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“As long as you take Romero with you,” was his short reply

I sed my hurt and frustration When he’d taken ht he’d try to et me into bed And now he punished me with the silent treatment

But I didn’t need him, never would I drifted off to the sound of his rhyth

I awoke in the htmare Luca’s arm rapped around me, my body spooned by his I could have pulled away, but his closeness felt too good A part of e to work

I

Romero tried to be invisible but he was always there “Do you want to go shopping?”

I al better? Maybe that worked for sorab so to eat Gianna sent me an email with a few restaurants she wants to try when she visits I’d like to go to one of them today”

Romero looked uncertain for an instant, and I exploded “I asked Luca for pero, so you don’t have to worry I’m allowed to leave this prison”

He frowned “I know He told me”

This was ridiculous I left hi area and hurried up the stairs to the bedroorabbedback down Romero hadn’tother than uard?

“Let’s go,” I ordered If he wanted to act like uard, I’d treat him that way Romero pulled a jacket over his shirt to hide his holster, then pushed the elevator button We didn’t talk during the ride down This was actually the first ti It was sleek, black loss counter behind which a ed receptionist in a black suit sat He inclined his head toward Romero before his eyes zoomed in on me with obvious curiosity “Good day, Mrs Vitiello,” he said in an overly polite voice I alet I wasn’t a Scuderi anymore After all, my husband was never present

I nodded in acknowledgeainstSu to be excited about The sh the streets like fog Romero was a step behind me and I wondered how he could bear the heat in his dress-up