Page 27 of The Mobster’s Present
“Second guess yourself and what you’ve done for Oriana. You have been her rock through this whole thing.” His hands land on my shoulders, his touch firm and grounding. “Let Oriana enjoy her walk and see how it goes.”
“Okay,” I whisper.
The rest of the shower is quiet. Not silent. He checks in with me as he washes me from head to toe. When we step out, he wraps a towel around his waist before proceeding to dry me, meticulously, from head to toe.
“You need to stop,” I admonish him.
“Why?” His voice is smug, too fucking smug.
“Because you’re turning me on.” I try to sound affronted, but I don’t quite manage it.
“Good,” he rumbles. “Now you’ll be looking forward to the next night we stay in a hotel.”
I turn toward him, something like panic creeping into my voice, “Not tonight, though. I want to be at the hospital tonight.”
His hands cup my cheeks and tilt my head up to meet his eyes. “Whatever you want.” He pauses before letting me know, “This suite is ours until we leave LA. Even if all you want to do is take a nap in a bed that doesn’t fold up, that’s fine. The car service is already set up as well. You don’t need to worry about little things like this.”
Little things like this.
Salvatore has no idea what his care means and how it wraps my heart with a warmth I’ve never experienced before. All I can do is nod and hold back tears.
As he leads me out of the bathroom, his voice turns almost shy. “There was a delivery earlier too.”
I look at him out of the corner of my eye and keep my voice light, “Oh? What was delivered.”
The moment I step into the main room of the suite, I know the answer. There are two more suitcases identical to the ones we left Seattle with, along with a slightly smaller white one with pink bows all over it.
Salvatore clears his throat. “This way you have options here and at the hospital. No matter where you go, you’ll have what you need.” He walks over and touches one of the pink bows with so much gentle are. “This is for when Oriana is discharged. It’s filled with comfortable clothes and a few extras that’ll make the trip easier on her.”
“You didn’t have to do this.” I can barely get the words out as my throat closes up and my mouth goes dry. He closes the distance between us in two strides with his dark eyes locked on me. “Really,” I choke out, “it’s too much.”
“It’s barely the start of what you and Oriana deserve.” He says it with so much surety that I find myself starting to believe him. “You both deserve the world and I’m the man who is going to give it to you.”
“We don’t need the world, we just need someone who shows up.” I bite my lip, the words feeling too honest.
Salvatore doesn’t even blink. “I will always show up.”
I know they’re just words, but I believe the man standing in front of me. He’ll move heaven and hell to show up and won’t shy away if blood is required to make it happen.
He pulls clothes out for me and then proceeds to dress me. As he touches me, it feels like worship and I’m not sure what to think.
Maybe, for once, I don’t need to think.
Just before we leave the suite, worry flashes across Salvatore’s features before he picks up two jewelry boxes. He glances at me before opening the slightly larger one.
“I could lie to you and tell you this is just jewelry, but it’s not. It’s a tracker and I want you and Oriana to wear them.”
I look at the bracelet for a long time before studying his face. He looks at me with his dark eyes open and pleading. It’s not a trick.
He doesn’t have any ulterior motive.
This is about safety.
I find myself holding my wrist out for him to slip the bracelet into place. There’s even a screw that’s a lock and a key that Salvatore holds onto.
His shoulders relax while he exhales. “Do you think Oriana will like it? Her’s matches.”
I look down at the bracelet now locked on my wrist and find myself nodding while that ridiculous bag hangs from my other arm. The laugh that comes out of me is bright and honest.
