Cellie's POV
Santino's expression when I came back out of the building with my duffel was the specific expression of a man who had won a bet with himself.
"Not one word," I told him.
He held up both hands with the grin at maximum power.
Demetrio took the duffel from my shoulder without asking and I let him because some battles were not worth having and also because his hand came to the small of my back immediately after and the warmth of it was the specific warmth of something I had been trying to go two days without and had failed comprehensively.
Sergio and the detail were at the entrance and I met Sergio's soft smile and felt the specific embarrassment of someone who had given eight people a significant amount of unnecessary work.
"You gave us quite the scare," he said.
"You should put me on the government payroll," Nino said, which was the most words he had ever directed at me in a row and I took it as the compliment it clearly was not.
