Page 59 of Brutal Crown

“Lia,” he says in a low voice. “What the hell?—”

“I need to get out,” I gasp. “Please. Just?—”

He doesn’t ask again. He shrugs off his coat, wraps it around my shoulders, and leads me out of the house. We cross our usual spot in the courtyard, moving toward the stables, to the far edge where no one pays attention to or watches.

I collapse onto a hay bale, and he sits beside me.

I lean against him, and he lets me. I don’t even realize I’m crying until I feel the wetness on my cheeks. It’s not loud or messy. Just soft, shaking breaths and silent tears.

Marco doesn’t say anything. He just sits there and holds me in his arms. I don’t know how long we stay like that. Minutes. Hours. He stays with me until my body softens and my breath evens.

Until the fear fades enough just to let me sleep, with the coin still in my palm.

I’m beginning to understand why my father died.

16

FRANCESCO

Ididn’t sleep a wink last night. I haven’t slept well for two nights now.

Cassian’s words won’t stop playing in my head. That strange smile on his face at the engagement dinner. The way Lia looked—hollowed out and shaken—as she rushed away from the mess he caused.

I haven’t seen her since.

A part of me wants to reach out to her, to look for her, and talk to her. The other part of me knows it’s a bad idea. Since I am practically married now, there are some things I cannot be seen doing. Silvia told me she sees how I look at Lia. Does everyone else see it too? I know Marco already does. If I keep following what my body and soul want and that alone, I’ll get everyone involved in danger.

So for the past two days, I’ve dreamed of doing the one thing my position does not grant me the liberty to do.

Be with her.

Not in a sexual way, not in the different ways my body wants to get to know hers. Not hidden in the shadows with our moansbouncing off the walls. Not in short, flickering moments that are never enough for me.

I just want tobe,with her. I want to hold her in my arms for hours, do the simple things with her.Talk.Yeah, we don’t do that often. The only time we talk is when we are arguing about something. When she’s telling me how much she hates me and how much pain my family has caused her.

How much painIhave caused her.

I want to hug her, comfort her, and be her strength. Something broke in me when I saw her run away that night. I watched helplessly, with my bride by my side.

But since I can’t do any of these things, all I’ve done so far is think about her, think about Cassian’s words to her that night, and smoke.

I’ve been smoking way more often; even Silvia revealed she never knew I was a smoker. And the way she said it, it seems I’ve added another thing to her list of why she would never marry me if she had the freedom to choose.

A knock rattles my office door. I frown. No one is allowed to come to my office door this early in the morning. I only come here early in the day when I don’t want to be distracted, and all the house helps know that.

“Come in,” I call out.

The door opens, and a maid peeks her head in.

I sit up the moment I see the look of pure terror in her eyes.

“Sir, you need to come. There’s… something in the east wing…”

I’m already standing up before she finishes her sentence. She steps out of the way as I march toward the door.

“Take me.”

She doesn’t say a word as she scurries down the hallway, with my steady steps hot on her heels. My heart pounds in my chest as we take the stairs down from the private wing.