Page 50

SISI

V lad is calm even as my brother rages on. His hand on mine, he's the only source of comfort as I find myself in one of the most uncomfortable situations I've ever been in.

"I didn't take advantage of her, Marcello. We're both adults and she can make her own decisions," Vlad drawls lazily, his feet still on the table, his stance relaxed.

And this seems to make my brother even madder, his face red with fury as he looks at Vlad.

"She grew up in a fucking convent, Vlad. What type of adult do you think she is?" he asks, and I frown, not liking the direction he's taking. "Fuck, she probably didn't even know what sex was," my brother continues and at this point my eyes are wide open in shock.

"What did he tell you to convince you to sleep with him?" he continues, directing the question at me. "Did he force you? Did he promise you something? God, I can't believe this," he curses under his breath, seemingly barely in control of himself.

"I'm not a child, Marcello, and I'd prefer if you didn't refer to me as such," I start, the need to stand up to myself eating at me. I may not want to disappoint my brother, but that doesn't mean that I'll let him take all my agency away from me.

"And I'm not an idiot, either. I may have grown up in a convent, but that didn't take my common sense away from me." I almost roll my eyes at him. "I knew exactly what I was getting myself into with Vlad."

"Sisi," he shakes his head at me, "I'm not trying to say you're a child. But you're young and inexperienced. He's ten years older than you, for God's sake. How is that not taking advantage of you?"

"Marcello," I sigh, almost exasperated. "You know him too," I add, sneaking a glance at Vlad and finding him watching me closely, an intense expression on his face.

His lower lip slightly curved up, I know he's enjoying the show.

But more than anything, I'm glad that he's letting me fight my own battles, since no doubt if he starts talking he'll just put his foot in his mouth, making the situation worse than it already is.

"He has the emotional intelligence of a toddler."

"Hey," Vlad protests from the side, trying very hard to hide a growing smile.

"He didn't even know how to talk with a woman before I came along," I continue, and Vlad groans, the back of his hand to his forehead in a typically dramatic scene.

"Really, hell girl? You have to reveal all my secrets?" he asks, an amused grin on his face.

"It's true." I shrug. "You didn't even know how to kiss," I add, winking at him.

"I knew more than you. I, at least, had the theoretical basis down," he retorts.

"Right," I snort, "that's why you were ready to cut your arm open to get me to kiss you again," I raise an eyebrow at him, a little lost in the back and forth.

"You have a thing for blood, admit it," he counters, his eyes darker than black as his pupils overtake his irises.

I feel a need to fan myself, especially as my eyes roam his torso, blood crusted on his shirt and some still flowing freely from his wound. But I move lower and I note that I'm not the only one overly heated by this conversation, a part of him growing right under my gaze.

"Maybe." My voice comes in a breathless tone as I snap my eyes back to his.

"Can you two cut it out?" Marcello's words interrupt us, but the energy is still heavy as I settle back in my seat, taking his hand in mine and reveling in his touch.

He makes me forget myself. Even in situations like this, when I know I must keep my head in the game, he makes everything fade away.

"He didn't coerce me in any way, Marcello. We just…" I turn to Vlad, "Fell in love."

"And when exactly did you fall in love ? I don't recall you meeting him more than a handful of times. Hell, I don't even know when you two had time to…" he trails off, almost reluctant to say the word sex again.

I hide a smile as I realize my own brother might be a bigger prude than me.

"I snuck out," I admit, proceeding to give him a rundown of how we met. "And before you comment again, I wanted to see him."

"I'm disappointed in you, Assisi," Marcello states point blank after I tell him about our nightly meetings and how Vlad and I ended up spending time together. "I specifically told you to stay away from him and you disregarded my warning." He shakes his head.

I feel Vlad tense next to me, and I give his hand a gentle squeeze, letting him know he shouldn't intervene.

There's a pause as Lina and Marcello look at each other, something passing between the two of them.

"Fine," Marcello says. "Let's say I understand your history." He waves his hand at us. "What's done is done. I cannot change the past. But that doesn't mean you have to stay married to him," he says dismissively.

"I think you forgot the part where I said I love him," I mutter drily. "I'm not going to leave him."

"Love?" He laughs. "He wouldn't know what love is if it hit him in the face. I'm sorry to burst your bubble, Assisi, but you've been duped," he mentions casually. Lina purses her lips, looking worriedly at her husband.

"Marcello." She lays a gentle hand on his arm, trying to get him to stop talking.

But he doesn't.

"You're right that I know him. That's why I know that there will be a cold day in hell before Vlad displays any type of feeling."

"Then it must be freezing," I add ironically under my breath.

Vlad hears me, his eyes twinkling with mischief, and I'm impressed at how calm he is. Maybe he is taking my advice to heart.

"Well." He shrugs, taking his feet off the desk and standing up. "We tried," he says flippantly, taking my hand and tugging me to his feet.

"You're not taking her anywhere." My brother rises to his feet, coming around to stop Vlad. "I don't know what lies you told her, or how you managed to seduce her, but it ends here, Vlad."

Vlad's features change in the blink of an eye. The previous amused expression is gone, replaced with a cold, unfeeling one.

"You might be able to touch me now, Marcello.

But you'd better remove your hand before I break it," he coolly states, flinging my brother's arm aside and pushing me behind him.

"Out of courtesy for you, I wanted to give Sisi a chance to explain to you how everything went down.

But I told you before. The moment you try to take her away from me, all bets are off. "

"Really?" My brother gives a cruel laugh. "And where were you when she was in the hospital miscarrying your child?" he asks and I gasp, my hand going to my mouth as I can barely believe he'd hit that low.

Vlad's shoulders are quaking with unreleased tension, and for a moment I fear he might snap.

"Enough!" I place myself between them, "That's between me and Vlad, and we've made peace with it," I declare, holding Marcello's gaze.

"Sisi, go get your stuff," Vlad's voice is low and harsh to the ears as he barely contains himself.

"Vlad…"

"Now," he whispers, and that one softly uttered word tells me all I need to know.

With one last glance at Lina and Marcello, I back away from the study, all but dashing upstairs to my room.

Knowing Vlad is likely hanging by a thread, I get a big bag and I stuff some of my most precious stuff inside, thinking I might never get to return here.

I'd anticipated Marcello wouldn't be thrilled about us, but I hadn't thought he'd be this downright tyrannical.

I shake my head as I feel tears burn behind my eyes, disappointment settling deep in my stomach. I really hadn't wanted things to turn out like this. Especially since all I'd ever wanted was to have a family.

A family that didn't shun me.

A sob catches in my throat as I shove some of the dresses I'd gotten with Lina into a bag, the few memories I'd made in this house coming to the surface and making me feel even more forlorn.

"Sisi." I turn sharply toward the door to see Lina tentatively step inside.

"Don't worry, we'll leave quickly," I say, dabbing at my eyes.

Somehow, I don't want her to see how much this is affecting me.

"Sisi," she repeats, coming toward me, her arms cushioning my body as she draws me to her chest. "No one's throwing you out. You don't have to leave." She strokes my hair.

"But I have to." I lean back, looking away. "Marcello clearly won't ever approve of us, and I'm not going anywhere without Vlad," I tell her sincerely.

"You love him that much?" she asks, pressing her lips together in consternation.

"I can't put into words how much I love him," I whisper, blinking away tears.

Why is it that I have to choose between my family and Vlad? Why can't they just accept our relationship? Yes, I know that Vlad doesn't have the best track record, but they could at least give him a chance.

"But you know who he is." She frowns, as if she can't understand how I could possibly love someone like him.

"Yes," I reply, "I know exactly who he is, and that's why I love him. He's never lied to me about who he is, and I've always accepted him wholeheartedly."

"But he's a killer, Sisi. He's a violent, unfeeling killer."

"What about my brother?" I counter, "I know what he did to you, Lina. And you're still here, with him. Can't you understand me at least a little?" My voice thins out, my throat clogged with emotion.

She looks as if I'd slapped her, a red tinge creeping up her cheeks.

"Vlad isn't a saint. I know that. God, I'm aware that he's probably one of the most dangerous men in this world.

But he's mine. " I point to my chest. "You have no idea how much he loves me, or how cherished he makes me feel.

He completes me in a way I'd never thought possible, and I'm not about to give that up.

Not even for you," I firmly state and her eyes widen slightly.

"Sisi…" she drifts off as she's trying to read me.

"I understand if you or Marcello can't accept that.

It's your choice. Just as it is mine to go with him.

" I continue to place my stuff in the bag, refusing to succumb to my emotions.

"Where are Claudia and Venezia? I want to say goodbye.

" Another pang hits my chest at realizing I likely won't be able to see either for a long time.

Venezia I'd only just gotten to know, but Claudia? We'd grown up side by side, and sometimes she feels like both my sister and my child.

"They're at the museum with their teacher. Stay, Sisi. Stay and see them. You really don't have to go," Lina continues to plead with me, and the pain in her eyes only serves to renew my own.

"I can't Lina," I whisper, my entire being rebelling at this situation I find myself in. Oh, but how I wish I could have both, my family and my love.

But one can't have everything one desires, I think that should be pretty clear by now.

"After the baby…" I trail off, taking a deep breath and wanting to explain to her so that she understands.

"I was in a very dark place. So dark I didn't think I'd ever come out of it.

Vlad was the only thing that made me feel better, like my old self.

He's the one who keeps me sane when the pain threatens to spill over. "

She purses her lips, sorrow on her features as she listens to my words. I know it's not fair to her, since I hadn't let anyone in about my problems. And it's because I'd held everything in that I'd lost myself to the pain.

"I don't know if it makes sense, if it's anything less than insanity but…" I raise my gaze to hers so she can see the sincerity of my words, "He's my one requirement to live."

Just then, the door opens slightly, and Vlad strides in. His lip is busted and I assume Marcello wasn't satisfied with putting a hole through his chest, he had to punch him too.

The bag drops from my hands as I hurry to his side, my fingers tracing the already bruising flesh.

"You didn't even defend yourself, did you?" I ask softly. I'd already expected him to not put up a fight and accept whatever Marcello dished at him. Deep down, I think there's a part of him that believes he deserves it because he betrayed his friend.

Because that's just the type of man Vlad is. Honorable. He might be a killer, but he's a principled one, and I respect his honor system, skewed as it is.

"Why would I fight when I know I would win." He shrugs slightly, catching my hand.

"I…" Lina mumbles something, and I realize she's still in the room. "I'll go now," she says, her eyes skirting from Vlad to me before hurrying out of the room.

"I'm sorry," he mutters as I redirect my attention to the luggage. "I didn't think he'd be this unyielding." He sighs deeply.

"At least he didn't kill you," I point out with half a smile.

"At least there's that," he chuckles, walking around the room and helping me pack.

Opening a drawer he stills, his expression strained. I turn to him, my own features drawing up in pain as I see him lift the small ultrasound picture.

"Hell girl," he groans, opening his arms for me to run into. "Fuck, I'm so sorry. Marcello was right. I should have been here. I should have been by your side," he speaks in my hair, holding me close to his chest.

I'd tried all day to be strong, but somehow the sight of that one picture makes me break down, sobs racking my body as I finally let the tears fall.

"Shh," he coos, taking me in his arms and placing me on the bed. "When you hurt, I hurt," he whispers, slowly stroking my back.