Melina bit back her laughter. “On that we can agree. Thank you for making your presence known.”
“You’re welcome, ma’am.”
Giuseppe returned to his seat at the far corner of the bar. Melina didn’t move. She stood watching as Anthony made small talk with the women. Surprisingly, only a couple of them seemed interested in attaining his attention, and even more surprisingly, one of them was Erika. From the way she smiled at him and leaned closer to hear what he was saying, the young woman was expressing definite interest.
And so was Anthony.
She’d always thought perhaps the older Capo had a certain type of woman he preferred, but might not outwardly admit.
Tonight was proving she’d been right.
Anthony’s hand slid around Erika’s waist, bringing her closer as he whispered in her ear. A moment later, the two of them were heading off toward the back of the club where the private rooms where.
Melina was stunned.
She’d thought it might take Erika a little time to get comfortable with her new job.
Apparently, that was not the case.
She’d watched the woman flirt with one of the slimiest men Melina had ever met and then promptly go with him to a private room. And Melina knew Anthony.
He was not a man looking for long conversation and lingering looks.
Anthony wanted sex.
Plain and simple.
Melina hoped that Erika knew what she was doing.
Glancing at her watch, Melina frowned. It was getting a bit late. She’d promised her husband she wouldn’t be gone too long and she had every intention of keeping that promise. Turning, she motioned for Giuseppe.
“Yes, ma’am?”
“I think I’m going to head out now, but I need someone besides my regular guys to be here until Anthony leaves. Can you arrange that?”
“Yes. Give me just a minute, Mrs. Maccari.”
Giuseppe stepped away to make his phone call and a minute later he turned his attention back to her.
“Carlito is five minutes away. He said he would be more than happy to stay.”
“Thank you.”
Melina dug her keys out of her purse and headed toward the door. Giuseppe followed behind her. Anthony’s sudden appearance bothered her. She couldn’t put her finger on why, though. The man had always been slime and jealous of her husband’s success. But there was something different about tonight. Either way, Mac would not be pleased when she told him.
“Do me a favor and drive me home, I’ve had a couple drinks.”
Melina handed over the keys to Giuseppe so that he could unlock her door. As he stepped off the sidewalk and went around to the driver’s side, Melina frowned.
The streets around them were quiet.
Too quiet.
The car beeped as Giuseppe unlocked it with the remote. He opened the door and then everything happened at once.
Oil.
Fire.
And burning flesh.
The force of the explosion threw Melina backward so hard she was sent crashing to the ground.
Her head hit the sidewalk with a resounding thud and the last thing Melina saw before she closed her eyes was a shadowy figure coming her way.
“Fuck. Jesus, give me the strength …”
“A bad boy who prays, huh?” the nurse asked. “Never would have taken you for that kind of man.”
Air hissed hard through teeth in a sucked inhale, and the hospital bed rattled with the force of the man’s trembling as another wet, cold cloth was peeled from his skin. And with it came a strip of blackened, burned flesh.
Mac glanced away at the sight of a tear escaping from the corner of Giuseppe’s eye.
There was a smell lingering in the hospital room, something that was hard to explain but Mac knew he would never be able to forget. Like dead skin, burnt oil, and antiseptic, all rolled into one. It burned his lungs with every exhale, but Mac said nothing, and he wouldn’t. Giuseppe couldn’t help the situation he was in, and frankly, the enforcer was lucky to be alive. Beyond that, had positions been reversed, and Giuseppe allowed Melina to drive, Mac knew all too well …
Jesus.
It could have been his wife in the bed with forty percent of her body burned.
Thankfully, Melina was two floors down in a private suite with a few bumps and bruises, a minor burn on her side, and a concussion. She was also demanding to be let out of the hospital, asking for release the very second she could get it.
Mac wasn’t allowing that just yet.
Soon, but not yet.
“Three more and then we’ll be able to take a break,” the nurse said.
Giuseppe’s gaze flicked to Mac, who was standing in the corner with his arms crossed. The two men hadn’t been able to talk a great deal with the nurses and doctors coming in and out of his unit, caring for his burns. Giuseppe was hopped up on morphine, which made anybody a little loopy in the head, but it wasn’t doing fuck all for the pain. They couldn’t give him more without overdosing him, and that was a real concern.
The pain was another thing that could very well kill him.