Kill Order Kiss novel · Chapter 7 of 16

Chapter 7: Stay Dead

He looked terrible.

Paloma was right.

His suit was wrinkled from the flight.

There were dark hollows under his eyes, and he hadn't shaved in days.

The whole tasca was watching him.

Two old men at the counter.

A tourist couple with a map.

Dona Fátima, with a wooden spoon in her hand.

"Mari," he said.

"My name is Lucía."

"Mari. Please."

I walked up to him and slapped him across the face.

The sound cracked through the room.

One of the old men said, "Ai," under his breath.

Rocco didn't lift a hand to his cheek.

He just stood there and let it turn red.

"You drank champagne," I said. "On the day of my memorial. With her."

"Yes."

"You let her call me a cook in my own kitchen."

"Yes."

"You let them take my father's restaurant."

"Yes."

"Stop saying yes!"

Dona Fátima came over and stood beside me with the spoon.

She looked Rocco up and down.

"You want him out?" she asked me in Portuguese.

"Not yet," I said.

She nodded once and went back to the stove, but she took the spoon with her.

Rocco looked at the floor.

"If I hadn't been at that party, Carmine would have asked why," he said. "If I'd gone to your memorial, he'd have asked why. He watches everything, Mari. He's watched my face every day since you left."

"And your father?"

His jaw went tight.

"Beppe told me what he said on the plane."

"I've got people on his daughter," he said. "She's safe."

"And you still went to the party."

"I went to the party so he'd believe it worked."

I laughed at him.

The tourist couple got up and left money on the table.

"Why are you here?" I said.

"To see you breathing." His voice broke on it. "I've seen the picture every night for two weeks. Beppe sent it to me too. I know it's fake. I made him tell me how you made the blood. I still see it every time I close my eyes."

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