Valentino laughs.
I realize I haven't heard him laugh like that before. Not in the month he's been here.
"Well?" She gestures at the wine. "Are we drinking or are you just going to stand there looking pretty?"
"I can do both." Valentino uncorks the bottle with practiced ease. "Glasses?"
I point to my bathroom. "Cabinet under the sink."
He disappears. Amanda immediately turns to me.
"Your cousin is insufferable," she whispers.
"You like him."
"I tolerate him. There's a difference."
"Uh-huh."
She throws another grape at me. This one I catch.
Valentino returns with three glasses. He pours generous amounts, hands them out.
"To what are we toasting?" Amanda asks.
"To Vittoria's upcoming wedding." Valentino raises his glass. "One month until you become a Baganov."
I take a long drink of wine.
"You okay?" Amanda's watching me now. That too-perceptive look she gets sometimes.
"Fine." I force a smile. "Just tired."
"You've been tired a lot lately."
"Wedding planning is exhausting."
It's not a lie. Between choosing flowers and finalizing the guest list and dealing with the caterer, I barely have time to breathe.
But that's not why I'm tired.
I'm tired because Dmitri has been gone for three days dealing with shipment problems. Some issue with their routes. He calls every night but it's not the same.
I'm tired because I still haven't found anything useful about who attacked us. Who took me.
And I'm tired of pretending I'm fine when I'm not.
"So." Amanda kicks her feet up on my bed. "Tell me about Sicily, Val. Is it as romantic as the movies make it seem?"
"More." He swirls his wine. "The sun. The sea. The food. Nothing compares."
"Then why are you here in freezing Chicago?"
His expression shutters. "Family needed me."
"Right. Family." She takes a drink. "You people and your family obligations."
"You say that like it's a bad thing."
