“I did not take anyone from you.” My voice was bumpy as she shook me. “I will not take anyone from you.”
“You almost killed her!” She stopped shaking me, staring into my eyes, hers almost glassy with panic.
I glanced at the balcony door. The rain was blowing inside with the wind, and the door was creaking, moving back and forth.
My mouth was dry. My heart was pounding. The sheet had fallen, and my breasts were exposed to the cold air, my nipples as hard as pebbles. I hurriedly covered myself with one hand, attempting to keep myself shielded.
“Answer me!” she almost hissed.
I shivered from the sound of it. It brought me back to the barn floor. I licked my parched lips. “Ah, I did not almost kill anyone,” I whispered.
“You did! You almost killed her. You shoved her down the stairs when she was just a baby!”
Mamma’s voice was frantic, and her eyes were wide, dilated. Usually, the woman who tended to her when she got this way was close, but it was only the two of us.
“You have terrible tantrums!” she yelled at me. “Do not even deny it!” She slapped me so hard across the face, I almost fell backwards on the bed. “Now this situation with your father! Why can you not play along? Why the trouble?”
She shoved me over, slapped myculoso hard, my entire body went forward, and then she started fighting when Remo rushed into the room, fixing his pants as he did, wrapping his arms around her. She was kicking, screaming, going on about howshe tried to kill her!
Her attendant joined Remo, and together, they hauled mamma off to her and my father’s area of the palazzo—however, her panicked voice echoed. She was screaming about the storm.
“We are all going to die!”
I was in too much shock to cover myself with the blanket as I usually did. I would hide underneath it until her voice would fade. It was not until I was old enough that I realized her attendant would give her a shot to put her to sleep.
Mamma’s words echoed inside of my head.
You shoved her down the stairs when she was just a baby!
Who was she talking about?
I did not have any younger siblings that I knew of. Capri was older than me.
Bile rose up in my throat. Did…did Capri try to kill me when I was a baby? I closed my eyes, trying to think back that far, but I came up blank. Perhaps I was…just starting to walk? Mamma mentioned the tantrums. Capri still had them.
That begged the question…
Did she think I was Capri?
Had she confused us? Perhaps she thought I had attempted to push Capri down the steps.
I was so lost in thought, when Remo entered my room, I jumped and brought the sheet up to cover myself. My hair did most of the covering, but I did not feel comfortable with him inthe same room as me when I was naked. I knew Remo would not touch me without my consent, but if Mariano knew…
Remo cleared his throat. “You did not answer the knock.”
I nodded. “I am just in shock. She has never hit me before.”
He left without a word, shutting the door quietly behind him, and I took the opportunity to dress.
First, I had to attend to bathroom business. As I brushed my teeth, my eyes welled with tears. My cheek was as fiery as apepe piccante, and my ass was going to be as bruised as a droppedpomodoro. I pulled my hair into a bun and dressed in a tight, long-sleeved black blouse, short black skirt, and black leggings. Gold jewelry broke up the monochrome style, and so did the two diamond claims on my left and right hand, left fingers. I added only a touch of makeup. Unless I heavily concealed it, the mark on my cheek was not going to fade anytime soon.
Standing over the sink, I took deep, deep breaths. My mind was still trying to register what had just happened, the physical smacks, the confusing words, while the rest of me swirled with an ache so acute, it almost brought me back to the bed.
It was a heavy, physical presence that refused to abate.
The word “missed” was a lie. I could not even claim I missed my husband. It was as if my heart was missing, and I could not function as a normal human being. I could not return to the life I once lived, not after Mariano Fausti became my life.
A strong knock came at the door, and after I sniffed and wiped my eyes, I opened it.
