Chapter Seventeen
THE HERCULES TOOK OFF so he could be gone by the time he became a willing scapegoat for a second time. I watched his proud stance as he walked away from us, noted the respect in the Anna’s eyes. And in that moment, I was really grateful I’d talked myself into something of an understanding with the Anna.
Otherwise, seeing his admiration for a man who’d wanted me dead would be too much to take. Even as things stood, the moment still made me uneasy.
Luca and I excused ourselves so that the Anna could figure what to do with his errant relative, keeping silent until we’d closed the car doors around us. Due to his lack of injuries, Luca took the driver’s side.
“Cristian?” I asked, as Luca turned on the ignition and got us on our way. “You’re really fine with this plan?”
“O
