The newly married man leaned down to give Mastino a hearty pat, while Brando, Rocco, and Romeo drifted closer to me.
“What’s going on?” I said. Their faces were all pinched. I wiped my hand on a dishtowel, carrot juice leaving its trace behind, and then set it down on the counter, turning to face them.
“You need to talk to her,bella,” Rocco said.
I nodded, not even needing more information. The “her” was Carmen, who made it difficult for Dario’s brothers to see him.
Released from the hospital, under Uncle Tito’s care, she and Dario had taken the master suite. It was spacious enough for three, along with Uncle Tito and Valentina, who kept a vigilant eye on their patient.
Carmen struggled with what had happened. She kept the dress she wore that night hanging up in the room, a grim reminder, refusing to take it down.
Personally, I didn’t need the reminder. All I had to do was look around for Santina’s young face, or to call for Thomas, to tell him something was ready in the kitchen, just to realize he was never going to answer.
I sucked in a deep breath, the reminder like a punch to the gut. It took a moment for the feeling to settle. It was still there, but it was sinking lower below the surface.
Finding this impossible to do, Carmen held on to all that had happened that night, along with feelings of resentment for the life her husband chose to live with a fierce passion.
Rocco was the main target of this hatred. All that he had done to her before the wedding exploded to the surface on a regular basis. There was always one excuse or another as to why the brothers couldn’t see Dario or why Dario couldn’t see them. He was still out of it most of the time, usually lulled to sleep by pain medicine. If Uncle Tito was not his physician, I doubted she would’ve allowedhimin as much.
The only reason she agreed to take Dario back to the villa was because Brando made it clear that he was safer with his family, and that Eunice went wherever I was. Carmen and Dario had grown attached to Eunice. They depended on her to be a caretaker for their son. But Eunice had always taken care of me, and she had planned on doing so until she couldn’t any longer. She was getting up in age, and she’d tell me every so often,I’m saving what’s left of me for your kids.
This situation didn’t go over well with Carmen. She had accused Rocco of “cornering her into the decision,” and once Dario had arrived at the villa, became cross with everyone but Eunice and Diego.
Tension rose, and whether I would be able to calm the swell was anyone’s guess. To defuse the situation before it exploded, I agreed to talk to her.
Brando fed Volpe and Mastino before we headed toward their room, holding my hand in his. The only outward sign that he was on edge was the jiggle. The tension made him antsy. “I don’t like this,” he said. “She’s too unsteady.”
“I need to see him,” Romeo said, his usual bright demeanor ominous. Thomas’s death had cut him to the core, and not being able to see his brother was like turning a knife in a sensitive spot. “She will not stop us any longer.”
Rocco said nothing, which wasn’t a good sign. The eerie stillness that settled over Brando when he was close to war was a trait he shared with Rocco.
The clop of paws against Italian marble made me stop for a moment. Mastino trotted behind us, his jowls swinging with the motion.
“Scarlett,” Brando said. “You’ve been feeding him.”
“No! He just loves me.” I patted my side. “Come on, boy. You want to come too?”
We continued forward, his heavy panting the loudest sound beside our feet against the floor.
Not long after we made it to the door, a few other people hurried to join us—Eunice, who held Diego, Rosaria, Chiara, and Donato.
Rosaria shrugged. “We should stand as a family, no?” Rocco pulled her in and placed a tender kiss on her cheek.
It didn’t take long for Uncle Tito to answer the door. He looked worn out, almost subjugated, and when I said that I wanted a word with Carmen, he let out a relieved breath.
“Thank the Lord,piccola colomba,” he muttered under his breath. “She is driving me nuts! Will not listen to a thing I have to say.” He adjusted his glasses and made a swift exit from the room.
“What’s going on out here?” Carmen said, stepping out and shutting the door behind her. When she saw Mastino, she attempted to shoo him away.
Of course, she didn’t want Dario to see us or us to see him. This was her usual tactic. Keep the door closed, use it as a barrier.
“We need to talk,” I said, not in the mood to ease into the conversation.
“We have nothing to talk about,” she snapped at me. She turned to go, but I put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. She turned around fast, her free arm coming around, and a second later, her hand connected with my cheek.
The sound reverberated in the hall, as loud as if it were empty. My eyes watered with the sting of the slap. I heard the intake of breath and felt Brando’s anger as it exploded deep inside of him. Mastino whined, attempting to nudge my free hand with his huge, cold nose.
“Nowyoulisten here!” Uncle Tito started.
