Rising to my feet, I clap for her when the song is done… and her singing partner chooses to die today.
He touches her face.
He kisses her.
Forcefully.
He tastes those sweet lips, the sweet lips ofmy wife.
Static roars between my ears, but my pulse stays eerily steady. I should cut off his lips and tear out his tongue.
Frankie shoves him hard and storms off stage after sending me a worried glance. She needn’t worry. She didn't want that kiss, and she knows she is mine. But it will not save him.
A girl with dark hair races after my wife while one of the professors is admonishing the young man, warning him he’s crossed a line and could face expulsion for such an act.Oh, he crossed a line, alright.
Glancing back at Faro, he shakes his head when he sees my face. He knows. With a flick of my hand, he hurries to find Francesca backstage and take her home while I take care of another matter.
The dead man strides out of the auditorium as I’m calling a loyal soldier. Another young man follows him, giving the dead man a high five. I stalk them both. One more makes no difference to me. They snicker together like children over a stolen playground kiss before the friend heads off in another direction. He gets to live for now.
The dead man grabs a satchel and takes a side exit into an alley. Foolish on his part but very convenient for me. He doesn’t even notice he's being followed until it’s too late. “What's your name?” I ask, catching up easily as I scan the surroundings. We are alone, and there are no security cameras out here.
He turns, looking startled and confused. “Who are you?”
“I asked your name first,” I say, coolly.
“Look, is this because I kissed her? I know it wasn’t part of the rehearsal, but girls that hot always play hard to get even when they want it.”
“Your name,” I ground out, feeling my control starting to slip. I'd kill him slowly if I could.
“Are you an instructor? You don’t look old enough.”
I stare back at him with pitiless eyes. His brow furrows. Instinct is telling him something his pampered life has allowed him to ignore for too long – he is weak and I am dangerous. “I. Want. To. Know. Your. Name.”
“It’s Chris,” he finally says, sounding sullen.
“Chris,” I repeat, satisfied as I unsheathe my knife. His eyes grow huge, but his feet have become roots. He doesn’t even give me the thrill of a chase. “I’ve never killed a man for kissing a woman before, but you dared to kissmywoman and, what’s worse, you forced that kiss on her. I figured I should learn your name before you die.”
“Wait! If that girl-”
“Thatgirl?My wife’s name is Francesca Angelina Vicini, a beautiful name for a beautiful woman and the last name you’ll ever learn.”
One slash and I open his throat, stepping back to avoid as much of the spray as possible. Chris gurgles on his blood and crumples at my feet. Not a drop visible on my dark suit or shoes. Such good luck. I smile at Francesca’s little charm still wrapped around my finger.
Checking my phone once I’ve wiped off my knife, I see the clean-up crew is nearly here. They’ll deal with this. I’m going home to her.
***
“Leave,” I tell Faro when I lay eyes on my wife. He's on the elevator before I’ve shrugged my jacket off.
“It was just a stage kiss. It meant nothing. You have no right to be angry with me.” I expected concern for the dead man. She sounds furious.
“That was no stage kiss. He forced it on you. But let me make this clear right now - stage kisses aren’t allowed either,” I reply, stepping over to her.
“What ifIwant that though?”
“Then there will be more blood on my hands,” I mutter, knowing she’s baiting me. When I reach up to loosen my tie, she flinches, her body coiled tightly in anticipation of something else that’s not allowed. “No,mia moglie,”I murmur. “I would never strike you. I’d cut off my own hand first.”
But my pulse that stayed steady the entire time I stalked and slayed the singer is suddenly racing. The primitive need to claim her after another man touched her is all-consuming.
