Page 193 of Creep
My heart jumped wildly once more. What the fuck was happening to me? “I missed you too.”
“I love you.”
My heart stalled at those three simple words. I didn't think there would ever be a time when I would get used to hearing them from her.
“I love you too,” I said softly, trying and failing to get my heart rate to go back to normal.
It was getting almost painful.
Was I having a heart attack?
Impossible.
I checked my pulse. It was racing. I inhaled deeply.
I felt her press a kiss in the center of my chest, making my breath catch.
“Sleep, baby,” I said, keeping my voice level so as not to scare her. “I’ll be here to keep all the monsters away.”
“I know,” she said, sounding confident in my ability to protect her, no matter what.
Fuck.
Everything was fine. I knew it.
I knew I wasn’t having a heart attack. I didn’t know what the fuck was wrong with me, but everything was going to be fine.
Even if I felt like I was dying.
* * *
I threwthe stack of photos on Tacchini’s desk in his house.
He didn’t ask how I had gotten in again, and I wouldn’t have answered him if he did.
He looked down at the photos. “What, no heads?”
“Too many,” I said, baring my teeth. Plus, I was getting fucking sick of lugging heads around. The first two had been symbolic. I always had a flair for dramatics.
Tacchini sifted through the photos, letting out a small whistle. “I’m impressed. You’ve obviously killed before if you can hunt down the head of the Camorra like it was child’s play, but this?”
He took in all the photos, the evidence of all I’d done to his supposed enemy.
“Don’t test my patience, Tacchini, or I’ll let you personally experience how far my skills go.”
His eyes flared. “Is that a threat, boy?”
I shook my head. “I don’t make threats. Those are usually empty. This is a warning. Do you think there would be a place you could hide that I wouldn’t find you? Do you want to test me on that?”
I pulled out the seat and sat down, leaning back casually.
He swallowed. “You’re in my house. I have at least twenty men standing guard nearby.”
“And it’ll only take me five seconds to kill you. I let you live because I thought we could benefit from each other. But I’m not your fucking errand boy, and you’re really pushing my patience.”
I indicated the panic button he had installed under his desk. “Go on, push it. How long do you think it’ll take them to get here? And do you think I would have escaped by then? Not before slitting your throat, of course. How old is your boy? Is he ready to take over?”
His jaw clenched. “There is no need to talk like this. You’re right. This relationship can be beneficial for both of us.”
