She suddenly chuckled. “I can’t imagine him nervous. He’s totally without expression—he reminds of the giant in the fairy tale Maria used to read me when I was little. I might want to do it again just to see it for myself.”

He flinched. “That would make it extremely difficult for me. Rennell and I have had our disagreements over the years, but I’d prefer not to be at odds with him. Sandrino had an unwritten rule to that effect, and neither of us disputed it because Sandrino had saved both of us.”

“How did he save Rennell? You said he was a cop.”

“One of the best, totally devoted. But his captain sent him undercover with the Gardellas, one of the deadliest crime families in New York. In order to get evidence, he had to stay undercover for over six years. That meant he had to become one of them. Rennell never did anything halfway. By the time he got his evidence, he was the most valuable ‘made’ man in the family. He’d become a killer, a thief, anything required by the mob. He’d begun to like it. It was questionable that he’d even turn over that evidence after he’d gathered it. But Nine Eleven happened and he left the family and ran to help his old unit at the tower. He was the only one of them who survived when the tower fell. He ended up in a psych ward in bad shape for six months. Sandrino was working with the survivors and he decided to take him home with him.” He paused. “He was totally loyal to Sandrino, but don’t make the mistake of thinking that he’s lost any of his lethal capabilities. One of his jobs was to act as Sandrino’s bodyguard.”

“Why would you believe I’ve any intention of making that kind of mistake?”

He shook his head. “Because you’re enjoying this a little too much. I really appreciate those flashes of humor, but not when they’re aimed at me.”

Her smile widened. “And that’s when I enjoy it most.”

“And I’ll accept it, because it’s worth it to me. We were on our way toward a peaceful coexistence before you panicked like a deer in headlights. I can understand why, and that’s the reason I’m here baring my soul. But I want that status back. Is it enough for you? If it’s not, then tell me what else I can do.”