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"No way!"

Her aghast tone takes me aback...even as I start feeling a little sick again. I'mso,so dead if this girl is also after Cesare—-

"Or at least not yet," she adds with a roll of her eyes, "and if it were up to me, I won't be one...ever."

I can only stare at her, now more confused than jealous and insecure.

"I obviously forgot to introduce myself," she says with a wrinkle of her nose. "I'm Sarica, you're Penelope, and in case you're wondering why I already know who you are - or what I'm doing here - I guess you can say we're in the same boat?"

My eyes widen. "You're...you're engaged to one of Cesare's brothers?"

"To Mr. Perfect himself, actually."

I have no idea who that is, but I'm more than a little curious with how she says the word 'perfect' like it's synonymous to 'pervert'—-

"Speak of the devil," Sarica mutters under her breath as the door swings open, and a man who strongly resembles Cesare in appearance comes striding in. Same dark coloring, samebuild and height, only this time the man looks slightly more distinguished with the faint hint of silver streaking through his hair.

Sarica waves to him, saying, "Penelope, meet Giancarlo, Cesare's oldest brother."

"Ciao, Penelope."

His accent is evenmoreItalian than Cesare's, and I'm dying to know why that is.

"I'm sorry we have to meet under these circumstances. How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay." His concern makes me feel guilty and awkward. "I wasn't really injured or anything. I just fainted because..." My voice fades as I find myself unable to say the truth.

"Will you try to look at it another way,sorellina?" Giancarlo asks gently. "Because your actions also meant that you were able to save your life and that of my brother's."

"If you hadn't killed the other guy," Sarica adds gruffly, "then it would've been the other way around, and take my word for it: guys like those wouldn't have let you die a quick and easy death. They'd have raped and tortured—-"

"Sarica."

The other girl only shrugs at Giancarlo's exasperated tone. "I just wanted to drive the point home—-"

"You could have done so without being graphic—-"

I clear my throat, not wanting them to argue over me. "I'm, um, okay, and Sarica was -is- right. I got her point, and—-"

The door opens again, and this time it's Cesare himself who walks in, followed byLa Stregaand another man who can only be his brother as well.

"You're awake..."

Cesare is already cupping my face and kissing me hungrily as soon as he reaches me, and I can't think of anything to say by the time he lifts his head.

"How are you feeling?" he asks tautly.

"I'm fine. Nothing really hap—-" My words falter as he scoops me up to take my place on the bed...before settling me down on his lap.

Awkward...but I also can't think of any other place I want to be.

Cesare's grandmother comes forward then. "Cesare tells me you were very brave,bambina."

"I'm sure what he really means is'silly'—-"

"You are very new tofamigliabusiness. Cesare should have taken more time to explain to you about the dangers of leaving our territory."

"I think I ended up being a little too lax because it was just the two of us. No bodyguards—-"