Page 61 of Enduring Caine
She tapped my chest and I pulled back only enough to see her face.Stay there, she mouthed and turned to plant a foot inside the alcove. She lifted up, fished around above Venus’s head, and hopped down. “Done. You’re not going to believe what—”
“Hold on.” I pulled her against me. “Not even a little bit of fooling around?”
She frowned. “Vincenzo says we’ve got less than ten minutes. And I’m betting Leo won’t wait that long, given the whole car fiasco.”
I held her tight. “We can talk while I caress your ass.”
“Antonio!” She smacked my chest playfully, but didn’t move away—that was something, at least.
Shifting into a more serious mode, I gave her a summary of the conversation I’d had with Giovanni, Cristian, and Leonardo. “The head of security when I was here before was nowhere near as paranoid as Leonardo. But based on Vincenzo’s presence, it’s justified.”
“How much danger do you think we’re in just staying here?”
“Honestly?” I ran my fingers absently up and down her back, staring into her stunning blue-green eyes that were muted inside the cave. “I don’t think we are, so long as we follow the rules. The security system is over-the-top, but it keeps the place safe.”
“And we’re still staying for whatever your surprise is tomorrow?”
“I think so. Maybe we can sneak you into my room again tonight?” I nipped at her bottom lip. “That was fun.”
“Not dangerous?”
“The only danger is that they move our rooms.” I shot a look heavenward. “Come now. What did Elliot have to say?”
She flagged away from me, far enough for one of her hands to scrub across her face. This would be bad. “He wants a photo ofThe Magdalen. Gave me a spy camera kinda thing to take it.”
I froze. This was exactly what I’d told her not to do.
“I know.” Her hand shifted to my cheek. “I have a necklace it can attach to, so I could—”
“No.” I snatched her hand from my face. “Thatisdangerous. Not the moving rooms kind of danger. Injury and death danger. I’m serious, Samantha.”
She pulled away from me. “You encourage me to follow my passion, my true path. That’s working with the FBI, either as an agent or a contractor or whatever the hell this is. You can’t tell me to go forward with it and then balk at the first sign of danger.”
“First sign?” I spluttered, throwing my good hand into the air. “How many times were you and I nearly killed over the last two weeks?”
“They’re just looking for information, not to arrest—”
“Marone, this has nothing to do with what’s going to happen to my uncle. This is about you!” I dragged my hand through my hair, the muscles clenching in my bad arm so much I winced. “I told you no snooping.”
Her eyes narrowed and she jabbed a finger into my chest. “And I told you questions are what I do.”
This debate was getting me exactly where it always got me—nowhere. I closed my eyes and stretched my arm in its sling. She was right, but so was I. “Nathan Miller said you were reckless.”
She wrinkled her nose. “What does that have to do with this?”
“He thinks you would have gotten yourself killed in the FBI because you take foolish risks. That’s what you’re doing now.”
Her shoulders drooped, mouth falling open. This truth hurt her, but was it because Miller said it or because he’d said to me?
“We’re running out of time, bella.” I pulled her closer, so her face rested against my neck and I didn’t have to see the pain in her eyes. That look was my fault. How was I supposed to protect her and support her at the same time, when she continued doing things that made me choose? “Give it to me. I’ll take the pictures.”
“No.” She wrapped her arms around me, holding tight. “What are we going to do if I go to work for Elliot? Hand every case file over to you?”
“Then work for Matt. Or give the camera to Vincenzo.”
“He doesn’t have the same access I do.” She touched her lips to my neck. “Antonio, this isn’t foolish—it’s my ticket. If I get this done, maybe this is enough for Elliot to get me a contract position that lets me work from Brenton. If you or Vincenzo do it, that buys me nothing.”
For her to stay in Brenton and become my chosen family, I had to stand by and watch her risk her life to betray my blood family. “I hate this.”