Page 53 of Wicked Tricks
Anything that had happened, any feelings I might have had for him, took a backseat in my mind. I would deal with that later. My hand was steady, and I knew that I would shoot the bastard if he made a wrong move.
Antoni headed towards her slowly, his hands still in the air.
I lowered my gun, only an inch, but still hovered between them protectively.
“How do you know her?” I snapped.
My mind instantly started reeling. Beating myself up. Of course he was somehow involved with that piece of shit. Of course the one man that convinced me to let my guard down was the one person I should not have.
I hated always being right.
“Her boyfriend works for me,” he said.
I looked back at Grace, who stood by the door, looking down as she nodded.
Antoni continued slowly towards her, with his hands still up in the air. I kept myself between them, with adrenaline pumping through my veins.
“Please don’t tell him I was here,” Grace choked out softly as she turned to face him.
Antoni dropped his hands and shoulders, and let out a deep sigh.
“Of course not,” he shook his head, “how long has this been going on?”
Grace shrugged, turning toward him and looking down at the little girl perched on her hip.
“Since I got pregnant.”
He shook his head and took a deep breath.
I noticed his jaw stiffen with anger and his hands balled into fists. Grace flinched slightly as Antoni’s rage became apparent in his body language, but he noticed, and relaxed his fists by his side once again. He let out a sharp sigh before he crossed the space between them, and her eyes widened with fear and confusion for a split second as he charged towards her, before he wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug.
Grace froze for a moment as he embraced her, and then, like magic, she relaxed against him. She let out a long exhale, and then began to sob into his shoulder, shuddering against him in despair.
I frowned as I watched them, confused. I was ready to shoot him a minute ago, but now it seemed that he was helping her more than I was. In that moment she didn’t need revenge or anger - she needed release and comfort. I looked to the floor and tucked my gun back into the waistband of my jeans.
“It’s okay,” he whispered into her hair.
He pulled out of the hug, holding her at arm’s length and looking her deep in the eyes, “this will not happen again, okay? On my word.”
She nodded, looking up at him with a deep respect that I could recognise.
The same look that the men at the restaurant gave him, the same look that even Diana gave him.
I never understood it.
The Family,LaFamilgia.
The respect that they had in our world. What did they ever do for anyone? For society? For the community? I looked away from them, feeling like an outsider who would maybe never understand.
“Thank you, Don Antoni,” she said.
“Come inside,” he said, shuffling her towards the couch.
She visibly relaxed, and did as he said.
I grabbed towels for Grace and her daughter to dry off and a first aid kit to tend to Grace’s wounds. She didn’t even flinch as I applied the antiseptic to her bleeding lip. Antoni cracked the instant ice pack over his knee and wrapped it up in a small towel before handing it to Grace.
I leaned against the kitchen counter, watching Antoni and Grace as they talked.
