Page 80 of Scream (Duchess & Devils #1)

Parker.

Verona, Italy

Italy's fucking wild once Raven and the guys pop up on Thursday evening to surprise Sabrina at Maksim's family Villa. The house is busy as fuck. All the wives welcome the foursome easily into the home – as if it’s theirs – and are very understanding and patient with Raven when she tries to talk with them in Italian.

If she starts stuttering too badly, Sabrina happily interprets for her.

The old wives talk over each other, often laughing, and they cook all fucking day.

I eat all fucking day.

Alright, that part’s not so bad.

Maksim’s father, Aristide, has been with us since we arrived.

The old G is a fuckin’ flirt. Or maybe he’s just nice, but I don’t like anyone being ‘just nice’ to my girl.

He and Sabrina spend a lot of time together, talking, laughing.

She even gets onto him a few times in a language I barely speak, but I don't miss the way the old man smiles up at her from his wheelchair every time she does. But I get it. It’s easy to be pulled into Sabrina’s orbit, especially when she’s so fucking radiant.

It makes Maksim laugh.

I do not.

Maksim leaves early that morning to take his father to his treatment, then to check on the vineyard.

Maverick and Damon go with them. So Jonas and I decide to take our women out to Verona, where we rent mopeds and goof around - eating too much, shopping, and watching artists paint in the streets.

At one point, there's a musician duo – a cellist and a violinist. Raven gestures to them, asking if she can play.

The look on the guy's face is hilarious when he realizes she's incredible.

They play The Show Must Go On by Queen. Both Jonas and Sabrina take videos of her impromptu performance, and post them to their socials because, hey, any publicity for her album coming out, right?

I don’t mind it. Raven’s fucking awesome and extremely humble when it comes to her talent.

Blushing a lot when she’s complimented, but taking it with grace, signing ‘Thank you’ to strangers over and over again.

When the street performers tried to give her the money she made during her small performance, she didn’t take it.

In fact, she pulled out her own wallet from the purse Jonas was holding for her and gave them enough cash to probably pay rent.

The street performers tried to kiss her, and Jonas intervened by physically inserting himself between her and the guys.

We laughed when they kissed him instead, and he turned bright red.

Once we grow bored of Verona, the girls want to have gelato in Rome, so we get on the three hour-long train ride to the Eternal City.

Sabrina and Raven don't leave each other's side while we roam the streets of – well – Rome on more mopeds.

I can see how easy it was for them to be friends at Rayne-Moore.

Raven seems to be down for anything, and sometimes, Sabrina is just as eager to enjoy the world.

They giggle. A lot. And they squeal just as much on the scooters around the city, having the time of their lives.

Jonas and I have about ten mini heart attacks each .

Seeing Sabrina be so carefree feels nostalgic.

Except this time, instead of being her shadow and enjoying myself in silence, I'm enjoying myself out loud – with her.

It feels fucking surreal, like I'm getting everything I've ever wanted in this life.

While the girls are distracted, I look over at Jonas.

"Hey."

"Yeah?"

I point to the shop we're approaching. "Wanna get a tattoo?"

His dark brows shoot up as he checks me over, swallowing his gelato. "Do you even have space?"

I laugh. "I do."

He lifts a heavy shoulder and lets it fall. "Fuck it. Let's do it. Raven, baby!"

Our women turn to face us, and I point to the tattoo parlor. Raven squeals and leaps into Jonas' arms. Sabrina's cat eyes rove over me. "Do you even have room?"

"For what I want? Absolutely, I do." I reply, opening the door to the quiet shop. The girl behind the register looks like the Italian version of Raven, but with hair to her chin, and thick, green chunks in it instead of the purple. Her makeup is heavy on the eyes, and she has a thick accent.

Jonas and Raven go into the back room first, then Sabrina, then me.

We're all on the tattoo chairs. Raven is getting something on her shoulder.

Sabrina is getting something on her back but when the artist sees what she wants, he puts his hands up, gestures between them, shakes his head at her, saying something about “Sposa di Giordano” and switches with one of the women.

Huh.

I look over at Jonas, who is getting something on his neck. “You sure you want to go for the throat for your first tattoo, ever?”

Jonas beams at the ceiling while the guy is placing the stencil paper on him, wiggling his feet in excitement.

Damon’s right when he calls him ‘pup.’ Then I notice the guy that switched with Sabrina’s artist coming up to him and placing another stencil on his forearm.

He pulls it off, and it says, “Always” in a font I don’t recognize, with an arrow going through it.

That’s easy to decipher. Damon’s last name is Archer .

He catches me looking, and Jonas says, “Raven’s handwriting.

She leaves little notes for me in my duffle bag every morning.

I always find them and pocket them. I like to look at them when I'm on the road.

" Then he lifts his head slightly to look at Raven. “This doesn’t mean stop putting notes in my duffy, okay?”

She blows him a kiss and he settles back in, as though an air kiss soothed everything in his soul.

I look over at Raven. And you? I sign.

A little collection of my guys. Maverick’s favorite poem by William Ernest Henley, Damon’s favorite flowers - Black Star Gladiolus, but blue for Jojo, a few music notes… It's a combination of us. She smiles. It’s something I’ve been working on for a while.

“What about you, baby?” I ask Sabrina, as the tattoo guns go off in different directions. Jonas lets out a little yelp. I do my best not to laugh. I fail.

“You’ll see.” Sabrina smirks, and leans onto the tattoo chair then lets out a little, “ooh,” when the gun goes against her soft skin. A part of me doesn’t want her to mar her body, but the other part of me, wants to make it all better.

Fuck.

The last artist lifts the stencil from my forearm and asks if I'm happy with it. I nod, looking down at the photo-realistic stencil that will soon be Sabrina’s eyes, the bridge of her nose, and her brows.

That was easy to come by. All I did was show him a selfie of me and Sabrina after one of our runs in Central Park.

It’s my favorite. The sun was shining in her eyes at the right angle, showing off the meshed slates gray in her green eyes.

My girl has the prettiest eyes. I love all of her, every single part of her - inside and out - but her eyes?

They knock the wind out of my lungs every time she looks at me.

I sit back, close my eyes, and do my best not to laugh at Jonas’ little whimpers. The poor guy is getting two tattoos at once. I take a picture of the girls holding hands and sending it to Maks. He calls me, and when he asks what she’s getting, I tell him that apparently, it’s a surprise.

Four hours later, we’re all wrapped and returning the mopeds. The sun’s going down, and we head back to the train station to make the three hour journey back to Verona. I let Maksim know that we’re on our way, and he sends me a thumbs up emoji. And then,

Maks: I’m still at the vineyard with my father.

Damon and Maverick are already back at the villa.

I’ve released most of the guards for the evening since I’m sure everyone there knows how to use a gun.

I doubt you will, but if you need access to one, they’re underneath every table and one in every vase.

Maks: I’ll leave when the lawyers do.

That’s… unsettling.

Me: That’s a three hour drive. Stay with your dad. I got her. We’re all good.

Maks: I’ll keep you updated. Kiss her for me.

Me: Will do.

We board the train and are shown to the executive section.

It’s more luxurious, with more space, and the seats are larger and more comfortable.

Raven and Jonas immediately sit in their little loungers.

Raven is petting all over Jonas, caring for him after he showed her the tattoo on his neck was her name – like he's a sick puppy. I already know he’s going to be milking this as much as he can.

I sit in mine, with Sabrina by the window.

When the train starts moving, her lashes flutter closed, and she freely lays her head on my shoulder.

I watch the scenery flying by – the best seat in the house – because I can still see Sabrina in my periphery.

I rest my chin on her head, and her hand finds mine. It’s bare.

I squeeze her hand a little, just to feel the silkiness of her bare skin against mine – thanking the gods for this small gift, because it quells my demons.

The ones that make me feel like I need to be alert at all times, that something is amiss.

But it was always her. I was always missing her.

My soul, my heart, my brain - I always just needed Sabrina to feel right.

But I stay awake, just in case. But also, to simply breathe her in. To remember everything about today and commemorate it. I never want to forget today or every day I've ever spent at her side. But now? How she’s been so sweet, so flirty, so very mine - I eat it up.