Another fairly short chapter. Saccardo's POV. Word? Word.
She was at her desk, concentration etched across her face. He strolled over casually and she looked up, a smile appearing at the edge of her lips, as if they were still together and he had just popped out of nowhere.
"Thought I'd find you here," he said. She raised her eyebrows in the midst of packing everything up, the smile still twitching on her lips.
"Mm, looking for me?" she asked lightly.
"Always." His tone was light and he grinned as if it was a joke, but he knew the intensity with which he was looking at her and her eyes caught his before she looked away, grabbing her things, almost shy.
They paused at the front of the entrance and he nodded to his car, offering her a ride. She glanced over, a dry look appearing on her face as she saw the Bentley, and paused.
"Somethin' wrong?" he asked. She fixed a casual look on her face, one he knew meant she was hiding something.
"Yeah, my car. Can't leave it," she said, half-shrugging. It was a poor lie, something that Lilly wouldn't have normally done. But she was preoccupied with something.
"Right. You wanna tell me the real reason now?" he said, stepping forward. Resignation crossed her face and she shot him a look of vague annoyance.
"I have to make a stop somewhere," she said, a strained edge in her voice. She was watching him, too, now, wondering how far he would go with the questions. Normally, he would have let it go. But he couldn't help wondering if it was the other guy.
"Your boyfriend?" he asked, feigning indifference, and she smirked, rolling her eyes.
"No, it's…my sister," she finished, glancing down at the sidewalk, hands at her side. There was a pause.
"Is that a no to the ride?" he finally asked, hands stuffed in his pockets, raising his eyebrows.
She sighed, half-smiling, narrowing her eyes at him, and got in and he wondered for a moment what she'd say if he suddenly drove off to the shore, like they had before. He grinned inwardly at the look he imagined would be on her face and he glanced at her, comfortable in his car as if he'd never left.
After a moment of driving, he asked, "You check on your sister every day?" She answered briskly, changing the subject and he didn't push it.
"Heard the undercover sting was a success," she noted, looking out the window.
"What'd you expect? Eddie Saccardo always gets the bad guys. And the girl," he replied, looking over at her. The words had the desired result and she glanced at him, almost laughing, eyes dancing in a way that made him want to never look away.
They stopped in front of an apartment building and a strange look crossed her face; it was hard to tell whither it was weariness, sadness, or worry, but it hit him and he would have done anything to get that smile back on her face, the smile that seemed to be brighter than moon and warmer than the sun.
"You want me to come?" he asked, leaning across the seat. It was an unnecessary question. She had been visiting her sister for a while now and there was nothing he could have done. But he wanted to let her know that he was here, no matter that he knew she didn't need him to handle things for her.
She refused as he'd expected and he watched her leave, ready for the wait in the car. After a while, he got out, rounded the car, and leaned against it. He looked up at the apartment building, wondering which one Lilly was in. Suddenly, his phone rang and he flipped it open.
"Saccardo. Come up," Lilly said swiftly.
"You havin' a party?" Saccardo said, straightening and heading into the building.
"No, I'm going to stay for a while. I need a ride home and I didn't want to leave my driver outside," she joked. "It's 413," she added before hanging up.
Saccardo found the apartment and knocked. Lilly opened the door and he held out his hands.
"At your service," he announced, stepping in. There was another woman in there: her sister. There was wariness in Lilly's eyes as she looked at Christina.
"Eddie Saccardo." He held out a hand, shaking Lilly's sister's hand.
"Christina...Rush," she replied, hesitating for some reason, glancing at Lilly. Saccardo nodded and paused, waiting for someone to say something, bobbing his head lightly. His eyes met with Lilly's, the contact breaking as she looked away, a small, bashful smile on her face. Just as he was getting ready to make a witty comment to break the silence, there was a sudden wail. Everyone seemed to freeze and Saccardo tried to register the fact that there was a baby here; Lilly had a niece, too. He looked at her, wondering what else he didn't know, but she was looking at her sister.
"You want me to go?" Saccardo asked after a second, when no one moved. They both looked at him in surprise and Christina shook her head, hurrying into the other room.
Lilly turned to him, a teasing smirk on her face, and a sparkle of amusement in her eyes.
"Eddie Saccardo. Expert babysitter," she said, stepping towards him.
"Hey, I'm the whole package," he replied and she smiled, looking at him. Their eyes locked on each other until Lilly suddenly looked away. Saccardo resisted the urge to get closer to her, pull her to him.
Instead, he remarked, "You two look alike." She didn't look up, but her face froze and then became thoughtful, folding as if she was in slight pain. Christina came back into the room and, as Lilly turned, she murmured," Looks can be deceiving," so silently, Saccardo wasn't sure she'd even said it.
Aware that another silence was coming up, he headed into the bedroom, leaving Lilly and her sister with privacy.
The baby was sleeping on the bed, pillows around her to stop her from rolling off. He peered at her. She looked peaceful, her stomach gently rising and falling. He couldn't help thinking of Lilly, how tranquil her face looked, just like the baby's, when she slept. It had been one of those times after he'd sent her those photos on her phone and she had tracked him to his apartment while he was undercover. She had fallen asleep next to him. There had been no need for her to be tough, no haunted look when something hit her deeper than anyone could see. Her pink lips were partly separated as she breathed, her hair grazing her face. He had reached over, stroking her cheek with his thumb, and she'd shifted, face crumpling as if she was seeing something in her dream. And he couldn't help her, couldn't protect her.
He pulled himself out of the reverie and left the room. Lilly was staring at her sister, eyes wide and swimming with retrained tears, and Christina was watching her own hands.
"That's a pretty baby," Saccardo said, trying to announce his presence and lighten the mood at the same time. Her sister looked up.
"Takes after me," she said, smiling. He stuck his hands in his pocket, looking at Lilly, head tilted lazily to the side.
"Ready to go?" he asked smoothly. Lilly nodded, standing.
"Thanks, Lilly. It was nice to meet you Eddie," Christina said. He gave her a nod and led the way out.
Mm, the end. Of the chapter. The Coopers are coming soon. There was never any closure with them, so it only seems right. "They deserve justice, too." Yeah, that doesn't make sense, but I gave it a shot. :)