The Hitman's Mark

12. Play Her Cards Close

VALENTINA

"Ouch," Val mumbled as her father's physician dabbed at her forehead with a sterilizing cloth.

The antibacterial wipes stung, but Val welcomed the prickle of pain. It distracted her from the whirlwind of memories that threatened to hold her captive all night.

Matteo wrapping her ponytail around his fist and pulling her close. Ezra McLeod's cold, debonair smile. Discovering Mario's involvement in a Bratva trafficking scheme. The barrel of a gun pressed to her head. Her father's anger. His praise.

If Val thought too much about it, she got a headache.

"Sorry, sorry," Dr. Lara D'Amico, the physician, murmured, wiping at the cut again. She'd arrived at Val's bedroom shortly after Val and Matteo themselves. Apparently, she'd already been in the mansion.

"It wouldn't hurt so much if you stopped squirming," Matteo drawled from his spot in the bathroom doorway. Although he'd promised to return to Leonardo's side after escorting Val to her bedroom, the hitman stayed.

Val rolled her eyes. "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

He grumbled a non-reply.

In truth, Matteo's presence comforted Val more than she cared to admit, especially as Dr. Lara poked and prodded at her.

She sat on the bathroom's marble countertop, a makeshift examination table, while Dr. Lara conducted her examination. The young, startlingly beautiful physician evaluated Val's head injury, shining a flashlight in her eyes and asking her to follow her finger with her gaze. Thankfully, Val passed all of Dr. Lara's tests.

"Fortunately, I was able to close this cut with a few butterfly strips. You won't need stitches," Dr. Lara concluded, ignoring Val and Matteo's squabbling and taking a step back to observe her handiwork.

Val turned to look at her reflection in the mirror. God, she looked rough. Bags under her eyes and the remnants of blood staining her hairline, but at least the gash looked better. "Thank you, Dr.--" she began, but the brunette physician interrupted her.

"Please, call me Lara." She smiled and began packing up her kit of medical supplies. "Mr. Costa, if you'd like to rejoin Leonardo and Adriano downstairs, I'm sure Val and I can manage from here on out."

Leonardo and Adriano? Val frowned and turned away from the mirror. Lara spoke about her father and uncle with such... familiarity. And why had she already been at their house when called?

"Principessa?" Matteo's deep voice distracted Val from her suspicions.

She blinked and turned to find the bodyguard staring at her expectantly. One of his dark brows was lifted, and she realized he was asking for her permission to leave her alone with Lara.

She nodded slowly, surprised by his sudden display of loyalty. "It's fine. I'm fine. You can go back to my father now."

To Val's disappointment, Matteo didn't bid her farewell before dipping his head to Lara and walking out of the doorway. She frowned, memories resurfacing of her last argument with Matteo in his car.

I'll let someone else make a fool of themselves trying to babysit you, he'd said, moments after seemingly resigning from his post as her bodyguard. He hadn't mentioned quitting again since they'd arrived in Scarsdale, but Val hated the unease that churned in her stomach at the thought.

Although they had a tenuous relationship at best, Val had grown accustomed to his brooding, grumpy presence. And, she couldn't stand the thought of Matteo hating her for the rest of her life. At least if he still served as her bodyguard, she could still attempt to make amends for sneaking away from him.