My heart melted into a puddle for this little boy. He was so sweet, had a heart of gold. I’d always wanted a family of my own, but being around Luca just made me realize how much I needed it. I kneeled down and hugged him tightly, squeezing him against my chest and smelling his hair. My ovaries were practically screaming because I wanted to be a mother even more than I had before. “You’re welcome, Luca.” I finally released him and stood up.
Mia put her hand on his shoulder and guided him into the hallway.
Carter lingered behind for a second. “Thanks for picking him up.”
“I didn’t mind at all,” I said with a sigh.
Carter stared at me for a moment, his eyes turning serious. We’d never been very close, not the way I was with Vanessa, but we got along well enough. He’d always been protective of me, showing me he loved me rather than ever saying it. “It’ll happen for you someday, Carmen.”
“What?” I asked.
“A family.” He touched my shoulder gently before he pulled away. “Just be patient. The right guy is out there looking for you.”
That mythical man was nowhere to be found. And the man I was currently sleeping with certainly wasn’t the one. “I hope you’re right.”
I still hadn’t heard from Bosco, which was unusual since we talked every few days. Now four days had passed without a word from him.
I wondered if he’d gotten bored with me.
I decided to call him as I sat on the couch, wool socks on my feet and wearing a baggy sweater.
He answered almost immediately. “Beautiful.” It was quiet in the background, making me think he was home.
“Bosco.”
He chuckled slightly. “It doesn’t matter what context it is, hearing you say my name is the sexiest thing I’ve ever heard.”
Maybe he wasn’t bored with me, after all. I wondered why he hadn’t called, but I refused to ask. That would make me seem clingy, and I didn’t want to be clingy with him. He was the worst man in the world to feel attached to. Not only would he break my heart, but he would destroy me. “Are your men following me around?” I asked the question that was on my mind, pretending that was the only reason I was calling. I was too proud to invite him over, to tell him I missed him.
He was quiet for a while, drawing out the silence before he finally gave his answer. “Yes.”
I knew he would be honest, so I didn’t expect any other answer. There was no way that man had interfered by coincidence. There had been no one on the sidewalk just a second before, and then out of nowhere, that man appeared.
“I won’t apologize for it. I won’t justify it. If it pisses you off, I don’t give a damn. I just want to be upfront about that to save you some time.”
I didn’t expect anything else. “How long have you had your men following me?”
“Since the beginning.”
“Why?”
“To keep your safe, obviously. I have ten men tailing you at all times.”
“Ten?” I asked incredulously.
“Yes,” he said unapologetically. “Maybe I’ll make it twenty after what happened the other day.”
So he did know about it. “Who was he?”
“You don’t want to know.”
He was right, I didn’t.
“But I took care of it personally. Don’t think about him again.”
“What does that mean?” I asked, unsure if I wanted the answer.
“I stabbed him to death and left him in a dumpster.”
I closed my eyes, cringing at the gruesome image in my head.
“And don’t feel bad about it—trust me.”
The man probably deserved it. I didn’t want to know what his crimes were. But if he’d really wanted to take Luca away from me, he deserved the gruesome death he’d experienced. “I’m starting to wonder if Florence is the most dangerous place on earth.”
“No, not even close. But there are bad men everywhere. You’re fucking one of them.”
He had me there.
“Are you angry with me?” he asked, his voice suddenly softer.
“No.” If that intervention saved Luca, I should only feel grateful. That little boy was pure and innocent. If anything ever happened to him, I would lose my shit and go ballistic. I would stab a man twenty times before leaving him in a dumpster.
“You’re always safe with me, Beautiful—even when I’m not there.”
Even as I sat in my apartment, a sense of relief washed over me. It cleansed my heart and my blood, made me feel at peace with the world. Even if there were a murderer lingering outside my apartment, he would never get to me. When I had a man like Bosco in my life, I never had to feel scared again.
“As I’ve told you, you can walk the streets naked if you want—nothing will happen to you.”
I believed it.
“Walk home in the dark. Do whatever the fuck you want. You’re my woman—and you’re untouchable.” Like the conversation was over, he hung up on me. He didn’t ask to see me or try to come over. He was possessive with me but then cold. It didn’t make any sense.