She stared at her wall of research, a thought itching at her brain every time she thought of Da Vinci and his ties to the Sfroza family. It was like the answer was there, but just out of reach. She needed to talk to Bridget and Cosimo about it. Her intuition was scratching at her, and she couldn't make out what it was trying to tell her.
She pulled tarot cards, and it was the same frustrating few that she had drawn the day she had met Cosimo:the Magician,the Devil,the High Priestess,the Lovers, and theTen of Cups.
It was almost 4 p.m. when Marcella stood in front of the villa, checking her makeup in her hand mirror and ensuring her red sundress didn't have any marks on it. Her hands were sweaty, and she hated that she was acting like a love-sick teen.
At 4 p.m. on the hour, the front door opened, and Cosimo was there. He spotted her on the other side of the gate and smiled. Her heart skipped a beat. He was in jeans and a button-up shirt with his sleeves rolled up. He looked mouth-wateringly good, and the itchy hum under her skin turned into molten lust in the blink of an eye.
"I don't know if I am happy or disappointed that I don't have to hunt you down," he greeted her, opening the gate. He leaned down to kiss both of her cheeks, making her eyes flutter closed. "You look beautiful as usual. Red really suits you."
"It's my power color," she replied, her hands running over his exposed forearms. "Don't judge me for this, but I missed you today."
Cosimo brushed his lips down her neck. "I've been crawling out of my skin wanting to come and get you."
"Thank you for giving me time to sort myself out," she said, tilting her head to give him better access. "I wanted to have the book closed on my past with Carlo and Forli, so I can be in a better place to move on with you."
Cosimo looked at her, understanding and kindness in his eyes. "I'm glad to hear it, because I wasn't going to let you go without a fight. I don't know if you want to know, but I called the hospitals in Forli. Carlo and Renata have been put in a mental ward. Whatever the dead did to them, it broke their minds. They will never threaten or hurt anyone again."
Marcella closed her eyes for a moment and whispered a prayer. "I can't say I'm surprised. The dead were so angry. To have all their spells torn at once would have broken anystregaor magician. I will sleep better at night knowing they can't hurt anyone else again."
"I'm sure all of Forli has a brighter future now, just like you do," Cosimo replied, brushing his lips against her forehead. "If you need more time to figure out what you want, I can do my best to give it to you."
"I don't need any more time to know that I want you…want this." Marcella rose on tiptoes to kiss him when someone whistled from somewhere in the garden. They both groaned in annoyance, and the owner of the whistle appeared. The woman was curvy with wine-red hair and lips painted to match.
"Marcella, this is Quinn, Taranis's mate," Cosimo introduced.
"It's so nice to meet you!" Quinn said, yanking Marcella into a hug. "I never thought I would see the day that Cosimo actually blushed, but Daddy G looks positively crimson right now."
Marcella laughed, unable to hold it in. "It's nice to meet you too. Daddy G, huh?"
Cosimo's ears and neck went even redder. "Quinn has no filter, as you will soon discover."
He went to take Marcella's hand, but Quinn got in the way and looped her arm with hers.
"I'm also a cock blocker. Off you go, Cosimo. Taranis is looking for you, and I want to hog your witch," Quinn said brightly.
Cosimo's eye twitched. "You scare her, and there will be hell to pay."
Quinn stuck her tongue at him. He gave her a warning look and headed off through the garden. Trying not to giggle,Marcella took advantage of the moment to check out his perfect ass. She really needed to get him alone and soon.
"He's been like a bear with a sore head all damn day. I'm glad you're finally here because I thought he was going to pine himself into an early grave," Quinn declared, shaking her head. "I swear men are more ridiculous than women when they are in love."
Marcella raised her brow. She was getting tired of people telling her that, but not the man himself. She still asked, "You think he is?"
"Are you kidding me? Cosimo has always been so full of love that it oozes out of him. It's about time he found someone to focus it on that's not his family," Quinn said as they began walking down one of the garden paths. "He needs something for himself, and I'm glad he found you."
"Is this going to be a'what are your intentions regarding my Cosimo'talk?" Marcella asked. With a family this big, she doubted it would be the last time she'd be subjected to one.
"Dear gods, no. I wanted to speak with you privately before everyone else demands your attention. Cosimo is a big boy and can handle himself without my interference," Quinn replied. She patted Marcella's hand. "I'm doing a check-in onyou, not him. Dragons are a lot. They are possessive and short-tempered, but luckily, they make up for their nonsense by fucking like complete beasts in bed. Their attention can be intense for a human, trust me on that."
Marcella's cheeks went hot. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but I don't talk about my sex life or my love life with strangers."
"Then isn't it great that we won't be strangers for long?" Quinn replied with a sly grin. Marcella could only shake her head and laugh. "You can't blame a girl for trying. Cosimo hasn't been interested in anyone since I've known him, and the whole familyis all curious about you. He was so damn adamant he was going to be single forever."
"We both were adamant in that regard. I certainly never thought I'd find myself in this position again."
"But you have feelings?" Quinn asked.
Somehow, Marcella knew that Quinn wasn't going to give up until she got some secrets out of her. She gave in and admitted, "Yes, I have feelings. Strong ones. But that's also between Cosimo and me."
