My heart stalls as Adrian comes into view. A rush of warmth hits me, seeing someone familiar, knowing he’s safe despite everything that’s gone on. Since I’m watching Adrian, I see his blank expression slip for a moment, registering a split second of surprise when he sees me. He clears it just as fast, but I’ve already seen it. He didn’t know he’d find me here.
Sal speaks first. “Hello, Adrian. Long time no see.”
Adrian’s gaze moves from Sal to me, then to my arm around his waist. He frowns, then meets Sal’s gaze, even less trusting than a moment earlier. I assume he wants to ask what the hell is going on here, but he doesn’t want to show his hand, so he remains silent instead.
I let go of Sal’s waist so we can walk downstairs, but I still hold his hand. I want to offer him as much protection as I possibly can, at least until I know whether or not he needs it.
When we reach the bottom of the stairs, I look back the way Adrian and Ethan just came, toward the living room. That’s when I see the man on the floor. I gasp, covering my mouth. Sal grabs me, pulling me close and pressing my face to his chest.
“Don’t look,” he murmurs.
“Oh, my god,” I murmur into his chest, feeling ill. “Oh, my god.” I didn’t see who the man was though, and now I feel like I need to look to make sure. Sal doesn’t let go though, so I ask, “Who is that?”
“Antonio Castellanos,” Ethan answers.
My eyes go wide and I look up at Sal, shock written all over my features. “Your dad?”
His jaw ticks, and he presses me back into his chest. I’m throwing him off his game, so I stop. My heart is thumping so loudly I’m sure he can feel it as I mold myself to his torso. I think I’m going to be sick. I can’t stay hidden in his chest. He can’t be okay. Is the man in the other room injured, or dead? Adrian is here, so I’m assuming dead. Oh, my god.
“Sal?”
He finally looks down at me, his tone a little more firm as he tells me, “It was my dad or your brother, Francesca.”
My chest caves in with every exhalation as I process the ramifications of what he just said. The fights we’ve had, the nights we’ve stopped talking—only until bed, because apparently Sal holds firm to the “don’t go to bed angry” principle.
He sacrificed his own father to save my brother. A man he doesn’t even like. For me.
Ethan is talking, but I can’t hear what he’s saying. Everything is drowned out by the sudden crush of sympathy and affection bearing down on me. Sal is paying attention to them right now, because this is probably business time, but I can’t stop myself—I grab his neck and pull him down for a kiss. He’s surprised at first, but even with an audience, he responds, pulling me close and kissing me back. He knows what this is for. I wish Adrian and Ethan weren’t here, because I want to rip his clothes off and give him a much more appropriate show of gratitude.
Adrian eventually clears his throat.
I wish he’d go away, but he won’t. Still holding on to Sal, I press my forehead against his and whisper, “I’m so sorry. Thank you. I love you so much.”
He gives me a little smile, and this one’s real. Not the smirk he had to paint on to face Adrian, who in all likelihood just murdered his father a minute earlier, but a genuine one. Even with the other men clearly close enough to hear, he murmurs back, “I love you, too.”
Once I pull back I wrap my arm around his waist again, feeling even more protective than a moment ago—and that’s saying something.
Adrian raises an eyebrow, looking at me instead of Sal. Finally, he speaks. “Well, I guess I don’t have to ask if you’re here of your own free will or not.”
I shake my head. “We’re in love.”
“Yeah, I got that,” he says, dryly. Now his gaze moves back to Sal. “All this start that day the bakery?”
Sal nods his head.
“Huh.”
I’m not sure where we go from here, but since Adrian’s here, I go ahead and ask, “How’s Mateo?”
Adrian frowns, pulling out his cell phone. “I don’t know, actually.”
“He’s fine,” Sal answers. “My guy took care of the situation. I had no idea they were going after Mia—the man who came for her has been eliminated.”
Now my eyes go wide again. “Who went after Mia?”
Sal flicks me a glance, but doesn’t answer.
Fuck.
“She’s fine. She’s with Mateo. Unless they’re making use of the hotel room, I assume they’re on their way home.”
“Oh my god, what?” I’m trying to contain myself, but there is way too much excitement going on in these few minutes. Things need to calm down fast.