Page 27 of A Treasure To Keep (Leone Legacy #2)
Marco
T he same thoughts have been spiraling through my head, and I know Alessandro senses something is wrong.
Luci went over to El’s for the afternoon, leaving Alessandro and I alone.
After the mess of their original wedding and the first half of Luci’s pregnancy, he’s been on edge.
Alessandro finally has a second to chill out since their wedding.
He’s back to the guy I grew up with and less of the asshole he’s been since Luci came into our lives.
We’re spending the afternoon playing cards.
Alessandro, as usual, is kicking my ass.
“What’s been going on with you the last week?” Of course, he mentions this.
“Nothing. I need to get my dick wet.” Technically, it’s not a lie; I’m just not telling him how I’d love to sink into the two of them again.
Alessandro sends me a cocky smile, setting down his cards as he wins before laughing.
I know he’s about to say something stupid while throwing something in my face.
“What about Gabby? Or are you afraid you’ll say the wrong woman’s name again?
” I told him about the night with Gabby when I moaned El’s name.
And Andrea’s name. I didn’t tell him the details of whose name I moaned.
That’s on a need-to-know basis. And that list of people on the need-to-know basis is limited to me and Little Marco.
I would never hear the end of it if Alessandro found out.
“Gabby is making her way through the new guys and still fucking Domenico, from my understanding. It’s only time before gonorrhea Gabby strikes again.” Alessandro and I laugh at the nickname we gave her, even though I was one of her victims.
Several games later, we’re a few drinks in, and I’m a few hundred dollars shorter than when we started. The door to the garage opens, and Luci calls for Alessandro on her way in.
She finds us in the kitchen, and Alessandro drops his cards, wrapping her in his arms. I take the opportunity to see what hand he has. Damn, I could have won this round.
He kisses her while he places a hand protectively on her belly. “How was the afternoon with El, mio premio?” I want to gag at his nickname for her. His prize? I call it a collection with a twist.
“She’s really upset, Alessandro. If you saw her, you’d think a small part of her broke. I could even see the sorrow in Andrea’s eyes. Neither of them will tell me what happened.” This doesn’t sound like El.
“On that note, I’ll let you two talk and do whatever else.” I bolt to my room, calling El and Andrea, trying to get an answer on what broke her.
El’s phone goes directly to voicemail. Andrea eventually answers mine after the fifth attempt. “Marco, this isn’t a good time.”
“What’s wrong with you two?” Andrea sighs heavily over the phone, telling me that he would do anything to avoid this conversation.
“It’s private. Please don’t push it.” Fuck.
“I’m coming over.” Andrea goes to answer back when I hang up, interrupting his ability to argue with me.
When I arrive at their apartment building, I barge up the stairs, realizing there’s a major possibility they’ve locked the door and won’t answer. They’re talking to me even if I have to bust down the door.
To my surprise, when I turn the handle, the door opens. I wonder if they knew it was unlocked.
“El! El, come talk to me!” Andrea appears from the kitchen, blocking the hallway that leads to their bedroom.
“Marco, this is not a good time. You need to leave.” My heart instantly drops like a rock into my stomach when I notice the sadness in Andrea’s eyes. What is happening, and why is this my reaction?
I shake away the thought, physically picking Andrea up, and place him behind me. He yells at me in French while I march down the hallway. When I bust through their bedroom door, I freeze at the unexpected sight in front of me.
She’s normally the definition of a put-together woman, her hair and makeup pristine with stylish yet classic clothing.
Instead, the woman I see in front of me has a naked face, her hair is in a messy bun, and she’s wearing sweatpants with a tank top.
She raises her eyes, red-rimmed with tears, defeat filling them.
Instead of an empathetic answer, my first thought escapes my mouth. “You own sweatpants?”
“What are you doing here? Do you get some signal in your head every time you have the opportunity to fuck with me?” Nice to know her annoyance with me still exists. At least one thing is the status quo.
I walk over to the bed, kneeling until I’m face-to-face with her destroyed eyes. “What happened?”
She shakes her head as she buries her face into her hands, sobbing into them. I take my shirt and belt off, stripping down to something comfortable. “Move over.”
El lets me lift her and move her over to the side, climbing into bed with her before she nuzzles into my side.
The position she puts herself in makes her appear smaller than normal against my large frame.
I keep my eyes locked on the clock while stroking her back, noting she cries against my chest for an hour before falling asleep.