Deep (The Pagano Family Book 4) by Susan Fanetti

her a little. “I think future tense is more appropriate than past. I’m still going to fuck you. I’ll give you a minute to feel better, though.”
     
    She only blinked. “Are you a friend?”
     
    “I am. And I’m going to get you out of here and take care of you. You’ll get better drugs for home.”
     
    “I want to go home. I’d like a ride, since I can’t find my phone and I don’t know anybody’s numbers. But you don’t have to take care of me. I’m okay.”
     
    “I do, bella . I will.”
     
    “Don’t call me that. I’m Bev. And I don’t want you to take care of me.”
     
    He didn’t like ‘Bev.’ It sounded like some kind of mechanical noise. But he really liked ‘Beverly,’ the old-fashioned lilt, the way his tongue furled and unfurled over the syllables. And he’d been growing quickly fond of calling her bella— and was surprised to find his feelings hurt by her rejection of it.
     
    “I’m afraid, Beverly, that we don’t have a choice. People took photos outside the club. You and I are already on the internet, probably going viral as we speak. You are connected to me now. Until we figure out who did this and resolve the situation, you need to stay close to me to be safe.”
     
    “Being close to you is what made me unsafe.”
     
    It was a different kind of light, but he was glad to see anger in her eyes. So much better than that defeated, wet puppy look she’d had. “I think you knew who I was before you sat at my side, Beverly.”
     
    She took a deeper breath, and winced hard, groaning. He squeezed her hand, and she glared down at his hand on hers. “So…what? I’m a hostage or something? I can’t even go to my own apartment, which is thirty feet from yours?”
     
    “You’re not a hostage. But I’m not asking, either. You’ll stay with me. I have a spare bedroom. It’s very nice. And anything you need from your place will be right down the hall. There will be people you can send to fetch anything. Think of it as being pampered.”
     
    “By big galoots with guns.”
     
    Privacy regulations prevented medical rooms in public hospitals from being bugged, but Nick still had no intention of  exchanging any kind of incriminating words anywhere on the planet but a guaranteed secure location. Knowing he needed to end this conversation before she said something more, he simply nodded. “I’ll keep you safe. I’m going find the nurse, get you sprung. I want to go check on Brian before we go. I’ll be back soon.” He went to the door, pulling his phone from his pocket as he did so. “And Beverly, be careful what you say and who you say it to. Understood?”
     
    When she nodded, he returned it with a smile and then left.
     
     
    ~oOo~
     
     
    He reached in and flipped the switch, turning on the lamp on the nearest nightstand. His guestroom was hardly ever used as such, but his cleaning service kept it always ready. Matty’s sister, Donna, ran that service.
     
    The ride had been difficult for Beverly, and she was tired and quiet now, moving on her own power, but only just. With his arm around her shoulders, Nick led her into the room and turned the covers down, then helped her sit on the bed. She was still wearing that black dress, dirty and tattered now, but she hadn’t bothered putting her shoes back on. Nick pulled off the papery slippers Paige had given her in the E.R.
     
    “I can give you a t-shirt and some sweats or something to wear. Can you manage that?”
     
    She glared at him but nodded, and he went to his room and collected a white t-shirt and a pair of black sweats. He set them on the bed next to her.
     
    “Thank you.” She began to lift her arms, headed to the zipper at the nape of her neck, but drew back with a sharp, shallow hiss. There was no way she was going to be able to undress herself.
     
    “Let me.”
     
    Her blue eyes were wide with anxiety. “No—I…I can manage.”
     
    “You can’t. Don’t be stupid. I’m not going to fuck