“Just a smidge colder.”
Her shudder dislodged me, and I wrapped a quilt around us both. Then, pulled her close so our positions were reversed.
Someday, I’d tell her the whole truth. But not until I had a chance to apologize to Mario for being a judgmental idiot.
23
Mario
If not for the sharp curl of Ellie’s hair falling to the left, I might not have been able to tell which twin was my wife. The fire had settled into cozy embers and their bodies were wrapped tightly together so only the bridge of their noses were visible.
Ringo elbowed me. “Left.” He mouthed. Meaning, I should take the woman on the left.
I pointed to Allie and smirked. “Are you sure?”
He lifted his middle finger at me, a gesture he’d never outgrown. Then he tugged the blanket free and pulled Ellie out of her sister’s sleeping embrace.
Instead of doing the same, I settled next to my wife and covered us both with the quilt they’d been huddled under.
She was awake, but still in that soft, non-verbal state where it would be easier to let her drift back into sleep. But I was not one to travel a cowardly path. I wrapped my hand around hers and felt the fingers until I confirmed she was wearing my ring.
“I am so very sorry about today,” I said.
Her head lolled to rest against my chest. I felt her eyes searching me for answers, so I elaborated.
“You were right. I shouldn’t have left you. I should have let the others make better plans.” I just couldn’t, though.
“Did they find Dianora?”
I nodded. Once we reached Don Manca’s, and I saw to Allie’s comfort, we’d locked ourselves into a war council that kept close tabs on Don Conti’s condition, and the tentative truce. Dianora was located about ten miles from the villa. “Her cousin is still missing, however.” That concerned everyone.
But there was little we could do except guard the family, and insulate Allie and Ellie from the danger as much as possible. Perhaps Leandro was resourceful enough to make his way here, but he was not intelligent enough to slip through everyone’s vigilance and strike us at our heart of power.
At least that was the consensus. But I still made plans in case he defied the odds.
“Ellie says she signed annulment papers.”
I smiled. “She used her name.” They would not be valid. Yet…
Would Allie leave me now? I bit down on my fear. “My father’s solicitor has copies. Unsigned.”
Allie stared at me. Her face was uncharacteristically somber. It went far beyond her usual seriousness. The softness that graced her eyes was missing. “I need to tell you something, and I need you to promise not to get angry.”
“Cara, I…” I would not get angry. I’d be heartbroken. “Today, I realized that I couldn’t live without you. I wouldn’t want to. I knew it was my death by going to Don Conti’s, but I thought it would keep you safe. And when I saw your sister, for a moment, I thought it was you and?—”
Her fingers covered my mouth. “Mario? Shut up for a minute, okay?”
I nodded, helplessly.
“I love you.”
Why did that sound like she was going to say goodbye?
“I love you?—”
Her fingers tightened until her short fingernails tapped my lips. “If you keep doing that, I’m going to get pissed off. Shh…”
I swallowed the fear that had crawled up my throat.
