Protected by Shadows

by Aliyah Burke

  “Who’s that, Doctor?” a student asked her as he left.

  “My husband.”

  He nearly grinned. Hearing those words from her mouth made things seem right. Sobering, he got back to being observant and keeping her safe. Nothing struck him as out of the ordinary, but he wouldn’t put it past Mansfield to send someone.

  Anger enveloped him at the simple thought of Trevor Mansfield. Get it together, Cassano, he reprimanded himself. Can’t protect Lexy if you’re dwelling in the past.

  Masters had said there was no current picture of the man. The best they’d been able to do was age him using software, but that only gave them an idea of what he would look like, assuming he hadn’t had any work done, or disfiguring accidents.

  Problem was with a man like Mansfield, there would be many young people who shared his ideals, whom he could manipulate over to his way of thinking. Not that it would be a stretch. Quite a few weren’t happy with how the country was now.

  He exhaled and shifted against the wall he stood by. There were no scripts for this man. Valentino thought about the two who had been killed most recently. That we know about, anyway. The images of their slaughtered bodies had been sent to the Feds. Masters had gotten copies and shared them.

  Having met a lot of violent people in his life, Valentino could say he didn’t know many pure psychopaths. But he would definitely classify this man, Trevor Mansfield, as one.

  Not the only one you’ve had the pleasure of meeting. Again with the unwanted commentary from his brain.

  He ground his jaw and refused to let his thoughts go there. If he went down that path, he wouldn’t be able to do his job. So Valentino did as he always did, ignored the pain lancing him and focused on what had to be done. Right now, protecting Lexy.

  * * * *

  They left the campus in the afternoon after grabbing a bite to eat. Once on the road, with Lexy driving, he allowed himself to relax. He’d gone over the car after the talk and again before they left the diner from their lunch. He wasn’t about to risk anything happening on the return trip. Breaking down in the middle of nowhere wasn’t what they needed.

  Lexy was still nervous. He could see it on her face—she constantly worried her lower lip.

  “You did great,” he offered.

  Her smile was fleeting. “Thanks. I’m surprised you stayed awake for it all. Doesn’t seem like the kind of thing you’d give a damn about.”

  “If I fell asleep, Lexy, I wouldn’t be any good to you. I didn’t understand a lot of it, but they appeared to.”

  She glanced at him. “You’re admitting to not knowing something?”

  “There are many things I don’t know. I’m secure enough to say that. My confidence isn’t lacking.”

  “Nope, that I agree with. You have confidence all right. Would you wear pink?”

  “Shirt or tie, yes. Pants, no.”

  She gave a small laugh. “Tell me about you, Valentino. I know there’s much you won’t share, but give me something.”

  He couldn’t resist her. “Ask me some questions.” We need to communicate better any way.

  “Favorite color?”

  “Blue.”

  “I thought it would have been black, as much as you wear of it.”

  “Most of my suits are black, but I love blue.” He shrugged. “Hence the truck.”

  “Makes sense. Okay, music. What do you like?”

  “Jazz and classical. Occasionally I’ll listen to country.”

  She shuddered and he chuckled. “Oh, not happening in my car. How about classic rock, or some pop music?”

  “I can listen to that as well.”

  “Then you can change the station. Press three and it will be pop music, five is classic rock.”

  Thankful to get away from heavy metal, he did just that and immediately felt less stressed. “Thank you.”

  “Welcome. What do you like to do when you have time off?”

  Her question caught him off guard and he leaned back in the seat, mulling over it. What did he do? “Um.”

  “Do you take time off?”

  “Haven’t in years.”

  “So it wasn’t time off when you went to visit Gio or Enzo?”

  “Nope. Just wasn’t needed. Had I been called, I would have gone.”

  “No time off to go visit your family. What about Zia? Or your parents? No trips to Italy? I’m sure y’all have a large family over there.”

  “We do but nope. It’s been all about work for me for”—he refused to let the memories come out—“years now.”

  “You know you should take time off. How about this.” She whipped around another car like it was standing still. And as fast as she was going, it basically was. “If you could take time off and go somewhere or do something, what is the one thing you would most like to do? Don’t think of what you could afford, just anything you wanted. Money is a nonfactor here.”

  Valentino allowed the air to flow over his hand as they raced up the interstate. She’d kept the top up this time so it was easier to hear her, though the windows were down. He wasn’t sure what the answer to her question was.

  “I don’t know. I think I’d like to go to a small cabin in the mountains and get away. No phone, no way for someone to find me. Just take a week and do that.”

  She slanted a glance at him, surprise on her face.

  “No comment?”

  “It’s what you want, Val. Not my place to say it’s right or not. I will admit I didn’t expect you to want to be out in the middle of nowhere. But I won’t judge.”

  “Thank you,” he replied dryly.

  “I can be magnanimous.” She hemmed a bit then added, “On occasion.” Lexy flew around another line of cars, whipping in and out of them with skill that impressed him. People took courses to learn to drive this way and she did it like it was nothing. “What’s the one thing you wouldn’t ever do?”

  “Besides wearing pink pants?”

  “I think that may be the second joke you cracked today. Be careful, Val. I don’t know how much more I can take.”

  He smiled before he could catch himself. What am I doing? I can’t let myself lower my guard with her. I have to keep her safe. She made it clear she didn’t want to stay married. He ignored his inner commentary and decided to take this day for what it was. A day with his wife. A truce.

  “Come on,” she insisted. “The one thing.”

  “Sleep with another man.”

  She gave a small bark of laughter. “I don’t mean like that. I’m talking like, you’d never skydive or bungee jump. No helicopter rides. You don’t like spiders. Something like that. Nothing sexual, although it’s a shame that that three-way is out. I had such high hopes. Oh, sorry, make that four. You, Ethan, Beauregard and me. That would have been so much fun.”

  She made a purr identical to how Eartha Kitt used to do as Catwoman. His cock went hard instantly and he shook his head.

  “That is definitely out.” No way in hell the three of them would be sharing his wife. “I don’t mind flying. Do a lot of it with the job. I don’t like snakes, but I don’t have a fear of them. Depends on the situation, if I would do something or not.”

  “Wow, that’s a long way to not answer the question. Okay, fine. I get it.”

  He couldn’t detect any anger in her words. “What about you? What’s the one thing you wouldn’t do?” He watched her.

  “Oh that’s easy. I’d never eat steak tartare.” She shuddered. “Are you fucking kidding me? Raw meat, either beef or”—another shudder—“horse meat. No way, man. Not happening. I don’t live in the Stone Age. I have access to fire to cook my food. Not to mention I’d never eat a horse.” A firm shake of her head. “Nope. Definitely not.”

  He couldn’t find fault with her choice. “You answered that quick.”

  “I tend to answer a question in my head before I ask it. If I’m not willing to answer it myself, why should I ask it of someone else?”

  “There’s a lot more to you, Lex
y, than you let people see.”

  She snorted. “Not really. People just see what they want to. I’m outspoken and gregarious. I love my stilettos and I have a belly ring I don’t mind showing off. And because I don’t cover up from head to toe they assume I’m a slut. I’m no nun, to me sex is something to enjoy. I’m not ashamed of that take on it. I’m who I am. I have a certain code. It may not seem like it to many, but I do and I hold true to it.”

  “I’m sure you do.” He sure as hell enjoyed sex with her.

  He could see it in her. The code she went by was powerful. Hell, he had seen it. She was protective of those she cared about. Passionate to the core, didn’t change her ways to please people. She was her own individual.

  Her phone rang and she glanced at the screen before answering. “Hey, Hector. I’m on my way back from Blacksburg. What’s—”

  The car swerved and he reached for the wheel. “Lexy?” Her entire body shook. “Pull the car over, Lexy.”

  “Oh, my God,” she said, tears springing into her eyes and leaking down her cheeks.

  Thankfully, she slowed them down from over eighty and put the car in neutral as they idled alongside the highway.

  “I’ll be there as soon as I can.” The phone tumbled from her fingers.

  “Talk to me, Lexy. What happened?”

  “Eugene is dead.”

  He had a moment’s pause before he whipped out his own phone and sent a message. The response had him facing her again. “Listen to me, Lexy. He’s not really dead. This was us taking him to a safe house.” She stared at him but he wasn’t sure she’d heard him. “Are you hearing me? It’s what we talked about before.”

  Slowly, the words sank in and she gave a gasping cry before hunching over the steering wheel, trembling. “I didn’t know it was happening now.”

  “I didn’t either, and I’m sorry you found out that way.”

  “I have to tell Hector.”

  “No!” he said, gripping her arm. “You can’t tell anyone.”

  “Damn your rules,” she snapped. A few deep breaths. “He’s okay though?”

  “They say he’s fine.”

  She grabbed him, strong fingers digging into his arm. “Promise me.”

  He showed her his phone and watched her as she read the text. Her breathing slowed and she nodded.

  “Keep him that way.” It was a threat he couldn’t pretend he hadn’t heard. She shifted into gear and got them back on the way. “Now I have to go comfort my brother about the death of our other brother who’s not really dead.”

  Valentino didn’t speak, just let her drive. As they raced up the road, he wondered idly if she’d ever thought of racing cars. Lexy had one hell of a lead foot. She tore into the hospital lot and parked with a screech of tires in front of the emergency entrance, where she hopped out and dashed inside without a look back.

  He shifted himself to the driver’s side and took her car to the visitor’s lot where he parked then locked it before heading inside. He made his way to the elevators and rode one up to the floor Eugene had been on. As he walked to the room, he saw Lexy and Hector embracing in the hall.

  The man looked up and the devastation on his face tore at Valentino. He couldn’t imagine knowing one of his siblings had died. The man had to be going through hell.

  Lexy had tears streaming down her face as he approached them. She didn’t leave her brother’s side to come to him. Valentino understood that, somewhere in his mind. He held out his hand to Hector.

  “I’m so sorry.”

  Hector nodded and drew him into their hug, ignoring his outstretched hand. Valentino hadn’t been expecting that and he nearly pushed away. Then he stood there and allowed the man to cry on his shoulder. It tore at him to know it was all a sham, but they couldn’t risk telling him.

  Lexy stood with Hector and Valentino as they put a sheet over her brother, covering up his face before wheeling his body out of the door. More tears leaked down her face.

  It’s not really him! She couldn’t help but fear the worst when she saw the body lying there. Valentino’s arm was around her and she knew it was more to keep her in control than to offer comfort. Slicing her gaze to the side, she spied her brother standing off to the side by himself.

  Never had he seemed so alone before. No more tears fell from his eyes, his expression, stoic. Everything within her screamed for her to tell him the truth. Not cried—screamed. A deep-rooted, intense scream.

  Val must have sensed the war raging inside her for his hold tightened. Her eldest brother stood talking to one of the nurses as he made arrangements for the body. When it was just the three of them in the room, Hector turned to her and gave her a small smile.

  “I have to get back to work. We’ll talk arrangements tonight.”

  That was her brother. The one who took care of everything. She nodded and hugged him one more time. He kept it brief, brushed a kiss along her cheek and shot a pointed look at Valentino.

  Her husband didn’t move until she did. When she went to the door, he followed. All three rode down in the elevator completely silent. She wiped uselessly at the tears which wouldn’t stop falling from her eyes. Hector walked away and she nearly followed.

  “Your idea sucks,” she hissed as they went to her car.

  “I know.” His tone was somber.

  “How did you get someone there to look like him?”

  “I don’t know what they did, I was with you.”

  She made a rude noise. “Don’t bullshit me, Val. Had you been on that end what would you have done?”

  “Walked in pushing a gurney and made the switch while someone distracted the nurses. Had a dead body who matched him almost all the way around and if needed put on an identical mask so his face was the same. The bandages he had would have made it a bit easier.”

  “You say it so casually.”

  “What I do isn’t pretty, Alexsa. Don’t pretend you think it is.”

  “I’m not, I guess I just expected to hear something different. How will the funeral be handled?”

  “Masters and a crew will take care of it. It would help if you could give me an idea of what funeral home he’s going to want to use.”

  “Easy. Brown Funeral Home.” She dug for her keys only to have him pluck them from her hand. “Really?” she snapped.

  “You just lost your brother, you’re not driving.”

  When he put it that way… Lexy walked to the passenger side and watched him get behind the wheel and readjust her seat.

  “Didn’t do that when you parked it?”

  “Nope.” His answer was as monotone as her question.

  “You’re positive my brother is fine?”

  He dug for his phone and pressed a button.

  “What is it, Cassano?”

  “Masters, Lexy wants reassurance her brother is fine.”

  “He’s settled into his room and is doing as well as can be expected for being in a coma. He’ll have round-the-clock care here and I’ll have them send you updates twice a day. Will that suffice, Mrs Cassano?”

  Odd to have another call her that. “That will be fine, thank you.”

  “Very good then.” Masters hung up.

  “Thank you,” she whispered before curling into herself. He drove them home then helped her into the house.

  Still shaking, she sat in the living room and put her head in her hands. “It’s not real, Lexy. Buck up.” She repeated that several times before she looked back up.

  Val stood near, not encroaching on her but not giving her total privacy either. When she met his gaze and arched a brow, he walked away. It was as if he’d just wanted to make sure she was all right.

  She must have dozed off for when she opened her eyes, the sun was very low in the sky and Valentino was in the kitchen. Cooking, from the sound of it. She got to her feet and walked in.

  He’d changed from earlier whereas she still wore her skirt suit. Her shoes were gone however. She allowed her gaze to rove over his jeans riding lo
w on his hips and the green tee that hung over his waistband.

  “Food will be ready in about ten minutes. Your brother should be here by then as well.” He spoke without turning around.

  Silent, she left and took a short but necessary shower. Hector had arrived when she walked back to the kitchen in shorts and a camisole. He sat at the table, a beer and food before him. Val held out a chair for her beside her brother and pushed her in after she’d kissed Hector.

  “Looks great, man,” Hector complimented.

  His voice, unfortunately, remained but an echo of how she knew it was normally. It tore at her all over again to know how much he was hurting, and that she knew something he didn’t. They’d never really kept secrets from one another before. They were family and they stuck together.

  Her not telling him about Val had gone over poorly enough, one only knew how painfully this deception would be taken. She smoothed her napkin on her lap and dipped her head. He was right about one thing though, his statement of the food. She couldn’t argue that—it did look good.

  Their meal was mostly silent, split by the sounds of eating. Utensils on plates, glasses being picked up and set back—typical family sounds. She hid her scoff of derision. This wasn’t a family.

  Not how it used to be in her mind. She was married to a man she’d had to blackmail to get his name. She was lying to her brother about the other brother he had believed passed away. No, not family. This was a big clusterfuck.

  “Hector,” she began tentatively.

  “Yes?”

  “I think Eugene should have a closed casket.”

  He placed his fork down and stared at her. She could also feel Val watching her. She ignored her husband and focused on her brother.

  “Why? They can fix the bruising with some makeup.”

  Why? That was a damn good question. She shrugged. “It was just a suggestion. I know he wouldn’t have liked the fuss of being made over to be ‘presentable’ anyway.” She shook her head. “Forget I mentioned it.”

  As expected, he reached for her and took her hand. “No, it’s a great suggestion. I’m sorry, Lex. I’ll mention it to the mortician.”

  “I can handle some of that stuff, Hector. Let me help.”

  He nodded absently. “Sure.”