mobster's secrets?"
"I'm not intruding on the privacy of a family member of the patient that shares the room with my niece."
Jack straightened his head. "Admirable."
I didn't think he meant it.
"But I already know the kid seems to be waking up and you're the one who discovered it."
I blinked my surprise, but didn't confirm or deny.
The corners of Jack's mouth twitched upward. "Don't worry, I'm not reporting on that story."
"Why not?" I asked without thinking.
"Because I work the crime beat. I'm guessing the boy hasn't committed any. Not my place to intrude on the privacy of the family."
I squinted at him slightly, trying to decide whether he was telling me the truth. His expression was unreadable. "So why are you here?"
"I was looking for you."
"Me? Why?"
Before he could answer, the bodyguard who'd been guarding Katie's room appeared carrying two cups of coffee.
My nose twitched hopefully.
"Where's the boss?"
I tilted my head in the direction of the room.
Much to my disappointment, he went inside without handing me a cup.
"Buy you a coffee?" Jack offered.
"I have to get back to my niece."
He nodded. "I'll be here when you're ready."
Instead of asking him the question dancing on the tip of my tongue, "ready for what?" I went into Katie's room. She was still sitting beside Dominic's head, but instead of cheerfully prattling, she rested her chin in her palm tiredly.
"Someone looks tired." Delveccio smiled kindly at the little girl. "Why don't you take a nap, Katie?"
She shook her head, even though she could barely keep her eyes open.
Ignoring her feeble protests, I picked her up, carried her over to her bed, and tucked her in. "I have to go now, sweetie," I whispered, smoothing her hair off her cheek. Knowing there was a chance I wouldn't be coming back, I added, "Do you know how much I love you?"
"Oodles," she whispered back, her eyes drifting closed.
I closed my own, willing the tears that were threatening to spill not to fall. "I do. Oodles and oodles."
When I opened my eyes, dashing away a couple of errant drops that had squeezed out of the corners of my eyes, she was asleep.
"I’ll keep an eye on her for you," Delveccio pledged as I slowly shuffled toward the door. He was standing in warrior pose, straining the buttons of his pajama shirt.
I averted my eyes and nodded my thanks, not knowing if he meant for the day, or if he meant if I didn’t come back.
Chapter 17
Jack was waiting when I emerged from the room. He glanced up from whatever he was doing on his cellphone, his eyebrows knitting together as I stumbled out of the room.
Moving quickly, he pressed his palm to my shoulder, pinning me against the wall to keep me upright. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," I lied automatically. It wasn't like I could tell him that I was worried I wouldn't make it back from the Poconos to care for my niece. "What are you doing here?"
"I told you I'd wait."
"I thought you meant in general, not here specifically."
"But here, specifically, was where I wanted to be," he countered.
I wasn't quite sure if we were arguing or bantering, but the discussion was definitely charged with some sort of crackling energy.
It felt dangerous, so I batted his hand away from my shoulder. "Do you mind?"
Instead of backing off, he leaned closer, his dark eyes studying mine with an intensity that made every nerve-ending in my body stand at attention. "I cannot figure you out."
I held my breath, not wanting to look away, but afraid he'd read my secrets. My mind ricocheted wildly, trying to come up with a way to his escape his perusal, but my body didn't move.
"Maggie, dear," a familiar voice trilled, offering the escape I needed.
Tearing my gaze from his, I turned in her direction. "Hi, Aunt Loretta."
Jack backed off a step, turning to face the woman who'd interrupted us.
He was in for an eyeful. Loretta was wearing some lacy concoction from her lingerie shop that she thought passed for street clothing. It did
"I'm not intruding on the privacy of a family member of the patient that shares the room with my niece."
Jack straightened his head. "Admirable."
I didn't think he meant it.
"But I already know the kid seems to be waking up and you're the one who discovered it."
I blinked my surprise, but didn't confirm or deny.
The corners of Jack's mouth twitched upward. "Don't worry, I'm not reporting on that story."
"Why not?" I asked without thinking.
"Because I work the crime beat. I'm guessing the boy hasn't committed any. Not my place to intrude on the privacy of the family."
I squinted at him slightly, trying to decide whether he was telling me the truth. His expression was unreadable. "So why are you here?"
"I was looking for you."
"Me? Why?"
Before he could answer, the bodyguard who'd been guarding Katie's room appeared carrying two cups of coffee.
My nose twitched hopefully.
"Where's the boss?"
I tilted my head in the direction of the room.
Much to my disappointment, he went inside without handing me a cup.
"Buy you a coffee?" Jack offered.
"I have to get back to my niece."
He nodded. "I'll be here when you're ready."
Instead of asking him the question dancing on the tip of my tongue, "ready for what?" I went into Katie's room. She was still sitting beside Dominic's head, but instead of cheerfully prattling, she rested her chin in her palm tiredly.
"Someone looks tired." Delveccio smiled kindly at the little girl. "Why don't you take a nap, Katie?"
She shook her head, even though she could barely keep her eyes open.
Ignoring her feeble protests, I picked her up, carried her over to her bed, and tucked her in. "I have to go now, sweetie," I whispered, smoothing her hair off her cheek. Knowing there was a chance I wouldn't be coming back, I added, "Do you know how much I love you?"
"Oodles," she whispered back, her eyes drifting closed.
I closed my own, willing the tears that were threatening to spill not to fall. "I do. Oodles and oodles."
When I opened my eyes, dashing away a couple of errant drops that had squeezed out of the corners of my eyes, she was asleep.
"I’ll keep an eye on her for you," Delveccio pledged as I slowly shuffled toward the door. He was standing in warrior pose, straining the buttons of his pajama shirt.
I averted my eyes and nodded my thanks, not knowing if he meant for the day, or if he meant if I didn’t come back.
Chapter 17
Jack was waiting when I emerged from the room. He glanced up from whatever he was doing on his cellphone, his eyebrows knitting together as I stumbled out of the room.
Moving quickly, he pressed his palm to my shoulder, pinning me against the wall to keep me upright. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," I lied automatically. It wasn't like I could tell him that I was worried I wouldn't make it back from the Poconos to care for my niece. "What are you doing here?"
"I told you I'd wait."
"I thought you meant in general, not here specifically."
"But here, specifically, was where I wanted to be," he countered.
I wasn't quite sure if we were arguing or bantering, but the discussion was definitely charged with some sort of crackling energy.
It felt dangerous, so I batted his hand away from my shoulder. "Do you mind?"
Instead of backing off, he leaned closer, his dark eyes studying mine with an intensity that made every nerve-ending in my body stand at attention. "I cannot figure you out."
I held my breath, not wanting to look away, but afraid he'd read my secrets. My mind ricocheted wildly, trying to come up with a way to his escape his perusal, but my body didn't move.
"Maggie, dear," a familiar voice trilled, offering the escape I needed.
Tearing my gaze from his, I turned in her direction. "Hi, Aunt Loretta."
Jack backed off a step, turning to face the woman who'd interrupted us.
He was in for an eyeful. Loretta was wearing some lacy concoction from her lingerie shop that she thought passed for street clothing. It did
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