it. So it tries to get rid of it. That’s why she’s shaking,” he explained, voice calm, patient, as his hand sifted through my hair and the other arm slung around my waist, anchoring me to his body. “She’ll be fine. You sure you’re okay? Anything broken? How’re your ribs?”
“I’m alright. Really,” she said, gasping a little as she, I imagined, got to her feet. “I’ve had a lot worse,” she added, her voice coming closer. “Is he…”
“Dead? Yeah,” Salvatore said, not dancing around the truth.
“Ah, who are you?” she asked, and I felt my insides tense, feeling suddenly guilty for not having told her, to bring her in on my growing happiness.
“Salvatore,” he supplied. “Costa. I’ve been dating your sister.”
“You’ve been… wait. Did you say Costa? As in… the mafia Costas?” she asked, tone sounding a little choked.
“Yep. That’s me.”
“You’re… you’re dating Whit? Since when? How did you meet? Why didn’t she tell me?”
“A couple weeks, about. It hasn’t been a traditional relationship progression,” he explained. “And I imagine she didn’t know how to explain that she’s been dating a known member of the mafia. And an ex-con to boot. But figure shit is a lot more gray now,” he added, and his lips pressed lightly to my temple.
“I can’t believe… Liam!” she gasped, and I could hear the fear in her voice. “Is he…”
“Yeah, kid. Your friend is at the diner with some of my friends. He’ll be glad to hear you’re okay. And I will get you back to him. But we’ve got a major fucking problem here now,” he said, and I was yanked suddenly out of the shock that was assaulting my system as I realized what he was saying.
That there was a dead body at our feet.
That I’d killed him.
“Nope. Don’t freak out,” Salvatore said as I pulled against his hold, feeling my eyes go wide as my mind raced.
“Oh, God. Oh, myGod!” I yelped.
“Baby, calm the fuck down,” Salvatore said, holding his hands up at me again. “It’s not that big a deal.”
“It’s not that big of a deal?” I choked. “I killed someone, Salvatore. That’s a very big deal!”
“It was self-defense!” Wren piped in, making my gaze go to her, looking her over top to bottom to reassure myself that she was okay.
She was right.
It had been worse.