Page 113 of Caterina
“Same thing.”
“No,” she says. “It isn’t.”
I look at her then.
She has no idea how dangerous this conversation is getting. Or maybe she does and is doing it anyway because that is what Teresa has always done when she thinks someone is avoiding the truth.
“I’m her protection,” I say. “Not her complication.”
Teresa’s face shifts as that statement seems to land.
“She’s already complicated,” she says softly.
“That’s not funny.”
“I wasn’t joking.”
Then she sighs and stands.
“You need to rest.”
“I’ve heard.”
“You need to take the medication.”
“No.”
“You need to not get out of bed.”
“That's not going to happen.”
She gives me a look.
I hold it.
Finally, she points at me, one finger raised in a way that looks unfortunately similar to Elena last night.
“If you tear those stitches because you can't rest for one day, I am calling your mother.”
“That threat has lost none of its effectiveness, but it's still not going to happen.” I continue before she can speak. “I'm not going to lie here, in Luca Conti's house, all day. Lounging.”
She scoffs at that. “It's hardly lounging,” Teresa says. “You're recovering from a bullet wound. Not clearing an annoying email.”
“It is annoying.”
“It is a hole in your body.”
“Two holes, technically.”
Her eyes narrow into something dangerous.
I take another sip of coffee because I’ve already lost that round and because antagonizing her is the only entertainment available to me at the moment.
“I need a briefing from my men,” I say. “I need an update from the casino. I need to know what Roberto and Antonio told the police, what Giovanni and Nico found, and whether Luca has narrowed down who had access to the information that put Caterina on that floor last night.”
Teresa’s mouth tightens.
She doesn’t like it.
