She wanted to fight him. Needed to.
He had risen to the challenge, or fell to the ground at her feet, depending on the point of view.
“What are you going to do to me if I refuse your murdering hands?” She shoved against his hold. “Beat me senseless? Strangle me? Rip the heart fromMYchest? No, you won’t! Because it’s the precious vow you took, you no-good bastard! So tell me—what are you going to do if I denyyou?”
Brando and I were close enough to hear, Romeo and Juliette too, but the opposite side was straining to make out the words. Even Ettore, who seemed like he wished to be an elephant in the room or a spider on the wall in that moment. Luca and Maggie Beautiful were talking very low, hisses coming in at intervals from the intensity.
“Fuck you senseless, that is what I am going to do. Then we will talk.Ho bruciato troppo a lungo per te.”I burned too long for you.
I had been about to take a drink of water when he said this. The glass stilled at my lips. “Ohh,” I almost taunted. “I wonder where I’ve heard that before?”
No matter what people say, it makes a difference what side a person stands on when a conversation such as this takes place.
I’d been in her shoes before. Just the night before, actually. That intensity, the burning of hypnotizing eyes, or the coldness in them, depending on how he wanted you to feel—to hear it was much different from this side, though, almost like I was watching a movie about my life, but I wasn’t playing me.
“Scarlett.” This time Brando did squeeze my arm, making some of the water fall onto my top.
I went to yank my arm from his hold, but he refused to let go.
“Lasciami andare,” I hissed out.Let me go.
He stared at me for a beat before he said, “mai”—never—but he finally did as I’d asked. On his own terms and time though.
Seeing that Maggie Beautiful was more inclined to move without Luca having to hurl her up and throw her over his shoulder, Luca took her by the arms, directing her toward the doors.
Something came over me then, a sense of pure urgency. I had only been separated from Brando for a few hours, and not even a warm shower could ease the ache he’d left behind from the night before.
What would Luca do to her, being apart for years?
I burned too long for you.
Brando didn’t even have a chance to stop me. I hurled Mia up in my arms, running behind them. Brando was only a step behind. I caught them in the hall, but Brando stopped me from getting too close, putting his hands on my shoulders.
Luca had heard us. He stopped, hand on Maggie Beautiful’s shoulder, and then turned both of them to face us.
“Speak, Rose.”
“Maggie Beautiful,” I said. “Are you all right?”
She nodded, wiping the tears streaming down her face.
“You don’t have to go,” I said, keeping my eyes on hers, “if you don’t want to.”
“Ag Eye,” Mia said, clapping her hands. She was trying to say Magpie, which was what she called her grandmother.
Luca only had attention to spare for me.
Brando stepped in front of us, taking the heat. His father came closer, meeting his son’s eyes again. He put a firm, strong hand on the side of Brando’s neck, his thumb falling on Brando’s cheek.
“You poor bastard,” he said in Italian. “You married a version of your mother. You and I are more alike than you care to count in ways. There are some things we need to see with our own eyes. This was one of them for me—the two of you together. I had heard over the years. Your grandfather told me. Your uncles. Your brothers and cousins. No words are necessary from you now. The cord between the two of you, making you one, speaks for itself. You burn as badly as your father for a creature too elusive, too good for the likes of men like us. I advised you not to marry, ah? You lose your mind after you lose your heart, as I did years ago.”
If he would have been looking at me, I would have given him the meanest look I could conjure up. As it was, though, Brando was blocking most of my view.
This didn’t stop Mia from holding on to her father’s arm and peeking around him though. Brando moved to the side, only a small step, but it was enough. Judging from the look on Luca’s face, he had made a motion for Brando to do so, so he could see her better.
Luca waved to her and then blew her a kiss. She offered her chubby little finger to him.
Her grandfather came closer, not sure what to do, not knowing theeat my finger until uncontrollable laughtergame.
