Mom and I joined Enzo and my father, and my gaze landed on our luggage by the couch. Bianca’s unedited story was inside Enzo’s bag, but he said he wasn’t ready to read it.
When I looked up at him, his eyes were on me, and there was that uneasy look from him again. What was going on?
“Well, we’re glad to have you home.” Dad came over and hooked his arm around me, pulling me in for a side hug. We all exchanged our goodbyes a few seconds later, and once they were gone, Enzo closed the door and kept his back to it.
“How’d it go with my dad?” I reached for his hand and threaded our fingers together, and he pulled me to him, our linked palms the only thing between our bodies as he dropped his focus to my mouth.
“It went better than I expected.” He bent in and kissed me, and I wished it would have been enough to melt away my lingering worries, but nothing short of a promise from him everything was okay would do that.
When he lifted his mouth from mine, he palmed my cheek with his free hand.
“What’s wrong?” I whispered, drawing my eyes closed as I waited for him to drop bad news on me, and I could feel it coming.
He slid his thumb over the line of my lips. “I just need to check something on my work computer next door.”
“Your laptop for catering? Or are you planning to go into your Batman lair?” I opened my eyes while pulling away, searching his gaze for comfort and security, but I didn’t find it.
“There’s one possible loose end. I could be worrying for nothing. I hope I am. But I need to make a call and look into something, and there’s no need to unnecessarily worry you if it’s nothing.” He lifted our palms and kissed the top of my hand. “I don’t want to leave you alone, though. Maybe wake Chiara and you two come with me?”
“I’m just next door. Nothing will happen. And I think you’re being paranoid, and there are no loose ends.” I let go of his hand. “Please. The sooner you close the book on your concerns, the better for us all.”
His shoulders fell. “Don’t open the door for anyone but me. I don’t care if it’s a neighbor. No one. Got it?”
“Yes, sir.” That was supposed to come across as sexy and teasing, to help ease his nerves and produce a smile, but he was clearly on edge, because his lips remained in a harsh line.
“The walls are thin,” he went on. “You shout, call, scream at the top of your lungs if you have to if something is wrong. I’ll try and be quick, but come over with Chiara if she wakes before I’m back.”
“Okay,” I responded in a softer tone despite now feeling on edge.
He leaned in and kissed me one more time. “Lock the door. Dead bolt,” he ordered before leaving, and I did as he asked and went straight for Chiara’s room once he was gone, needing to put eyes on my daughter.
I sat in the rocking chair by the crib, mindlessly rocking, doing my best not to think about the last few days, but memories kept popping up.
A few minutes later, there was a knock at my front door, followed by a ring. Chiara remained asleep. That must be Enzo. His key was probably in his luggage in my living room.
I carefully shut her bedroom door and went to let Enzo in.
But shit, it wasn’t him.
Thomas stood outside my door in the hall, and he had Chiara’s favorite stuffed animal tucked under his arm. Great, you couldn’t call first?
I went for the knob, then remembered Enzo’s directive not to let anyone in. But if I called Enzo to come over, with how edgy he was, there’d probably be another showdown between the men.
Thomas knocked again, so I reluctantly unlocked and opened the door.
“You’re back.” I frowned. “Thank you for bringing Stuffy. You could’ve called first.” He handed me the bear and walked around me without an invite. “You don’t live here,” I reminded him as the door swung shut, and I turned to find him heading for Chiara’s room.
“Yeah, well, I want to see my daughter. I’ve been away from her.”
I set her bear on the chair in the living room as I followed him toward her bedroom. “So have I. And she’s asleep. Let her rest. Come back when you’re invited.”
He stopped outside her room and faced me. “Where’s Enzo?”
“He’s next door. He’ll be here any second.” I folded my arms. “So don’t do anything that might piss him off.”
“What, like breathe the same air as you?”
“Funny that you mention that. Not funny ha-ha but like . . .” What am I saying? “You should go. Please.”