Page 111 of Wounded King

"No!" He doesn't even think about his answer. The look of horror on his face is naked and undisguised, and I won't lie. It hurts. Then his expression softens, not much, it's more in his gray, stormy eyes than a lessening in the edges of his sharp features. "I don't want you anywhere near that man. I don't want you breathing the same air he does," he amends and puts his hand softly on my cheek. "Ever."

Confusion rages through me for a few seconds, but then I think I finally understand. "I wouldn't be there for him; I want to be there for you."

"Ah, tesoro, no," he shakes his head. "We will celebrate tonight while he starts his journey to jail."

I swallow, but manage, "You hate him?"

He thinks about that for a moment, then shakes his head. "No. Hate means I feel something for him, which I don't. The man has been dead to me for years, and that won't change. But I will be happy once he's locked away."

This man, this stranger whom I pledged I would marry, is a puzzle to me, and yet, there is not even a faint sliver of doubt inside me about binding myself to him. I might never fully figure him out, but that doesn't matter to me, because he's already everything to me.

"What if… if… they don't find him guilty?" I need to know.

"That's impossible, but if they don't find him guilty, tesoro," the hand on my cheek caresses me lightly, "you'd be better off being far away from me."

"You're not scaring me away, Marcello," I state, sounding firmer than I feel.

This time he smiles. "I know, my fierce one. Which is one of the reasons I treasure you so much."

He leans forward and brushes his lips over mine gently, not as possessively as he usually does. "Go and enjoy your shopping trip."

Before I have a chance to bring up any other objections, Pippa's voice rings out from the living room, "Yoo-hoo, anybody home?"

"Pippa," I exclaim, beaming.

"Go." Marcello pushes me. "I'll be right there."

I sprint into the living room, where Pippa is looking around with wide eyes, while Luciano watches her in muted fascination.

"Pippa!"

"Vi!"

We embrace as if we hadn't seen each other in weeks instead of a couple of days. And ask simultaneously, "Are you okay?"

We laugh and then, again, simultaneously,

"I have so much to tell you."

"You won't believe what's happening."

And then, just to add to the confusion, again, at the same time, "You first."

Now we're in each other's arms, laughing hysterically.

"What the hell?" Marcello exclaims, closing a cufflink on his shirt.

"Girls." Luciano shakes his head and begs, "Get me out of here, boss?"

"Hold on, I haven't properly introduced you two," I stop the men and pull Pippa forward. "Pippa, this is Marcello, Marcello, Pippa."

They shake hands like civilized people, but they measure each other with their eyes as if they were both assassins. Well, at least one of themisan assassin, or something like that. Great.

"You two have fun and stay out of trouble," Marcello instructs, pulling his jacket on and pulling me into his arms for a kiss.

"Ditto," I tell him, trying to control my weakening knees.

"Soo?" Pippa drags theoout, after Marcello and Luciano have left. "Marcello?"