Pearce Hudson: #1 My Italian Devil

29.Knights, rooks & bishops

Dante was skilled when it came to cooking. His hands moved swiftly, cutting the vegetables, I mean like Masterchef swift. His movements were like a dance. He moved from one pan to another, he stirred, then tossed.

"Okay there is something clearly on your mind," Dante spoke up. "You've been staring at me cook for 10 minutes."

"It's just...if we're ganna start over..."

"Yes?"

"There's going to be questions. I mean where you had been, what you were doing, why you left."

"Pearce-"

"No! You don't have to answer right now. Just...just sometime soon. I wanna do this with you Dante but I-I can't have a relationship based on lies."

Look who's talking.

"How about I a deal?"

"I'm listening."

"You ask a question I get to ask a question in return."

"Okay I'll start, where did you go?"

"All over Europe but mostly at the Villa in Rome. What did you do after I left?"

"Finished law school and passed the bar."

"Did you practice law?"

"No but I get to ask two questions now. Why didn't you call? And why did the FBI want to arrest you?"

"I couldn't. Call you. If I did the FBI would've been all over you. And the warrant for my arrest...it's complicated."

"Okay." His answers were vague and I didn't want to push it.

"Do you still love me?"

I choke on my wine then cleared my throat, "I want to still love you. I did. I'm pretty sure I am but it's going to while before I admit it."

"I love you. I always loved you and if takes some time for you to love me back I'll wait."

With that he smiled and placed food in front. It was spaghetti with bolognese sauce. My stomach tumbled and my mouth watered. Dante pulled out steaming garlic bread from the oven. He set a bowl of salad with vinaigrette on the counter top before pulling a stool beside me.

"We can just eat at the dining table," I said twirling my fork in the spaghetti.

"We never ate at the table," Dante smirked inching closer to me.

My heart threw itself against my chest. He remembered that. I felt like a giddy teenage girl and grinned.

I stuffed myself with pasta and and garlic. As much as I hate to admit it, Dante's cooking was fabulous I had filled myself so much that I felt sick. No I actually felt sick. I excused myself and hurried upstairs ready to hurl. I threw open the door in my sight and ran to the bathroom. My kneeled down in front of the toilet and tipped my head,my mouth open. But nothing came out.

I breathed out then sat down on the cold bathroom tiles. The world was dizzy. I placed my head between my legs and took deep breaths. My heart rate calmed down and my head stopped spinning. Pulling myself to the sink I splashed cold water on my face before wiping it down with towel. I didn't why I was feeling sick. Last time I'd felt this way was when...I was pregnant.

Alarms went up in my mind. That was impossible. I hadn't slept with Jake. No but you slept with Dante.

No!

No way I could be pregnant. I was on a mission, a case. I couldn't afford to get pregnant, let alone with Dante's child. I was with Jake! We weren't that serious but I wanted to be with him. He already felt like he was competing with Dante, now Dante's child? How was I going to explain that?

Calm your horses, Pearce. You used protection when you slept with Dante. It could be something else. Stress! And the amount of drinking you've been doing.

I slapped my cheek then looked at mirror, "Get it together!"

When I had raced into the bedroom earlier I hadn't noticed in the dark, it was our bedroom. Er, our old bedroom. I flicked on the switch and the entire room flooded with light. It was just as I had left it. The walls were a warm off white color. The king sized bed was made, clearly not by Dante. I crossed the bed to the balcony door. Oh the endless morning coffees I had with Dante there.

"Like the view?" Dante's voice asked.

"Miss it-yes."

"You don't have to miss it." His arms wrapped themselves around my waist. He buried his head in the crook of my neck. He breathed into my hair. "You could move in."

I place my hands over where his hands were. "I don't think I'm ready for that yet."

He loosened his grip and I wiggled out, "Will you be?"

"Soon."

"Good," he leaned down and kissed. It was a soft kiss.

"Sir I'm sorry to interrupt," Jack appeared at the door. He looked at Dante then locked eyes with me.

"What is it?" Dante, clearly irritated.

"There's a man at the door, wanting to speak with Mrs, er, Miss DeNiro."

"Did he say who it was?" I crossed the bed.

"He said his name was Ross, Jared Ross."

Jack disappeared down the hall and I turned to Dante, "It's my co-worker. It must be important because I told the office not to bother me otherwise. I'll be back in 2 minutes."

Dante sat down on the bed, "I'll be here."

Jack was in the hallway when I joined him.

"What is your friend doing here?" he hissed.

"I don't know! I told them not to come or do anything!"

"Well you dodged a bullet. I opened the door. If it was another bodyguard Ross would've been-"

"Let's skip the gory details."

Ross was pacing in the foyer. His eyes lit up when he saw. I grabbed him and dragged him to the door, "What are you doing here?"

"Stopping you from getting killed."

"You two better hurry up," Jack glanced over his shoulder.

"Ross, I told you not to meddle. I had this under control."

"What about this?" he thrust an iPad in my hand. He pressed a finger on the screen and the news began to play.

"The police have discovered the body of a thirty year old man floating in Charles River earlier tonight. The body had been brutally stabbed and had 'soplón' carved on his stomach. Police are still determining the time of death. There has been no suspects or clear motives yet. But what the police have discovered is the name of the victim, James Gomez."