The Hitman's Mark

24. Mothers and Fathers

VALENTINA

Val's fingers tightened around the cellophane wrappings of the biggest "Get Well Soon" bouquet sold at the Scarsdale florist shop. She'd spent half an hour at the little store, searching the fresh flowers for an arrangement that best conveyed the sentiments: Thank you for taking a bullet for me.

Allison accompanied her and offered her opinions, while Luca kept diligent watch over them from the shop's entrance. In the end, Val selected an arrangement of white roses and lilies, since she didn't think Matteo would like anything colorful. Now, standing outside of Matteo's humble home in the outskirts of Scarsdale, Val wished she'd listened to Luca's claim that men didn't like flowers.

She hadn't seen Matteo in three days, since Lara sent him home for bedrest and a proper recovery. She hadn't heard from him, either. Didn't know when or if he planned on returning to work at the Romano mansion. She didn't like that uncertainty. And, God help her, she missed the hitman.

Although she'd tried her hardest to maintain a degree of nonchalance every time she overheard Lara discussing Matteo's condition with her father, on the third day, Val cracked. She asked Lara if Matteo had improved enough to accept visitors, and the physician smiled knowingly before granting Val permission to see him. Val hated Lara's deliberate, perceptive glances, but not enough to stay away from Matteo for another day. Another minute.

"Rethinking those flowers?" Luca clucked, sidestepping around Val to lead their trio up to the faded red front door.

"No," Val lied, grinding her teeth as she followed her temporary bodyguard up the steps. Matteo's house looked old but charming, like it had been meticulously cared for by generations of Costas before him. "Are you sure this is the right house? It doesn't look very... Matteo."

Luca shrugged. "I'm pretty sure. Although we'd know for certain if you'd just texted him and asked to confirm his address. Y'know, like a normal person."

Allison looped her arm through Val's and tugged her up the steps. "I think it's fun that we're surprising him. And I like the flowers. Don't listen to Luca."

Val wished that she held even a pinch of Allison's confidence. Truthfully, she had half a mind to ditch the roses and lilies in a nearby bush and retreat to the SUV parked on the road behind them. "We won't stay for long," she decided, lifting her fist to knock on the front door. "I just want to apologize."

Val, Allison, and Luca grew quiet as footsteps sounded from the interior of the house. The steps' pattern was soft and quick, very unlike the heavy, sure-footed gait of the hitman she'd grown so accustomed to. A small frown tugged on her lips as the lock clicked and the door cracked open, revealing an older woman in the doorway.

"Can I help you?" she questioned, her voice a bit raspy from a few too many cigarettes. The corners of her eyes wrinkled as she beheld the party on her front door.

Embarrassment flushed Val's cheeks, and she internally cursed herself for not asking Matteo for his address. Instead, she'd relied on Adriano's shitty memory.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she scrambled, dropping the bouquet to her side. "We must have the wrong house. By any chance, do you know if Matteo Costa lives in this neighborhood?"

The woman opened the door further, allowing some of the natural lighting to shine against her graying black hair. She was older, likely in her late fifties, but beautiful, nonetheless.

"As a matter of fact, I do," she answered, wiping her hands on an apron tied around her waist. Her dark eyes flickered toward the white bouquet in Val's hand, and an understanding smile curled on her full lips. "I'm Adele Costa. Matteo's my son."