Page 105 of Dangerous Intent

A loud pound on the bathroom door startled me.

“Lissia.” Dom knocked again. “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” I gasped as I placed my hand on my mouth, trembling harder than before. “I’m fine. I’m taking a shower.”

Being a mafia wife didn’t allow me to have a violent freak-out. There were too many guards waiting to barge in and save me. At least Dom had the decency to knock before catching me naked.

I entered the shower and shrieked at the scalding water, but once under the powerful flow, my body adjusted. As the steam swirled around me, I relaxed and allowed the spray of the faucets to calm my broken soul.

I leaned against the damp tiles and slid down until I was seated on the wet floor. Pulling my legs into my chest, I closed my eyes and took a few exaggerated inhales and exhales. Mediation was never my thing. It still wasn’t.

After a few minutes, the steam filled the entire bathroom, and I lost myself in random thoughts—my childhood, going to that little cafe on campus, waiting in line to get those cookies for a man who looked at me with contempt.

Marchello never scared me. Not when he tossed me in his car or when he threw my phone in the river. I was too determined to believe that one day he would fall in love with me. I belonged to him the moment I gazed into his eyes. He was mine even when his heart hadn’t caught up with mine.

“Lissia.”

I peered up at Marchello. He entered the large walk-in shower stall, naked and breathtakingly mesmerizing.

“Hey.” I bit my thumbnail. “How’s it going?”

I had been so lost in thought that I hadn’t heard him come into the bathroom or even realize I was shivering.

“What are you doing on the floor?” He extended his hand. “Get under the hot water. Your lips are turning blue.”

He pulled me to a standing position and guided me under the stream of hot water. I glanced down at his swollen knuckles, but he didn’t appear to have any other indicators of what had happened when I left the lobby.

“You must be freezing.” He wrapped his muscular arms around me and held me close to his warm body. “Talk to me.” He looked down at me. And don’t tell me you’re fine.”

“Seeing him…” I shook my head. “It made everything real.”

“Diego?”

“He paid for me. My father…” I sighed. Marchello already knew this story, and I didn’t want to rehash it. “It makes my stomach sick.”

“You’re safe.” He pushed the hair from my eyes. “I’m sorry he approached you. That was my fault.”

“I really was trying to stay out of trouble.”

“I’ve come to expect that trouble just finds you.” He ran his hands down my arms. “Speaking of which, how did the mirror break?”

Heat burned my cheeks. “I got angry. Sorry.”

“Don’t be.” He held me by my upper arms. “Did it help?”

“A little.” I sighed. “Can you tell Lorenzo we’ll pay for it?”

“Don’t worry about it.” He kissed my forehead. “I’ve broken a lot of shit in my time. Lorenzo probably has too. He’ll understand.”

“What happened with Diego?” I raised his hand and brushed his knuckles along my mouth. “You hit him.”

“Just once.”

“It must have been a pretty hard hit to bruise you like this.”

“I’m going to handle it, but it’s more complicated than I anticipated.”

“Isn’t everything?”