*Giovani*
I stood at the foot of the stairs, nearly vibrating with worry. I had to keep my arms crossed to be certain Olivia wouldn’t see me shaking.
She frowned. “Is this about me going out? I’m my own person, I should be able to—”
I shook my head. “Please, can we talk in the room?”
She bit her lower lip but nodded. I breathed a small sigh of relief and led the way.
As soon as the door closed behind us, I put my arms out for Elio. She let me take him, still hesitant, and I buried my nose in his hair.
The brief burst of terror that raced through me when Tino texted that they were at Salvatore’s house finally abated as I inhaled his scent. He still smelled like my boy, like the soap Olivia picked out for him and the diaper lotion we used when he got rashes. Sure, there was a little bit of cigarette smoke clinging to his curls from the rathole he’d been dragged to, but above all else, he was my son, and he was safe.
