Page 56 of Count Down

“Holy shit…” Lexi says as she looks around at the inside of Luca’s residence. She hasn’t said anything since we left our apartment. “What, do you live in the Guggenheim?”

“Lexi can stay in the studio apartment,” Luca tells me.

I nod. He turns, about to go leave and take care of the man in his trunk. I run to him and wrap my arms around him. “Come back quickly,” I say. I know we’re safer at his place. But I’ll feel better when he’s back here and next to me. I miss him already.

I loosen my grip around Luca as he turns toward me and hugs me back. “I will.” He leans his head down and kisses me. Then he heads back to his car. I lock the main door behind him.

Lexi is still looking wide-eyed around Luca’s place. We grab our bags and I lead her up to the studio apartment off the second floor, near Luca’s shop. It’s the place I’ve been the least in this building. I’ve only been in here for a second when Luca gave me a tour.

The apartment is cozier than the rest of the building, with the exception of maybe Luca’s rooftop bedroom. It was probably designed to be a fully functional guest space. It’s got its own bathroom with a decent-sized walk-in shower. There’s a small kitchenette along one side of the room and a queen size bed against the wall in the center of the room. There’s a small couch at the foot of the bed, facing a coffee table and a TV mounted on the wall.

The thing I find most odd about this space is that the only way into it is through the rest of the house. There is no separate entrance. However, tonight that makes me feel extra safe. Like we’re tucked into a fully furnished panic room inside a fortress.

I decide to stay with Lexi until Luca comes home. We crawl into the bed, and I turn off the lamp. It’s completely dark. No windows. Not even a digital clock on any of the kitchen appliances.

Lexi cuddles up to my back. I know she’s more freaked out by tonight than she’ll ever admit.

“I can see why you stay here so many nights,” she says.

* * *

I open my eyes to see a sliver of light growing slowly wider. The glow from outside the room outlines a huge shape in the doorway. The obvious silhouette of Luca.

Lexi is no longer curled up next to me, having relaxed enough to roll over and sleep on her side of the bed. I crawl out of the bed and go toward Luca. I close the studio door behind us, and he leads me up to his rooftop bedroom.

When we get back inside, I can see that his clothes are dirtier than when I last saw him. In the dim light, it’s hard to tell whether it’s dirt or blood. Or both.

“Did you take care of… it?” I ask.

He just nods.

I follow Luca to the bathroom and help him strip off his clothes. He slowly walks into the shower. He looks tired. Exhausted. I strip off my clothes and follow him.

In the shower, I help wash him clean. The water runs off his arms and hands, and I can see that it is both dirt and blood. The blood drips red as it splashes onto the tile and runs down the drain.

I look him over, without finding any cuts or scratches. None of it seems to behisblood.

I wash around his neck and the top of his chest. Now that I’m up close, I see that there were drops of blood around his neck and chin. It looks like he was splattered with it, but wiped it from his face.

Once I’ve got his skin back to the clean, smooth way that I’m used to, I just hold him from behind. I press my naked front against his naked back, my arms wrapped around his solid core. I rest my head against his back, and we stand there, letting the warm water run over us, feeling the comfort of each other’s bodies.

I feel his shoulders loosen as he drops his head down under the shower.

I can tell he’s not relieved that today is over. He knows tomorrow is going to be worse.

41

LUCA

I’m relievedto see that Gina is sleeping soundly when I get up. I quietly sneak out to go downstairs and cook breakfast.

Last night, I confirmed the man that broke into her apartment was from the Bratva. Then I disposed of him. The worst part was that I couldn’t tell Mateo or Raf or any of the other Barones. Gina isn’t an issue to them. It’s only personal to me. They still expect me to assassinate her father tonight.

That was only the Russians’ first attempt to get to Gina. Once they realize it didn’t work, I’m sure they’ll make a new plan. My hope is that after tonight, they’ll be distracted by all their other problems and forget about her.

While scrambling eggs, I hear footsteps on the stairs. They’re slow and heavy with the sound of sleepiness. I almost forgot Lexi was here. I add a few more eggs to the pan, then I pour some coffee and walk out from behind the kitchen wall.

Lexi shuffles toward the table where I set the coffee down for her. She barely lifts her feet or her eyelids.