Mia came to me, burying her head in my neck. I stared at her grandfather as he stared at me. Though I wasn’t afraid of him, I had to remind myself to keep my balance. It was easy to get lost in his presence and then get plowed over.
“She does not like the noise,” he said in Italian. “She does not have to. She is a princess. Now take her and go.”
Now take her and go?I wasn’thiswife to order around, nor did I belong to him. And until he suffered hours on end with the pain of labor,thenhe could tell me what to do with my child. Besides, I was going to do it anyway, after I had seen how unsure she was. Romeo just didn’t want her to be afraid. He wanted to show her that the noise was only noise.
My eyes broke from Luca’s and crashed with Brando’s.
He nodded once, agreeing with his father.
My heart dropped in my chest, almost touching my stomach. I was too shocked to even move, and in my stillness, anger started to creep through the crevices.
Luca touched my chin. “Save it for later, ah? My son will enjoy coming home to you this evening.”
“Oh, I doubt that,”I returned in Italian, meeting his eyes again.
Brando’s stare burned a hole in my head from across the field. I refused to acknowledge anyone but Luca, since he was in charge of our welfare.
“I gave you the name Rose,” he said, coming in closer, his lips barely brushing my cheek, placing a soft kiss there.“Thorn would have suited you better.”
“Didn’t anyone ever tell you?” I breathed out. “Roses come with thorns.”
As he pulled slowly away, my chin still in his grip, the roar of a bike shocked the tense atmosphere, calling everyone to a different attention. It shifted Luca’s power and handed it over to someone else. I didn’t even need to look to know who had done it.
Brando had put his helmet on and sat idle on his revved-up bike. He gave a signal to his brothers and Guido, and after they all nodded, each one took off toward the fringe of the forest.
Mia didn’t cry, but she was holding onto me for dear life.
“Say bye bye toPapà,baby,” I said, keeping eye contact with Luca, but not wanting her to know that he was burning me, his eyes hotter than a fire on mine.
Mia lifted her head, opening and closing her hands, her version of a wave.
“Now we’ll go,” I said softly.
Turning, we left.
* * *
“Scarlett, I can keep up with you all day, but let us pace ourselves and enjoy this one, ah?” Donato said.
Heeding Donato’s advice, I slowed my pace. My heels against the pavement made more of a tap instead of a resounding crunch.
Since Guido went with the group, Donato and Nino were in charge of our detail. I had noticed that neither man was eager to go on the ride, which was unlike them, but I said nothing about it.
Brando and his brothers had a tight circle of men, and since we’d arrived, they had been around, but scarce when it came to being around Luca.
Mia let out a squeal of delight, beating her giraffe against the stroller, watching as Nino made faces at her, walking backwards.
A smile came to my face. If her thoughts were in line with mine, it was like watching Oscar the Grouch Italian style. Then my grin faded when Donato snapped at Nino for messing around.
“Behave,” he had ordered, no trace of the man who had spoken to me a few seconds ago. Sometimes when they turned directions so fast, it gave me emotional whiplash.
“Do not give me such a look,” Donato said, sending me a sideways glance. “You know I must.”
“What? Stop him from playing with Mia?”
“Keep him in line. He must not forget where we are.”
Better that I snap at him instead of him getting his head chopped off, his silence finished.
